I haveTaurus 2002, with 117,00 miles. Recently I noticed that anytime I turn the heater on, there's this odor like oil burning. The odor remains permanent in the car. Now, there's the odor even without the heater on . I've had to be adding oil, as the engine oil gauge goes down quick. Now, there's this creaking bad noise from the right side (water pump?). I changed the water pump 9 months ago. What should I do ? If this is a leak (which I'm not seeing under the car) can I try one of those sealants (to pour into the engine). Which of them would you recommend ? No sign of overheating yet.
Thanks.
:confused:

Stay away from any type of sealant. You are sucking fumes in from the engine compartment. Take you car to Ford and have them check it out. Tauruses should go 250,000 miles, even though the transmission may need rebuilding around 150,000 miles or so. As the proud owner of a 2000 Taurus, with the 3.0L Duratec engine, I can tell you they are a good car. Like any car, they require good preventive maintenance. I recommend you only use full-synthetic 5W-30 engine oil, along with a premium oil filter (e.g. Purolator Pure One or Mobil 1's filter), in your engine. Change the engine oil and filter every 6,000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. I also recommend you use Mobil 1 Multi-Vehicle Synthetic ATF in the transmission. Change the transmission fluid and filter every 30,000 miles.

Fumes may be coming from when you last had the engine oil and filter changed. When the filter was removed, oil may have drained down on the exhaust manifold. It takes time for the fumes and smell to go away. Ensure the antifreeze is changed every 35,000 miles. Use a 50/50 mixture of Zerex G-05 and distilled water. If the cooling system has been neglected, the smell could be coming from an engine that is starting to overheat. Get the car looked at ASAP.

Thanks a lot , greasemonkey