1996 Mazda Protege has 125,000 miles. Checkup this spring noted that the engine ol sensor was leaking, but did not note if a problem. I check the oil monthly wth no problems wth the oil going down.
Many posts about engine oil pressure fixes, but none about leaking issues. 2 questions:
Thanks!
I question if it was really leaking. Sometimes they do, and if that’s where the leak is, it’s an easy fix. UNscrew the old one, screw in the new one. They may have just been looking for a way to pad your bill.
You check your oil monthly, and it’s not going down. Is there ever a spot of oil on the concrete under it? If so, that MAY be the cause. If not, don’t sweat it. One drip can make a spot 1" in diameter. Not enough to worry about, unless you don’t like your driveway to be spotted.
+1 on MG’s comment.
Since right now it is a concern to you and you have an older car, I’d check my oil more frequently, though. On a 96 maybe every fill up or maybe once a week.
It could very well be that whomever changed the oil wasn’t careful and you have an oily mess in that general vicinity. Just put a piece of cardboard or plywood under that area where you park it at night so you can see how much it actually drops. If your oil doesn’t appreciably drops level while you drive it, it may not be a problem at all.
Oil pressure sensors cost between $5 and $30. Usually they are a ten minute job the change…Sometimes they are more difficult. Depends on where they are located…
I’m going to disagree with the experts, but that’s because I had one fail catastrophically, far from help. (The story of how I got it fixed is exciting, but not needed here.) If it really is leaking, I advise replacing it. As Caddyman said, it’s a low-cost item, and in most cases it’s a simple DIY.
Is it really leaking? Wipe it clean, drive for a while, and check to see if it’s oily.
If it’s leaking, I would get it fixed. It’s only going to get worse, after all. A truck I bought recently had an oil pressure switch leaking. The previous owner said he needed to add oil to it on occasion, which is reasonable on a vehicle with over 200k miles on it, I figured. I don’t like spots in my driveway, so I spent ten minutes replacing the ten dollar switch, now have no spots where I park and have not had to add a drop of oil to the truck in the last four months I’ve owned it. As others noted, these can fail suddenly (rare, but can happen), which is an instant death sentence for the engine for most driver-vehicle combinations.