I have 2 oil leaks. Both are toward the passenger side. The larger is near the front of the car and the lesser is hitting the ground about 4 inches behind it. Thoughts on the possible causes?
Btw, i have changed the oil drain plug.
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Your Ask Someone has been redirected to Car Talk Forum, welcome…
I hate to state the obvious, but the only way to find the oil leak(s) is to look, I mean really look, that could mean lifting (jack and jack stands) the vehicle maybe even removing the wheel and inner splash shield in order to see the leak, if covered in oil, then clean, and might even have to drive and recheck… You can even add dye to the oil to help out…
If you are unable to do any of this, then find a reputable independent shop to find and repair the oil leak for you…
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The commonest leak is the valve cover gasket. The next would be the oil pan. Not sure where the filter and housing are on a Chevy but that would be next. A rean main bearing leak would show up in the center. Does this car have an external oil cooler for towing?
Oil leaks are never something to ignore…but it’s also no need to panic necessarily.
How much oil are we talking about here? Are you actively checking and monitoring the engine oil level on a regular basis?
Many times it makes more sense to monitor the oil, and top off as needed, instead of trying to track down the cause/leaks themselves. Now of course if you have puddles of oil and/or other engine problems, that may change the equation.
Thanks. I don’t think it has a external oil cooler as It doesn’t have a towing package. I had taken the car in for an oil change and also asked them to look for an oil leak. Before they started, they cleaned the bottom of the engine and let it set. They said there were 2 leaks and thought the larger one might be the oil drain plug (which they changed). They speculated that the 2nd leak was either from the rear main seal or the intake manifold gasket. After a couple of days, I had 2 leaks - one larger than the other so apparently the drain plug wasn’t it. I’m not seeing any leaks in the vicinity of the oil pan gasket. In reading about this, people have had oil leaks from the oil pressure sensor which is at the grille side of the engine. Of course, the intake manifold gasket and the rear main seal are pretty large and expensive jobs, so I don’t want to go there if I don’t have to.
Is there a relatively easy way to figure out if it’s a valve cover gasket or the intake manifold gasket that might be the issue?
Thanks
Kevin
Thanks!
I am monitoring the oil level and the puddles. At this point, the larger fo the leaks is about 6" in diameter overnight. The smaller is about 3". The oil on the gargae floor creates some unwelcome discussion, but my larger concern is a catastrophic failure causing serious engine damage. The garage speculated oil drain plug (changed and this was not the issue), rear main seal, and intake manifold gasket.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
Kevin
Just to be sure, it’s not coming from the oil filter or components below the filter, right? The filter was above the engine cradle or suspension on our Olds Silhouette and oil would spill onto the cradle when the filter was changed. If it wasn’t wiped off, it would drip off.
Could be any or all of those.
That much oil every night would cause me some concern as well. I was under the impression that mechanics had some sort of UV dye or something along those lines they would put into the oil to find the leak source. I may be mixing that up with something else. But I’d try another mechanic. There should be a better way to track this down that a list of “maybes”.
If it’s a 6" diameter engine oil leak, that is substantial
I’d put the car on jackstands, get under there with a good LED light . . . not your phone, btw . . . and a creeper
Now wipe everything off and start the car
If it’s the diameter you say, it should be readily apparent where it’s coming from
It might very well be the engine oil pressure sensor, but you should confirm before buying parts
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