Oil leak from where?

[eddiii]

Guys, i just recently see i have a small amount of oil leak under the engine, normally just leak after i drive, estimate around like 10 drops in 8hrs after the car has turned off, what possibility can the oil leak be? so i know around how much it will cost to fix. Like seals? or something? just so i know what to say to the mechanic. the colour looks like engine oil, like blackish, thanks guys

[Kustom]

Which side of the car? Left - Right? Front - Back? We can't really tell with the info you gave us.

[aza013]

It could be from any place. with out doing a full clean of the engine and then trying to spot the leak when the car is running you just won't know.

[eddiii]

its pretty much drippin right under the engine, more toward the driver side, but i think its just dripping slowly down an leads to that location, so my best chance is to clean the engine abit and see where the leak is or just take to mechanic an let them do it?

[brad_gpx]

if you do attempt to fix it yourself be careful

and do not under any circumstances drop a washer down the intake manifold and start the car

[eddiii]

thanks for the advice brad, but i just want to spot the leak so i would know how much it would cost around to fix, cause i asked my mechanic about it, but he said he dont know, he would have to open the engine to check whats causing the leak then he can tell me a price

[koolio1234]

Jack the car up and give it a spray with degreaser and hose down so you can pinpoint the exact location of the leak, will make it easier to figure out what needs replacing (ie seal)

[eddiii]

ok thanks koolio, i shall do that, say if its seals, how much would it cost around to fix? 500?

[brad_gpx]

there was someone on here previously selling a full set of seals
i would suggest sourcing your own cause i think a mechanic would charge you top dollar for them

[koolio1234]

Yep, if its seals it might be about $300-500 labour if you provide the seals yourself (works out cheaper). Might as well get them to do all seals and anything else while the engine is out (buy the stuff yourself as mentioned as you can generally get them shipped here from camskills or locally for much cheaper).

[zhong]

OEM parts (Trade prices)

$12.50 x 4 Seal Cylinder Head Cam Shaft End
$16.75 x 4 Cam Shaft Seals
$19.50 x 1 Crank Shaft Seal
$15.25 x 2 Cylinder Head Half Moon Seals
$66.00 x 2 Rocket Cover Gaskets
$15.60 x 6 Spart Plugs Seals

[eddiii]

hmmm, ok, ive done my 100000km full service like around 8000kms ago, would it have done any stuff that zhong has mention in a full service?

[payaya]

I have a leak coming from somewhere but I don't know where it's coming from or what it is. Anyone have ideas?



Seriously get under the bonnet and find where the leak is coming from. No matter how many questions you ask you would still be the best person to determine where the leak is coming from.

[eddiii]

ok, new update, took it to the mechanic, he said theres leaks everywhere, so he cant really tell where its coming from, apparently our engine is a 2 piece? he said if its leakin at the top its easy fix, but if its bottom half leak its a big job, have 2 take out timing belt, rocket cover etc etc? is it worth fixing guys? he said cost minimum labour 800-900 if he has to do that

[vipfto]

Its most likely going to leak from either

rocker cover/s
sump
cam and or crank and or half moon seals
filter

He should of degreased motor to find exactly where they are from, If from timing assembly and you have recently had them changed and leak is not bad then IMO i wouldnt panic getting fixed

[eddiii]

yeah thats what i guess he should have done, but he didnt and asked me to clean/degrease it then bring it back to him, well leak isnt bad, but around like 10 drops every time i finish driving an park the car, ill update once i give it a clean on friday and ill get some pics if i see where its leaking from, thanks a lot vipfto

[FTEvolution]

thanks for the advice brad, but i just want to spot the leak so i would know how much it would cost around to fix, cause i asked my mechanic about it, but he said he dont know, he would have to open the engine to check whats causing the leak then he can tell me a price

I would be very wary of this mechanic of yours, any worth their salt won't say something stupid like having to open up the engine to find it, I think he just wants to bend you over before taking your wallet!

Goto a GOOD mechanic who will hoist your car and have a good look under the car... oil leaks aren't hard to find if you can get a decent vantage point. It could be as simple as a seal damaged or very likely the sump bung nut (the one undone for oil changes to drain the oil).

When you drain the oil you must replace the small fibre washer with a new one, it is also a good idea to smear a little bit of oil over it to help it seal like you should do to your oil filter when fitting it. In no circumstances should you ever use the old fibre washer, and if you do you will likely leak oil.

Check the simple things first...

EDIT! Just read your update, oil everywhere huh? Did he let you have a look? I agree with above, he should have degreased it first... I would be going for a second opinion, perhaps to a Mitsi dealership, they will ream you for cash, but at least they will do it properly.

Question Edii, What's stopping you from looking yourself? do you not have any friends with a good jack and axle stands? Buy a couple of cans of citrus based degreaser and give it a bit of a clean. Trace the leak to where it's freshest.

Another EDIT! On second thought it won't be the sump bung nut of course, the fact that it leaks after driving suggests that it only happens when the oil is still pressurised. Anything at the bottom of the sump leaking would leak all the time (gravity); your first step to a cheap fix is reliably finding the leak, then sourcing the parts yourself, if it's easy to get to (as in you can easily get a hand and tools in there) then there is no reason it should take more than an hour to replace a part or seal and you simply say to the mechanic "I want that replaced, I'll wait while you do it" or "I'll be back in an hour," you must also make it abundantly clear that that is all you want fixed any time you goto a mechanic, I tell new mechanics I goto that if they do anythign I didn't ask for or authorise that I won't pay for it.

[eddiii]

thats for the info ftevo, i am planning to give it a clean an look on friday, i just thought my mechanic or any mechanic would actually clean an find the leak, guess not, but how he said our engine is a 2 piece head, thats true? theres top an bottom?

[mr-charisma]

A good trick is to degreaser the engine as others have said, but then hose it off and let to dry .. Then spray some aerosol foot powder or similar onto the engine .. Then the oil will stain a path in the powder that you can trace back to the source

[Bennoz]

but how he said our engine is a 2 piece head, thats true? theres top an bottom?

True. There's the cam carrier top component & the actual head itself which you could say is the lower component.

There's certainly no need to pull the thing apart to see if its leaking thou. As mentioned, degrease & look.