Hi guys.
My 1996 dodge minicaravan 3.0 oil leak is getting worse. I used to put 1/4 of any stop leaking stuff after each oil change and seammingly it worked just ok… but lately in about 15 to 20 days I have had to refill up to 1/4 of oil. Can I put an extra 1/4 of stop leak stuff or it is not advisable??? A couple of years ago this was a $1500 car and it is not worth to pay for new gaskets on it neither I can afford buying another car now… Is there a way to reduce that leakage…Once more thanks.
Pls clarify. Exactly what is your oil usage per 1000 mi or between oil changes, and what is your oil change interval? Your comment of refilling up to a 1/4 qt is nothing. If you mean one quart or more per 1000 mi driven, then the issue is greater.
sometimes stop leak works; sometimes it doesn’t do any good. Your call. Consider switching to a High Mileage oil that has some special chemicals in it for oler vehicles. It may work as well or better than whatever you are using.
Only fixing the leaking gaskets fixes the problem, a choice you are not making for the economic reasons cited.
Try straight 30W. Slow leak.
I think he means he’s using a quart of oil now.
The Stop Leak bottles are usually about a half a quart (a pint). If you’ve already lost at least a quart of oil and replaced it, I think it’d be safe to add another bottle of Stop Leak. If you add too much, you might make the oil too thick to circulate properly. I’d be especially careful about not using too much in the winter if it gets cold where you live.
You can try combining Stop Leak with a heavier weight oil. If you’re using 5W30 now, try 10W30 or even higher. But again, if it gets cold where you live, you’ll want to stick with 5W30 to make sure the oil flows well when the engine’s cold.
If your leak is like the rear main seal leak I had in my Dodge Neon, Stop Leak and a heavier weight oil helped for a while, until the seal really went. Then I had to replace it or risk trashing the engine.
Thank you for answering this one… Yes I live in Michigan and it is pretty cold here in winter… I think that I have to stick to this car for three or four month more…Thanks once more.