Going on a trip in 2 days, just curious on these images of my engine.

It runs OK, but im not really all that well mechanically inclined. yeah a part here and there, and massive amounts of electrical. but hopefully y'all can help me out here.

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-dsc_0010-jpg
Bottom of car, between the engine and the Torque converter? or transmission. Its leaking. not bad but i want to know if that is out of the norm.




http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-dsc_0018-jpg
Look of inside the oil thing on top of the motor, it was smoking, and smelt of exhaust Out of inside this hole.
dont know if the oil has to be changed, looks grey in here....cant really get a good view of the back walls inside or deeper, but it appears to be very dry. is this normal?




http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-dsc_0021-jpg

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-dsc_0030-jpg
View down Spark plug 2, and 4. #2 looks to be drowning the spark plug in fuel or oil? it looks very liquidy so im guessing gas, or maybe a mix? no idea how gas would get up there, so ill assume its oil...
- and the second plug #4 not as bad as the first, but its kind of odd to me that both of these are containing a liquid as teh others are bone dry.

Any assistance or opinions are valueable to this kind of handy guy.

This is a 2006 aveo lt 1.6L Sedan in canada.
Had above $10K in front end damage.

Have you changed the oil? How many miles on the car? Last 2 photos are easy its your valve cover gasket leaking oil into the top of the spark plugs be careful when you pull the plugs when you start it after words its going to spoke like a Honda. There are a few threads on changing the gasket if I was going on a trip I would do this and change oil prior top leaving.

130K kilometers, oil change isn't for another 2 or 3 K to my knowledge.
distance is 600Km total round trip
Valve cover gasket was replaced about 4-6 months ago, shouldn't it last longer?

It depends ive went through two of them. When you did it did you go through and retorque the bolts? As for the oil smell I switched to synthetic at 40k and don't have those issues any more. Oil might be seeping from the rear main but its not pouring out so your good for awhile. I don't know what you can use in Canada but I used to run lucas oil treatment in my jeep and got 300k before the trans went lucas thickens the oil and quiets the motor. It also slowed down the oil seepage.

The gasket should last years, and the only 2 possibilities for it leaking so soon are 1) it was damaged or not installed correctly; or 2) the person installing the gasket didn't get rid of the oil from the plug wells at that time. Plugs don't need to come out to replace the gasket, and someone could do an incomplete job by not cleaning out the wells. AFA the gasket installation goes, it should be snugged down in at least 2 stages (3 is better), in order to avoid mis-shaping it in one or more places. If someone applies the full torque all at once to each bolt, especially if not using a criss-cross pattern, the gasket is likely to not seat properly, and can start leaking fairly soon (or right away).

The gasket was changed when i did a preemptive strike on my timing belt before it just randomly goes (123K or so) as well as the water pump and the tensioner pulley. The dealer told me they had to change the gasket while they do this because it had to be replaced.. so i agreed.

The plastic oem coolant thermostat thing by the front of the engine, beside the exhaust outlets split in half, so that was replaced with a new metal one

This re-torquing thing is the first iv heard of that, dealer never told me to come in to get it tightened again, and i cant rely on them for their workmanship if im not watching everything they do. Would it make any difference if i tightened it again, shoved some paper towel around the plugs to soak up the liquid and see if it happens again?

The factory service manual says to remove the valve cover to do the timing belt so you can get a wrench on the cam shafts. So I'm sure they just automatically quoted you the labor. But unless your want to replace the gasket, its easier to do the job with a DOHC lock and not removing the valve cover. My bet is they never replaced it. Look on the driver side of the engine. There are 2 half circles of gasket that are huge and impossible to miss. Are they new looking? Is the drip of gasket sealant bright blue (maybe grey or black) or is it grungy, old and nearly colorless? They will tell you if they did it. To clean out the plug wells put a rubber glove over the end of a wet dry vac. Poke a straw through the rubber glove on an outside edge. Use that crazy rig to suck the oil out. Now when you pull your plugs you won't dump oil in the cylinders. Pull each plug and use a rolled up paper towel to clean the last of the oil from the well. While your at it, replace the plugs. The likely need it, and they cost $2 each. Get NGK V grove plugs. Now you could drive around for a few days and see if the gasket is still leaking or of maybe the dealer didn't clean the wells. But I would just redo the gasket while I had the plugs out the first time. It isn't expensive or hard as long as you have a good torque wrench.