My car drips a little bit of oil from the oilpan area when it is running and warm. What could the problem be?

Question

It stops dripping when the engine cools. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Oil pan gasket is one possiblity, another is a loose or "double-gasketed" oil filter but the more likely and uglier one is the rear crankshaft seal. This is high enough on the engine that oil can only leak from here when it is flowing under pressure. This type of leak can become quite severe very quickly. To check for a rear main seal leak look underneath the car at the point where the engine bolts to the transmission. If oil is dripping from that seam then you have your culprit. The part costs about $5. Replacing it requires either removing the engine or the transmission depending on year/make/model of vehicle.

Answer 2

There are soooo many places the oil could come from that the only real way to do this yourself is:

1) Purchase several cans of spray on engine degreaser
2) Put on some old work clothes and glasses (even if you don't wear glasses). Grab some towells and large zip lock bags
3) Drive your car to a local do-it-yourself car wash , the kind with a sprayer that you work around the car with.
4) Put an old towel in the air cleaner opening, and put a zip lock over the distributor cap.. (or cover it up with something that will withstand getting wet) Do the same for any open electrical fitting such as a test port - sealed wires are ok.
5) With the engine off but still hot, spray the engine degreaser all over the bottom area of the car. If the engine is also oily spray it on the mechanical parts. Do not spray your distributor or any electrical connection.
6) OK.. plunk in your quarters and use the pressure wash to hose off all the oil and gunk. Avoid your paint.
7) Lay down and get UNDER the car as best as possible. Especially around the area where you have the drip..
8) Be sure to rinse with clear water to remove the soap.

9) Start the car. It may run rough until the water evaporates.
You may have to wipe the distributor cap (inside and out) if water was blown into it.

10) Drive the car for a day or so and then look to see where the leak is coming from. It should be easy to spot with all the grease and oil removed from around it. That will tell you what the problem is and how to fix it.

(Plus your car will be clean and run a tiny bit more efficiently with all the junk off it)



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Answer 3

Check the oil drain plug first, is it tight and is the gasket good? Wipe it off with a rag and see it that is where it's coming from. If so, tighten in, and if that doesn't help have it replaced at the next oil change.

While you're looking, find the oil filter and see if by chance it's coming from there and dripping down to the pan. If so, just grab it and give it a bit of a turn by hand to tighten it. Don't use a wrench.

If it is indeed coming around the edges of the oil pan it just got a bit more complicated. You may have a bad seal in the engine, or the oil pan gasket may need to be replaced, but that's best left to your mechanic.

Answer 4

Part of being a car. It, just a seal or oil pan gasket. It actually leaking from oil being thrown around when the engine is running and stops after all the oil settles into the pan after it turned off and sits. If, it gets to the point of a real bad leak, then you would need to replace the seal or gasket. You can try tightening the oil pan bolts, it may help, just do not over tighten as they easy to break.

Answer 5

the respond the lady gave concerning the motor vehicle cathcing hearth ect ect grow to be very humorous besides the fact that it particularly is fairly no longer likely so do no longer difficulty, many autos leak oil yet till u r in a james bond action picture with that motor vehicle i tremendously doubt ur gonna blow up in it from an oil leak. this is actual no longer a huge deal, 0.5 the autos available leak oil, only make effective u verify it on a regular basis (reckoning on how undesirable the leak is) and shop the oil complete and u wont have a situation. u would desire to have it appeared at yet while u do no longer p.c. to spend the money i might say have a pal or your self upward thrust up below the motor vehicle and clarify to me as maximum suitable u can what u see and that i'm effective i'd desire to tell u whats happening. yet another element u can do is next time u take the motor vehicle in to have the oil replaced ask the guy there checking it if he can see the place this is comming from and no count if it particularly is undesirable ect ect, many times those adult males understand a splash approximately autos and no count if it particularly is glaring sufficient they'd desire to have the skill to help, stable success!!

Answer 6

Is the drainplug nice and tight?

Other than that, I'd take it to a shop and see what they can diagnose, could be a leaky oilpan seal. Warm oil is more viscous and leaky than cool oil.

There's more than one place that it could be leaking, though, and it just ends up running down to the drainpan.

Answer 7

Sounds like the gasket is bad and needs to be replaced. Very inexpensive fix if that's the case and can do it yourself.

Answer 8

Change your oil pan gasket. Its bad!

Answer 9

bad oil seal.

Answer 10

if its a dodge neon its the head gasket.