Vehicle: 2002 Dodge Caravan SE (3.3L, V6)

I live in Ontario Canada and the winter here has been exceptionally cold. For the most part the vehicle has been running fine. The mechanic claims the irregular knocking noise i hear when driving is the inner tie rod for both sides. Oddly enough he was also the one who replaced the one inner tie rod the last time i was there a couple weeks ago so i'm a bit suspicious.

A few issues:

1. Today when i drove into my garage i could smell what seemed like burnt rubber coming from beneath the hood. While the car was running (e-brake applied, car set to Drive) i lifted the hood and i can hear a rattling noise coming from the engine. The noise is coming from the left side of the engine where the belt and pulleys are. The same mechanic told me that rattling noise could be a failing pulley.

2. Not sure if related but when we cold start the vehicle up in the morning (after a long cold night), there is this loud engine roar? and i believe the RPMs rev near 2000. A very odd experience when first starting up. It seems related to the extreme cold. After a few seconds the roar settles to normal.

3. After the mechanic dealt with front wheel alignment and tie rod / stablizer link issues, when i brought the vehicle home i noticed the exterior of power steering reservoir was covered in fluid.

I am wondering if that burning rubber smell is related to any of this. Any tests i can perform to figure out where this smell is coming from and what that rattling noise is?

Thanks!

 

Your mechanic should have told you that you got a major oil leak coming from your valve covers. I see it's leak on the exhaust manifold. I'm surprised you are not smelling oil burning with all that oil on your exhaust instead of rubber. Are you sure it's a burning rubber smell?

Looking at your picture you need to change your valve cover gaskets like last week. The rise in RPMs in the morning when its cold, I think all cars do that. Mine done it alot during this artic freeze. You got a check engine light on?

 

Thanks so much for the education. I checked YouTube and understand what you mean now. I am trying to DIY all these repairs with the car. I will order a new gasket. If you have any tips on how to easily get access to the other back / hidden cover i'm all ears.

 

see my post in this "Tizzy1 and others DIY information"

i posted how to remove the wiper crowl
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2531517-post37.html

takes 15 mins, might need a 2 arm puller, lots of space, see the last pic

 

What he said. Also, FYI gasoline in a bottle sprayer is the best cleaner. Get a dirty rag and spray a little gas on it and it will cleaned alot of that oil gunk off your head surface for the valve cover. I use it to clean oil off my engine and transmission. Use gloves also.

 

first I check your oil level. second in extreme cold temps the engine wount get lubrication right away so don't raise the rpms or drive. let it heat up normal. seems my 4.0l does this too for second or 2 then goes away but I don't use the gas peddle until I am at least above the heating 1/4 line. like said you have major oil leak and possibly more issues with the engine itself cause bent rods are usually sign of other issues unless from being hammered in cold. I would probably clean engine and find another mechanic give you a better diagnostic on engine. the power steering I would isolate the pump and change out the container due to it having a strainer that could be plugged or you turned the steering whicle the vehicle was off causing pressure to cause fluid to come out.