1990 Honda Accord ex Sedan w/sun roof and spoiler. A sweet little ride
Recently I had my cars oil changed. 2 days later my friend noticed some liquid on her driveway and when I got out of my car I could smell something burning… So next day I took my car back and they changed my oil filter (why? it had just been changed) it was a new. The owner said that the filter was warped and I believed what he said. It was free so I didn’t lose anything. Next few days same thing a burning smell so I took it back and stayed in the car this time. He checked the oil and oil filter and they were good, then he came to the oil pan and said “there’s the problem” oil is all over, you need a new oil pan gasket. My question is; if oil is all over the oil pan, then why when I check my oil the level it’s just fine? I’ve only had to put a pint in, in a years time.
Also why didn’t anyone notice the oil pan before?
Are you sure he sisn’t say valve cover gasket? A little oil dripping from there can make qoite a smell when it drips on the exhaust.
If I remember correctly, your car has on oil filter cooler that attaches to the engine block, and then the oil filter in turn attaches to the oil cooler.
The oil cooler is sealed to the block with a rubber o-ring. Sometimes simply changing the oil filter will cause enough flex to cause the o-ring to leak oil under pressure, making a mess of things. I would have a shop take a close look at that.
Whatever the case, the source of the oil leak needs to be identified and fixed.
Perhaps the original, botched, filter installation which allowed major leakage, covered the underside of your car with oil. It will take some time for all this oil to burn, drip or wash off… The oil covering your oil pan probably came from this source…
What kind of a shop did the oil change?
@texases I’m gonna bet we already know the answer to that question.
In any case the OP should get a second opinion before allowing any shop to change the pan gasket.
@acemaster I’m not sure but if they replaced the oil filter (twice) because he said it was “warped” I can only think that he really didn’t know what the problem was so he satisfied me with a new excuse/filter @ MG McAnick Lol I know, it’s really embarrassing, lesson learned. I will take it to get another opinion. @ Caddyman I don’t have any major leakage never have had any kind of leakage It still makes me wonder why is the dip stick showing at a good level…maybe the leak is minimal… Thank You everyone! I will let you know what I found out
You should get another opinion. The part about the filter being warped has a 99%+ chance of being pure bunk. Either they screwed up the oil filter installation or there’s a leak they don’t have a solid answer for and they’re saying some erroneous things to avoid looking foolish by not having an answer.
Maybe checking the lowly oil pan drain plug would be a good idea. It can be common to omit a drain plug gasket or in a worse case scenario someone may ham fist the drain plug in and pull or strip the threads. This can lead to a plug that won’t tighten properly and can leak.
real mechanics do oil changes too. you may even find a good trustworthy mechanic that way.
I don t think that you find one person here who will recommend jiffy lube, but I ve been wrong before…
“I asked around and most said they’re all about the same.”
That’s the problem with these places…in a nutshell. My advice is to never darken their door again. If it can be broken…they will find a way to break it.
Here is the problem with what you told us. You SMELLED the oil burning… THEY declared the oil filter and subsequently the oil pan to be the issue. Here is the problem…IF the oil filter had any issues at all and leaked (Lets say) It would leak down the back of you engine and DIRECTLY onto your hot exhaust pipe… The oil would then smoke up and burn off the hot exhaust pipe… It would also leak down all over the oil pan…
A Great time for a unscrupulous mechanic to declare that you have oil pan gasket troubles… If you had a filter leak…it would leak onto the pan…and the exhaust… I would get a second opinion and see if you can find an honest mechanic… Many times…a lady such as yourself needs to Properly state the issue prior to getting work done. Instead of coming into the shop and saying " Lordy I just dont know what is wrong with my car" LOL Think Damsel in Distress wording and acting here… Instead of saying something like that… You should come in prepared… Say “My oil filter that was installed happened to be leaking all down the back of my engine and onto my hot exhaust pipe” Let them Know you know a thing or two about your car and about engines so that they dont immediately take you for “A Ride” When they hear that you are familiar with things under the hood you are less likely to be taken advantage of… Its sad BUT TRUE.
Let them know that YOU KNOW that when your oil filter leaks…it will leak onto the Oil pan…the engine…and the exhaust pipe. Then ask them to wipe off the offending oil…and then…just take a look at your Oil pan gasket to be sure it is not leaking…SAY…I dont believe that my pan gasket is leaking BECAUSE it was not leaking prior to this faulty Oil filter messing things up so much… I fail to see how a warped or leaking oil filter could somehow make my oil pan gasket magically fail overnight…
You say something like that and they will IMMEDIATELY KNOW that you are not to be messed with or told that you need new Headlight Fluid or Muffler Bearings… Catch my drift Girly?
Blackbird
There are a few other things you should know.
On a 25 year old engine, oil on the bottom of the pan from seepage past the oil pan gasket is normal and means nothing. After lubricating your car’s parts, oil simply runs down the inside surfaces of your engine and back into the oil pan. That, plus oil that splashes up from the pan during operation, constantly coats the surfaces on the inner portion of the pan’s gasket. On an older engine, the gasket, having been long-compressed, has lost most of its ability to press against its corresponding surfaces and maintain a seal. That, combined with the normal pressure that builds up inside the engine’s crankcase from blowby, allows the oil to be forced past the gasket and run down the outside of the pan, collecting on the bottom.
