ALT-1 What to do when Vehicle is Leaking Oil
What should you do if you notice that oil is leaking form your car? Believe it or not, the fact that oil is leaking from the car is a very common problem, and the solution to your problem can usually be a very easy one. The thing is to not let the problem linger, or to just clean up the mess that is left behind, and assume that you are all set to go. Make sure that you stay on top of the issue, and if you need too, get it fixed by a mechanic as soon as possible.
The first thing that you are going to want to do is to check the oil level in your car when you first notice a puddle of oil by your car. Sometimes that puddle is just an overflow of oil, and maybe you put too much in the car from when you changed the oil, or added oil for any reason. If there is just too much oil in the car, the puddles by your car should stop as soon as the oil levels come back down.
If the oil level is too low, then the next thing you are going to want to do is find the source of the leak. Obviously something in the engine is cracked, or something needs to be sealed. If the crack is small, or the seal is easily reachable, you can actually just go to the store and buy a sealant, and you should be good to go for a lengthy period of time. I actually had a co-worker come up with a solution of sealant in his garage, and it actually worked.
If you are really not in any hurry to get to the garage, or fix the leak, you can always just keep on adding oil to the problem. I had an old excel when I was a teenager that always leaked oil, and I had no desire to fix the source of the problem. So what I did for almost a year and a half was to just add a quart of oil to the engine every week or two, and just made sure the engine didn't seize up on me.
If the problem is a major one, and the cost of adding fluid, or the time spent repairing the problem is just too much for you, you can always just take the car to a garage, and have a mechanic fix it. It is a relatively easy fix, and the problem should be taken care of for the time being. If it comes back again, you either have gone to a shoddy garage, or the car just needs to be replaced for good.
If you notice that oil is leaking, the best thing to do is not to panic. Just have the problem checked out, and don't let the problem escalate. You never know in a car when a small problem can turn into a big one because of lack of maintenance. Oil leaks are relatively common like I said, and they can be easily taken care of, you just need to know what to do when the problem arises.
