1998 montana knocking and exhaust smell

Hi Everyone,

We just bought a 98 montana with 88,000 on it. The previous owner said that it burned oil unless you used the high mileage oil and that the head gasket was replaced.

Well there is a slight knocking/tapping sound at start up (i am not sure if it goes away after awhile because my wife drives it). I checked the oil and it is full and it is not due to be changed for another 1500 miles.

Also the exhaust smell is very strong after warming up in the garage. No particular type of smell just very strong exhaust.

Does anyone see potential problems? My wife is worried that something is going bad.

Thanks in advance for any help that can be given.
John

My 98 Montana knocks a bit also, It's been doing it since day one. The dealership mechanic checked it and said it was ok. I have not had any major problems and I have @ 130,000 miles on it. I do notice it seems a bit louder in the winter and seems to quite down with the high milage oils.
As for the exhaust smell, my thought is that if the thing was burning oil you may have some residue left in the exhaust system that is giving you the strong smell. I am just guessing maybe someone else on the forum has a better idea.