The above described condition is perfectly normal, and perfectly meaningless (except for the spots it might leave in your garage). The engine’s oil pump pulls the oil to lube the engine from about 3/16" above the bottom of the pool in the pan. As long as the tube it pulls it up through remains immersed, your engine is perfectly safe.
In summary, first determine if you actually have a leak. Monitor your oil level. If it’s dropping, post back. There are ways of finding it, including a UV sensitive dye that can be added to your oil and then display a “trace” under a blacklight.
If you do not have a leak, the oil change guy probably spilled some on your exhaust manifold. I’ve done this myself.
Oh, and if you’re using a quickie lube, I recommend getting to know a good independently owned and operated shop instead. Quickie lubes are known to have a business model that promotes problems.
Post back.
I’d say that Iffy Lube did a lousy job the first time, when they did the oil change. They may have over tightened it, not tightened it, double gasketed it etc., etc… As mentioned, the leaking oil would cover many parts under the car and near the hot exhaust.
They fixed the problem by replacing the filter. You come back a few days later complaining of the burning oil smell.
Now they figure to recoup their free oil filter last week by claiming that all the oil is from the pan gasket.
They will put it on the lift, spray $10 worth of degreaser around, and park it running for an hour to burn off anything left.
You will return to pick up your car and pay the bill of $100+ for the new pan gasket that was never touched.
Yosemite
It seems that ‘leaking oil pan gasket’ is now the go-to big $$ repair for scamming shops.
I happened to be at a repair shop once dropping off a car for an alignment.
A lady dropped off her car for new brakes. When the mechanic pulled the wheels, I heard him yell to the boss “this car doesn’t need new brakes…they’re like new”.
When I returned a few hours later to pick up mine, the owner of the other car walked in the door just in front of me.
I didn’t see anything, because I had left…but I heard the owner tell this person that it was a good thing that they had the brakes done…they were ready to fail.
I presume they put the wheels back on and charged her for a complete brake job including rotors. I do remember that the bill came to around $400.
Easy pickens for some underhanded shop.
Yosemite
Happens EVERY SINGLE DAY… This is why I encourage people to see the parts we are discussing many times. When I tell someone that they DONT need brakes they argue with me “But but but PepAutoJiffyAaaMo-Lube said I need both front and rear pads” First off you only need front pads…and you have rear brake shoes Sir…and only your shoes are worn down…SEE?" after I show them their pads or shoes while still on the car they just look at me and smile. This is how I maintain life-long customers…they know what kind of guy I am.
I always tell people to ask to be shown what a so and so shop is talking about… Many times they hide behind the Liability Cloak of Dishonesty and say you cannot enter the shop… “But my car is ten feet away” I know Sir/Ma’am but its very dangerous over there.
Blackbird
Good Monday morning everyone!
Here’s what I’ve done so far. Last night
I spread out a sheet it and drove over it and left it that way overnight. . Today I drove my car off the sheet and guess what?? NO oil leakage. Not one single drop! I’m still going to get a second opinion. I used to have a set of jack stands but they disappeared somehow. I had bought them for myself so that ( I ) could look at the undercarriage…@ Honda Blackbird, there’s a few things this “Girly” knows how to do. And I’m certainly NOT going to make a spectacle of myself and ram rod the oil changer’s @JiffyLube! I am going to buy a pair of ramps AND the manual for my car! I’ve been studying the specs for my car, its good to know where everything is Lol (I ) just have NOT worked on anything that’s computerized w/the exception of my PC I’ve always taken it to my mechanic but he passed away. Have to find another one “like him or her” cause my baby needs attention! Thanks to everyone here for your advice and I’ll keep you posted!
Outstanding!!
Interesting in a few tips?
The new computers in cars are totally irrelevant to oil changes.
You may want to put a “oil change kit” together. I recommend an oil filter wrench, a small ratchet with a socket the size of your drain plug, a “stubby” box wrench the size of your drain plug, and some disposable latex gloves.
Use the small ratchet w/socket to loosen and remove the drain plug. Once the oil is drained, use the filter wrench to loosen the filter. It should then spin off by hand. Once the filter is off, clean the threads and sealing surface on the engine. Before installing the new filter, spread some oil on the filter’s threads and sealing gasket. The new filter should spin on easily. If it does not, back it off and try again. Once it’s spun into place, tighten it wrist tight only. Do NOT use the filter wrench to tighten it. I use a latex glove to get a good grip, and then tighten it as snug as I can by hand.
Like the filter, the drain plug and its interfacing threads and surfaces on the oil pan should be cleaned. Leave an oil film on everything. The plug should spin in by hand. If it resists, back it out and try again. Once reinstalled, the plug should only be tightened with the “stubby” wrench, with your fingers right up against the wrenches box end. Tighten it as much as you can, but by using it this way it won’t give you enough leverage to strip anything. If your car uses a nylon sealing washer on the plug, you can purchase these dirt-cheap at any parts store. I’ve always used a new one with every oil change. They’re pennies apiece.
Others will argue with some of the details, because we all develop our own tricks over the years. But these have worked for me for 40+ years.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
I think you’d be better off buying a decent jack and 4 jackstands. The yellow and blue ones at napa are okay for DIY, when they’re on sale
jackstands allow you to rotate tires, do brake jobs, etc.
You have less options with a ramp
No offense intended to anybody who likes to use ramps