What to do when Vehicle is Leaking Oil
What should you do when you find your vehicle is leaking oil? The first thing you need to identify is how much oil is leaking. A few spots of oil on the road may not seem serious but some leaks are only bad when the engine is running and the oil system is under pressure. So, dip your oil the moment you realise you have a leak. If you are not sure how to do this then go tohttp://www.helium.com/items/1382005-how-often-to-check-your-cars-oil-improve-gas-mileageto find out how to do it. You may be very low on oil and risk damage to the engine. It is best not to use the car until you know how much oil is in it. You will also need to check the level of your gearbox if you drive an auto.
Next you need to find out where the oil is coming from. Check the three most obvious places first. Make sure the oil filter and sump drain plug are both tight and that the oil filler cap is in place and also tightly closed. If all are tight you need to have a more in depth search. Although the oil may be seen dripping from somewhere under the car, that is probably not the source as oil will run down the engine and engine bay until it finds the lowest point to drip from. The best thing to do is clean away any oil and place some newspaper under the car. Run the engine once you have checked the oil level and look to see if there are any obvious oil trails that you can follow. Also check the newspaper for oil spots as this may help to locate the leak.
Once you have run the car you will need to examine all oil carrying pipes, around the head gasket and also around the sump gasket. If you know where your oil switch is, have a look there as well, as sometimes if they get broken oil can leak from there as well. One other place to look is around your radiator, as automatic cars have an oil cooler there and it may be that you are leaking automatic gearbox fluid.
Moving away from the engine, other places oil can leak from are the gearbox and the differential. If you drive a 4x4 or SUV you may also get an oil leak from your transfer box and either of your differentials. Again, make sure all filler and drain plugs are tight.
Identifying where the leak is coming from is only the first part of the job, but it will help when you either decide to fix the leak yourself or to point a mechanic to the area that needs repair. It is probably best not to drive your vehicle while oil is leaking, not only do you risk damage to the internal working parts of your car but you risk damaging the environment with the spilt oil.
