5 Reasons Why Your Car May Be Leaking Oil

5 Reasons Why Your Car May Be Leaking Oil

Oil leaks from your car are something you cannot afford to ignore. It does not always take a trained mechanic to figure out what causes engine oil leaks. A little investigation can reveal a lot, just do not put it off or it can cause damage to your engine.

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Leaking oil can cause ugly stains on your driveway and are an environmental hazard. In addition, engine oil leaks are a fire risk in your engine compartment. They can also cause catastrophic engine failure. Oil leaks which are left unchecked can get on rubber hoses or seals and cause them to degrade prematurely. So fixing oil leaks should be your number one priority.

So what causes engine oil leaks?

Below are the top 5 reasons why cars leak oil.

Bad Oil Filter

The job of the oil filters is to remove contaminants from your oil. If they are not removed early, they can damage your car engine.

After using an oil filter for about 3-months or 3,000 miles, it is advised that you replace it with a new one.

If you ignore a worn-out oil filter, it may not be able to do the job it was intended for. This can lead to an oil leak.

Degraded Gasket

Degraded gaskets are the most common cause of oil leaks in cars.

In cars, gaskets connect different metal parts. They create a seal that allows the transfer of fluids, without them leaking out.

With time, gaskets will degrade. This causes the seals to weaken. When you discover that there is damage to any of your gaskets, you should try and replace them right away. If not, you risk costly repairs like a cracked engine block, which will only make matters worse.

Broken or Loose Filler Cap

It is not all causes of oil leakage that are serious. Some might be as simple as loose or broken oil filler cap.  When this happens, oil can leak out, and continue to leak even after you have parked.

The thing is that, by checking your oil level, you should be able to notice if there is a problem with the filler cap.

Worn-out Drain Plug

If your car is leaking oil after an oil change, there is a good chance it is due to a worn or misaligned drain plug.  The oil drain plug is located at the bottom of your oil pan, and as its name suggests, it is how your car gets drained of oil.  If it has worn or screwed on incorrectly after an oil change, oil may drip from it. It can also become damaged due to running something over.

Oil Pan Damage

If there is oil leaking from the bottom of your car, it might be from damage to the oil pan.  It has usually comprised of thin steel and bolted to the bottom of the crankcase with a gasket in-between.  It serves as a reservoir for oil while the engines off.  There does not have to be a hole in your oil pan for it to leak oil.  The gasket can become loose or damaged from hitting debris, leading to oil leaking under the car.

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