Recently, I have been getting a ticking sound from the driver's side that sounds like a lifter tick/exhaust leak. My guess is always exhaust leak first. However, at the same time, we started getting an oily residue on the driveway overnight that appears to be coming from the tailpipe The first time it was a significant blotch, since then it has been a couple smaller ones.

Any ideas on what this residue is? Seems almost like a gel, as weird as that sounds. Any correlation with the tick?

 

Could be a bad valve guide / valve stem seal thats allowing oil into the cylinder and then is getting thrown out the tail pipe. Or it could be piston rings doing the same. It really could be a number of things. As for the ticking, it could be anything from an exhaust leak to a valve problem. Sounds like there is more diagnosing to be done unfortunatly. Any notice in loss of power or fuel milage? Those would be big signs that its something that needs attention immediately.

 

It could still be oil, even if it's a gel. The oil may have picked up some soot or grease or dirt on its way out of the tailpipe making it thicker.