How to Check for Engine Oil Leaks

Video Transcript

"Hi! My name is Nate McCullough on behalf of expertvillage.com. In this clip we are going to talk about one of the steps involved in a major tune-up or vehicle overhaul. What we’ve done is we’ve drained the oil and re-filled it. At this point and time, what we are going to do is fire the engine and check for any kinds of leaks. So what I am going to do is step back behind the car and fire it up. Depending on the vehicle that you have, will be depending on how you check the leak. If you happen to have a pickup truck, it could be relatively easy. You are just going to start the motor and look underneath it. Once you’ve filled it with engine oil, you are going to have to adjust the proper fluid level. In order to get the fluid level adjusted properly, what you are going to have to do is grind the filter. We are going to use the vehicle’s oil pump to grind the filter. You are going to run the engine for a short amount of time until either the pressure gauge comes up or your low oil pressure indicator light goes out approximately 30 seconds. Once that occurs, the oil filter is going to be filled and it is going to be okay to stick your head under the car and look for any kind of oil leaks. If you see any, those will need corrected before you drive and if you don’t see any, it’s okay to go ahead and cut the engine off and adjust your oil level. Once you’ve done your leak check, it’s okay to shut the engine off and adjust your fluid level. The location of your dipstick is going to vary from make to model. Most of them are indicated by a bright yellow plastic cap on the end of the dipstick. They are marked differently from manufacturer to manufacturer. This one happens to be marked with an F for full and a line and an L for low with a line. Any where in the upper portion of this area is good. You don’t want to be below this level. If you are below this level add a quart of quart, recheck it and repeat that step if necessary in adding quart of quarts until you are upwards in this area here. As you can see, what we are looking for is the lowest dry stop and on this dipstick, we happen to be right there which is just about perfect. "