Several issues, need pointers

[Nateff91]

2004 V6 3.0 with 63,000 on car, 74,xxx on engine. First off, yesterday after opening the hood and checking the oil (been burning up rapidly, assuming it's valve cover gaskets) I fired her up to do a check to see everything's running well. Immediately I hear hissing. (Video of noise on bottom) I'm not sure what this is and forgive me if I'm completely off but I think it's a vacuum hose near the back of the engine on top of the intake manifold. Aside from that, this morning noticed red fluid on the garage floor under front passenger side of the engine bay. Is this transmission fluid or something completely different? Thanks guys!

http://youtu.be/Dbm5pRz2iAA

 

[Nateff91]

Further inspected the red fluid leak, here are some pictures. Have no idea what to make of this and there has been no more leakage on the white towel since the original discovery this morning on the garage floor.



This is the area where he pics are coming from


Here you can see where it's trickling down (dark trail)


Right here seems to be near where the source is located. Below the black cone type thing sticking out dead center is wet. More or less soaked there for lack of better words.




Thank you all in advance for your expertise and time to read and help me out! And hope everyone had a good thanksgiving!

 

[regiment1]

I had a red fluid leak on two occasions. The time with the heavier fluid was transmission fluid, and some bolt had to be tightened to solve the problem. The time with the lighter fluid took some time to figure out, but turned out to be fluid from the AC compressor, which I had replaced.

 

[Nateff91]

Thanks! There is no more leakage as of now! Hopefully just a fluke thing!
As for the hissing, still unresolved and not sure how to fix. And the oil is still burning up. Sometime next week I'm taking it to my uncles mechanic shop. Anything I should suggest he check out?

 

[Telco]

The PCV system, a known problem on the V6. A jammed PCV can cause the engine to suck oil into the intake, and down through the engine. A good cat will burn this off so there's almost no oil smoke through the exhaust, at least for a while. As to the hissing, vacuum hoses do deteriorate over time and get full of microholes but they will look perfectly fine until you pull on them. When you pull, they will feel greasy, will stretch into lace and will leave a black rubbery residue on your fingers that's hard to remove. If one is like this, may as well replace them all.

 

[Nateff91]

The PCV system, a known problem on the V6. A jammed PCV can cause the engine to suck oil into the intake, and down through the engine. A good cat will burn this off so there's almost no oil smoke through the exhaust, at least for a while. As to the hissing, vacuum hoses do deteriorate over time and get full of microholes but they will look perfectly fine until you pull on them. When you pull, they will feel greasy, will stretch into lace and will leave a black rubbery residue on your fingers that's hard to remove. If one is like this, may as well replace them all.

So I will go in telling him everything you just said! Thank you!!