How to Check for Car Leaks

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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An oil leak can cause severe damage to your car. If you think your car has an oil leak, do not continue to drive it. It only takes a day of running your car low or without oil to have the engine seize up.

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Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Socket wrench set

Step 1

Find the troubleshooting portion of your car manual. Read the section on car leaks, specifically oil and water leaks. They cause the most damage.
Step 2

Watch for dark spots on the ground under the engine of your car. On sunny days, the oil will reflect a rainbow.
Step 3

Lift the hood of your car and look for a really dirty and wet area on the engine.
Step 4

Check the valve cover gasket—make sure your engine is cool. Take out the spark plug wires and breather hoses. Pry the valve cover off.
Step 5

Reveal the stock gasket. If it appears cracked and worn, then change it out.
Step 6

Expand your search for a leak to under the car. The oil pan gasket is the next place to look. Rub your hand along the oil pan to see how wet it is.
Step 7

Drain the oil pan if necessary. Make sure the nuts and bolts are tight and that the gasket is fine.

Tips & Warnings

Use a socket wrench to remove all the bolts for the valve cover.
Make sure you do not drop pieces of the old valve cover gasket if it is starting to fall apart.

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