[delta]

I've had a slow oil leak for years now. It's been manageable -- I usually lose half a quart every 5,000 miles. The bottom of the engine, particularly the passenger side, has always been covered in crud (and it blows onto the transmission pan).

Today, though, I popped my hood today to check my fluids, and almost everything on the passenger side of the engine is coated in oil. The pictures don't do it justice. There's a thin layer of crud on everything -- even the alternator, belt, and power steering reservoir. It runs and drives normally.

The power steering reservoir is full, and the oil dipstick is right in the middle of the dots.

Tomorrow, I'm going to take it into a shop I trust before it gets any worse. Just so I have a general idea of what to expect, and give them an idea of where to look, where are the most common leaky spots on this engine?

 

[DRoman]

Two places to check, Timing Chain Cover, or Valve Covers. Unfortunately you might have another issue because you let the leak go on for so long. Check your Engine mounts, if oil leaked into them they turn into a sponge and they would have to be replaced as well.

 

[delta]

They dug into it yesterday afternoon with dye, and saw it was mostly the oil pressure sender. It’s being fixed and scrubbed before being re-tested.

 

[EmmaPie]

Two places to check, Timing Chain Cover, or Valve Covers. Unfortunately you might have another issue because you let the leak go on for so long. Check your Engine mounts, if oil leaked into them they turn into a sponge and they would have to be replaced as well.

It depends how long it's been going, 5000 miles might not been that long.

 

[delta]

Two places to check, Timing Chain Cover, or Valve Covers. Unfortunately you might have another issue because you let the leak go on for so long. Check your Engine mounts, if oil leaked into them they turn into a sponge and they would have to be replaced as well.

Good to know about the engine mounts! I'll watch them. They were clean before this thing really let go.

They did a dye test and found that the biggest leak was around the oil pressure sender -- which had also failed. One new sensor and a full degreasing later (and a new belt, because it had gotten completely soaked in oil), and it's back. So far, my driveway is clean. Fingers crossed.

 

[delta]

UPDATE: there seems to be a power steering leak as well, but it's holding oil now! This isn't my first time owning a car near 200K, so it is what it is.

 

[Dan Osier]

How is your AC working ? If an AC is leaking refrigerant, it's also leaking the oil that's also included in the charge.