I just picked up a 2002 XL7 for nearly nothing. Its in great shape, Everything works and it has no rust. It does have 230K miles but runs really well with no smoke out of the exhaust and no service light.
The problem is that there is a severe oil leak of unknown origin. The oil eventually migrates its way to the exhaust cross pipe behind the motor and the car smokes like its got an engine fire after a 20 minute drive. Its tight under the hood so what I want to do is order all of the probable gaskets that might be at fault before I begin working on it. This is a result of watching a youtube video on replacing the valve cover gaskets. It seems that all work on this motor involves the removal of a lot of stuff. I have the valve cover gaskets but I don't think the valve covers are at fault. I can't get any history of the circumstances behind this problem -- when it started, did it start after work was done ... It could be a loose oil filter for all I know. I'm just hoping its not the rear main seal or a cracked head or block.
So, what gaskets, seals and parts should I gather before I begin this adventure? Any insight into loosing two quarts of oil in 250 miles?