Smoke from Engine After Oil Change

[Theimer.alex]

Good evening!

After changing the oil in my Sonic, I let the car run for about 5 minutes. After noticing smoke from the engine, I popped the hood to inspect--it was mostly coming from the part circled in the picture. Turns out I had spilled a bit of oil directly on it when removing the old filter...

Is the smoke anything to be worried about? I've looked into the problem in other threads, and it seems the most likely culprit is that it's just burning off the spilled oil.

Any help is extremely appreciated!

 

[SuperSonicRS]

That's your o2 sensor/exhaust. Oil + heat = smoke. You should be fine, just check for any other oil in the area and clean up.

 

[Theimer.alex]

Awesome, thanks! Hopefully that's all it is...

 

[curvguy]

I agree had the same issue after topping up my motor oil. It smoked like hell, but after some time the smoke disappeared.

 

[$ub$onic]

When you remove the filter, some oil may drip on the lower part of the exhaust and if the quantity of oil is enough, smoke may be seen from that area.

I always take a rag with me when I reinstall the drain plug and wipe the exhaust clean before starting.