We don’t mean to frighten you, but an engine oil leak can damage the engine beyond repair. This is why we here at Oxford Automotive recommend that you head straight to our shop the minute you see brown spots on your garage floor. What’s causing the leaking oil? Here are four common motor oil leak causes that we fix all the time, which means we can fix your automobile, too.
1. Problems With the Oil Pan and Drain Plug
The oil pan sits underneath your car and is responsible for keeping the oil contained when it isn’t circulating through your engine. This is convenient and saves space in the engine compartment, but it’s also a bit of an issue at times. Road debris or hitting the oil pan when you go over something too tall can damage the pan and cause it to leak. Likewise, anything that damages the drain plug or knocks it out can cause oil to leak right out of the pan.
2. Loose or Damaged Engine Gasket
Engine gaskets, just like hoses, can become brittle and damaged over time because they are made commonly from rubber or silicone. They can also become loose, which means they’re not sealing up the engine as well as they used to. When this happens, you can get a pretty steady oil leak. You might not notice it at first, but the puddles will keep growing and you may even end up with blue exhaust smoke from burning oil.
3. Loose or Broken Oil Filler Cap
The filler cap is part of the oil system you’re probably most familiar with as the owner of your car. It’s right next to the dipstick, and it’s the cap that you open when you’re putting some more oil into the car. This cap is supposed to seal fully so that oil isn’t able to come back out and leak, but like most car parts, these filler caps have a lifespan. If yours is cracked, broken, or otherwise isn’t able to tighten down, it can be the source of your oil leak.
4. Damaged or Misaligned Oil Filter
Another part of your car that you need to check out when you have an oil leak is the oil filter. If the oil filter is loose or isn’t screwed into place properly, oil can leak around the edges. You can also run into big problems if your oil filter hasn’t been changed in a long time. Sediment builds up in the oil filter and causes oil to spill out.
If your car is leaking oil and you need help figuring out why and how to make it stop, give us a call at Oxford Automotive in Oxford, PA. We can run a full diagnostic and get your oil leak stopped right away.
