Mazda Repair: 93 mazda protege 5 speed, mazda protege 5, valve cover gasket

Question
I have a mazda protege 93 5 speed and my car has been smoking from the engine a little while after I start driving about 10 to 15 min. after I start the car up. The temp. gague is normal not overheating. Wondering if the seal on the engine needs to be replaced?  

Answer
Is the smoke coming from the engine compartment? It's not coming from the exhaust is it? If it is coming out from under the hood, then it is probably just a bad valve cover gasket. This is generally an easy fix on a 4 cylinder model. I don't know if Mazda offered a v6 model. If it is only the front valve cover gasket on a v6, then that will also be an easy fix. If the cover is leaking so bad that it actually causes the car to smoke, then you should be able to see where the oil has been leaking from.

You should be able to by the valve cover gasket from any auto parts store. If this car has a stamped sheet steel valve cover, you may need to apply silicone to the mating surface on the bottom of the valve cover and to the mating surface on the top of the head. This is because steel valve covers tend to warp and bend. When this happens, a new gasket by itself is not sufficient.