How to Repair Car Engine Oil Leaks
Oil leaks can be very dangerous to your engines lifespan. There is no way your engine can properly operate without oil. Repairing a leak can be tough depending upon where the leak is located. You will need a few tools to properly repair the leak.
Things You'll Need:
- Jack
- Jack Stands
- Crawler
- Flashlight
- Socket Wrench
- Filter Wrench
- Torque Wrench
- Park the vehicle on a flat surface that isn't a dark color. It will be much easier to see the oil dripping on the ground of a light colored surface since oil is black.
- Jack the car up and place jack stands on all four corners. Make sure you place the jack stands on the frame of the vehicle.
- Slide under the vehicle with a crawler and flashlight to first inspect the oil pan. Sometimes the nut on the oil pan will need to be tightened with a socket wrench. Also inspect the oil filter, make sure it's properly tightened with a filter wrench. This would also be a good time to inspect all oil lines around the engine, especially around the fittings. Sometimes fittings will have a crack in them and need replaced. You might need to replace an entire oil line if the line is cut.
- Inspect the valve covers for any leaking oil. You might be able to do this while still under the vehicle, but you probably need to look from under the hood. Tighten the valve covers with a torque wrench if you notice any leaking oil.
- If the oil is coming from a crack in the engine block, you're probably going to need professional help.