30th of April 2014 ... Number of Responses 1 --

How bad is it to drive my 99 eclipse rs with bad valve spring covers and possible worn cylinders

For the environment and your cash flow it is not a great idea. You also mention white smoke as opposed to blue smoke which may mean you are burning coolant which would suggest a bad head gasket. Have a look in the valve cover and on the oil dipstick to see if the oil is becoming a white emulsification for that really would kill your engine. Also check your coolant levels. Assuming it is just oil burning, then the risk of driving depends on the length of the journey, how often you check the oil and how bad the leak is. The bad valve spring covers will lead to loss of oil that will at the very least probably end up contaminating the accessory belt that drives the alternator, power steering etc. leading to screeching because of belt slippage - the belt will need to be replaced every time this happens. If the leak is bad enough oil might get onto the exhaust system starting an engine fire - not good news as that would be the end of the car. If the oil is not checked often enough then the engine might run out of oil causing total engine failure. As for the cylinders being worn and allowing oil to get into the combustion, this is a pollution problem that can clog up your catalytic converter leading to a repair cost there to replace the cat and when it comes time for emissions the car will probably not pass. If the engine is worn enough, Oil may keep fouling up the spark plugs causing engine miss fire. Gasoline will also end up getting mixed up with the engine oil diluting the benefits of the oil to protect the engine. The worn engine will also not provide as much power increasing your fuel consumption leading to higher fuel costs to run the car.