Things You'll Need:
- *Engine Degreaser
- *Rags
- *Safety Glasses
- *Heavy duty wrapping paper or cardboard (Optional, if car is parked in a garage overnight)
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Step 1
Degrease the engine block, around the valve covers, under the engine and also around the oil pan to obtain a clear clean view to be able to determine the source of the leak. It is hard to find it when there is oil everywhere that has run down and been moved around.
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Step 2
Drive the car or run the engine so the oil leak will start up again and show itself. If you are dealing with a very small leak it may not appear right away and may even take a couple days before it is noticed. If the car is garage parked lay out brown paper or cardboard overnight under the engine area and oil pan so that any leaks will be evident on the paper and will help you detect the area it dripped from.
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Step 3
Check under the car to where the oil filter is attached to the engine block. Check the filter for tightness. If it is loose, further tighten. In some cases, this will stop a leak, although you may have to change the gasket if it is worn and not creating a proper seal.
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Step 4
Check around the seams of the oil pan, where it bolts into the bottom of the engine. If you find leaking here, you may be able to get away with tightening the pan bolts down tighter further according to proper torque settings for your car, or you may have to remove the pan and replace the gasket. In other cases the pan gasket may be fine, but a seal, for instance at the front of the pan may be the problem. Typically, when you replace the pan gasket the seal will be sold right along with it. Both should be replaced at the same time.
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Step 5
Check the drain bolt on the oil pan. It may just be a bit loose and some tightening could be a quick fix. In some cases the bolt is stripped in which case you would either have to re thread the pan to fit a new bolt or you may try to get a "fix it" type bolt that is tapered and specifically designed to thread itself into the pan.
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Step 6
Check the oil pressure sending unit. These units will be found in various locations depending on the make and year of the vehicle and many times will leak. The unit will be attached to the engine block with a fitting . You may have to get a repair manual specific to your vehicle to locate yours. Sometimes the fitting is loose or other times the unit may need to be replaced.
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Step 7
Look at the valve cover gasket area which is a very popular source for a leak. The gasket is between the valve cover and the engine block. The gaskets may be worn or cracked allowing oil to leak through. The best way to check this area is to wipe clean the seam area where the gasket sits and also 2 to 3 inches below the gasket area on the engine block. Follow up after running the car to see if the area is still clean and dry. If you find a leak there, you may be able to re tighten the hold down bolts for the covers using a torque wrench according to proper torque for your specific car. If this doesn't stop the leak, you may have to remove the covers and replace the gaskets.
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Step 8
Check the head gasket area. This is where the engine heads sit onto the block. If you find a leak here there is a chance that you are just experiencing what is called “blow back” due to a bad pcv or kinked pcv hose which causes back up pressure. The repair of the hose or the replacement of the pcv may solve the problem. In other cases new head gaskets may be needed, which is a larger job.
