What’s this called?
 

Hello,

Sorry if this is in wrong area if so Mods please move. I changed my oil and afterwards noticed that this was smoking a little. I have a couple questions:
1: what is it?
2: should it be smoking lightly?

I attached an image not sure if that’s how to insert a photo.

Thanks in advance for replies. Sorry if it’s a noob question.

You probably dropped some oil on the exhaust. Typically it'll have some smoke/smell until it burns away.

That's your Exhaust Header down there, with the 02 sensor.


White smoke out of exhaust = normal
Thick white smoke = coolant leak/burning
Black smoke = gasoline flooded/leaking in engine
Blue smoke = engine oil leak/burning
Grey smoke = turbocharger/transmission, etc.

itlooks like you got a drop of oil on the heat shield of your header. and its just burning off the oil drop. no problem at all. just report back if its still a problem in a week.

ok thats what i was hoping. i could have sworn it was smoking from the wire but like you said its exahust and thats also where the dipstick ends which is likely to drip oil when checking.