I discovered a strange problem with my 94 850 - when I bought it last year I found the hose the runs from the flame trap to somewhere under the engine (I am told to the oil trap) had been cracked or cut on purpose. I replaced the flame trap myself as is stressed as important in this forum - thus discovering the broken hose. When I worked on the flame trap I broke the hose further by moving it around (now broken in 2 places), and now I get smoke or exhaust coming out from under the hood when idling. I can't tell if it is coming from this hose and whether it is burning oil or exhaust (smells kind of like exhaust but I try not to sniff it).

What should I do - replace the hose or check the oil trap/separator that is below the manifold? A mechanic told me that someone may have cut the hose to alleviate excess pressure in the engine, but that seems like a dumb solution to me. Also the hose broke so easily when i moved it it's not unlikely that it was not on purpose the first time. Are there any websites with diagrams etc on this? Replacing the hose is probably over my head and I'll have to take it to a garage.

Thanks for any help understanding this mysterious area of my car :)

-Tina