How to Repair Engine Oil Leak
When you notice that you have oil spots or a puddle of oil on your garage floor you know that you have a leak in your cars engine. If you are so inclined you can find and stop that leak yourself in nine out of ten cases and it won’t cost you a thing.
- Look at your engine and see if you can locate where the oil is coming from first. If the engine is too dirty make sure it has cooled off and spray some degreaser on it and hose it clean. Start the car and see if you can locate now where the oil is coming from.
- Take a look at the most likely places that normally are the causes of leaks. First would be the valve gasket area. You can check this easily with a ratchet wrench or a screwdriver and tighten down the valve covers. If you had one or more that were loose, that could have been your problem.
- Check the oil filter. If it has been recently changed it may just have not been tightened enough or the gasket left out or be crimped.
- Test the oil drain plug for tightness. If it is not securely tightened it could very well be the source of your leak.
- Check you oil pan for holes or cracks. This can happen in normal driving conditions. You may have hit a rock or something flipped up and hit the pan while you were driving. Sometimes these can be repaired with something called ‘steep putty.'
- Tighten all the bolts that attach the oil pan with a socket wrench just to make certain they are not loose.
- Last but not least could be just to change the oil. If the oil needs changing anyway sometimes this will end the oil leak due to the viscosity change. It can’t hurt and may very well stop your leak.