Why is My Car Leaking Oil?

At Bill Volz Westchester in Cortlandt, New York, we understand the concern and frustration vehicle owners experience when they discover an oil leak. Many things can cause oil leaks, and it’s impossible to tell how significant the problem is without an inspection. Some leaks are easily fixed and inexpensive, while others can be complicated and expensive.

We want you to understand the different causes, how to identify oil leak sources, the necessary repairs to fix an oil leak, and the risks of ignoring it. If you consider yourself handy with a wrench, we’ll provide some helpful tips and caution for DIY people.

Common Causes of Oil Leaks

Your engine’s oil works in a sealed environment, primarily in the engine. Various circumstances lead to oil leaks in cars, but they don’t all happen within the engine. Instead, they typically start where the oil moves in and out of the engine.

A Loose Drain Plug

Your oil drains from a simple hole with a bolt plug from the bottom of a pan. The natural vibrations from driving have been known to cause this bolt to loosen. Sometimes, the mechanic fails to tighten this bolt enough. In either case, it’s a simple fix to tighten the bolt.

A Loose or Faulty Oil Filter

You have to change your car’s oil filter when you change the oil. This also screws onto your engine and can come loose over time. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes the filter fails due to inferior construction or materials. We see this with aftermarket parts, so we always recommend using genuine original equipment manufacturer replacement parts for all services and repairs.

Failing Oil Pan Gasket

Gaskets play a crucial role in sealing parts to your engine. Unfortunately, these gaskets fail over time, and there’s no routine maintenance you can do to prolong a gasket’s life. Replacing this gasket is relatively straightforward, depending on the make and model. Some cars have other parts near or attached that might need to be removed to reach and repair the oil pan gasket.

Failing Oil Pump or Oil Pump Gasket

The oil pump attaches to the engine and pumps oil through the system. Like most automotive parts, the oil pump doesn’t last forever. If it starts to fail, it could leak oil. In addition, a gasket seals it to the engine, which can also fail. Replacing either part can be costly, as other parts must be disconnected to reach and remove the oil pump.

Failing Valve Cover Gasket

Again, gaskets fail. In this case, you must remove the valve cover and replace the gasket. The cost of this repair varies depending on the model. For instance, a V-8 or V-6 engine has two valve covers, whereas an inline four or six-cylinder has one. In addition, a mechanic must remove other parts to replace the gasket.

Damaged Oil Pan

We don’t find a damaged oil pan responsible for leaks, but it happens. If you recently hit a curb or ran over an object, these can strike the oil pan and create a leak. The leak could be minor or significant, but you’ll need a new oil pan.

Identifying the Source of the Leak

You’ll need to look over your engine to find the source of the leak. Start by comparing the oil on the ground beneath your car to related components on the engine. If the leak pools beneath the oil pan, inspect the oil pan.

Signs will include wet oil around the edges of the oil pan gasket or plug. Check for fresh oil around the filter seal if the pooling oil occurs beneath the oil filter. In either case, you should check and tighten the plug and gasket. If you notice a looseness, you might have just fixed the problem.

The Risks of Ignoring an Oil Leak

You always want to pay attention to any leaking fluid, especially your engine oil. Your engine relies on the oil to lubricate and protect its many internal moving parts from friction and the high heat of combustion. Leaking oil leads to less protection and can cause severe and even permanent damage to your engine.

It costs thousands of dollars to replace an engine, but you’ll spend much less to replace any parts responsible for the leak.

DIY Fixes vs. Professional Repair

We love DIY people because they share our passion for all things automotive. If you feel you know to inspect and repair an oil leak, we respect that and will help you if needed. You can order parts from us and even speak with a technician if you encounter a challenging problem.

However, we understand many owners have neither the time nor the inclination to fix an oil leak. If this sounds like you, we can inspect your engine for oil leaks and make any necessary repairs. Feel free to drop by our service center anytime. We can typically perform this service in under an hour, or you can schedule service online for a convenient day and time.

Preventive Measures

We admit that parts eventually wear out over time, which leads to oil leaks. You can take precautions to prolong your engine’s life and stave off oil leaks. First, we recommend you perform all your regularly scheduled maintenance. Regular maintenance will help avoid early leaks and keep your car running at its peak.

Other considerations include using the factory-recommended oil. Using off-brands and the wrong oil type can harm your engine, oil pump, and gaskets, harming these parts and leading to early failure.

How you drive also affects your car and its many moving parts. We suggest avoiding excessive engine revving and accelerating hard all the time. These actions put undue stress on your engine and other components.

Inspect Your Vehicle for Oil Leaks Today

If you know or suspect you have an oil lead, we’re here to help at Bill Volz Westchester in Cortlandt, New York. We invite you to schedule an inspection online and let our certified technicians have a look. If they spot a problem, they’ll explain everything, including the cost and time to repair it.

Photo Credit: Engine oil filler cap by Brian Snelson is licensed with CC BY 2.0 DEED

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