IF you can climb under the car and look for oil run marks or drips anywhere *

I'm going to start the blaming by going to the valve covers. In fact, check which one is leaking, replace both gaskets, and then see if it'* still leaking oil. If so, continue looking for the oil drip.

I'm gonna try and have the car looked at on Monday or Tuesday, since the weather is clearing up. In the meantime, where do I look to see if the Valve cover gasket is leaking (where is the valve cover located? on the top of the engine?)?

If it is the valve cover gasket, which manufacturer should I buy it from to replace it? Rockauto has gaskets available from FEL PRO, Victor Reinz and Rock Parts.

The valve cover is the plastic covers on the heads, one in front, one in back. These gaskets leak oil right on the the exhaust manifolds.

You have two valve covers, one of which has your oil fill cap. The valve cover is the very top of the V of your V6. The VC on the back of the engine has no oil cap, but both have identical gaskets. When it comes to gaskets, I don't usually mind the manufacturer. Fel Pro makes good paper gaskets, mostly accurate, but VC gaskets are rubbery so that pretty much any brand will do.

To look for an oil leak from your covers, rub the areas around them to see if there'* fresh oil. Those areas are likely going to be oily, especially the front, from either previous leaking gaskets or spilled oil from oil changes. The gasket can leak away from the exhaust manifolds, toward the intake and the fuel injectors, so check there too.

I just looked it up in the Haynes manual before I saw you responded. Now I know what you're talking about. I'll take a look at em tomorrow morning.

Checked the back of the rear valve cover. Sure enough there is some sludge back there.

The back one is a pain to change because all the sensors are over it. Just take your time and move stuff out of the way. Remember to keep things clean so you don't drop nothing in to the rockar area. Also be sure to torque it to the correct amount, no more.

I'm gonna see if I can work (and/or watch) someone who knows what they are doing. My dad knows someone whose mechanically inclined, I'll see if he'* free this week.

So my dads friend came, and found the leak. While there is sludge behind the valve cover, there was a leak at one of the oil cooler lines. He fixed that, and topped off the powersteering fluid, but he also broke a plastic line after dropping the resevoir cap into the engine bay and trying to find it . While this has now convinced me the merits of an engine cover, could you guys tell me what the part is and if I can drive with it like this or glue it back together for a temp fix? Or will I need to take the bus to school until he can come back and fix it?