When driver-side engine oil is leaking out the front passenger side wheel, it can be a scary sight. When the oil is visible, it can also force you to shift into drive orawait whenever you get a corner.
The majority of automobile accidents happen when one vehicle is hit from behind, because then the front tires have to deal with the oil.
If this happens to you, you should get it fixed immediately. If your car was stolen in an accident, there are professionals that can fix the problem for a reasonable cost.
This article will talk about ways to prevent your car from wearing out its oil by using different oils and de- saturating agents in your garage storage systems. These tips will also help keep costs down as they are reliable and lasting every few years of sitting in storage.
Contents:
Identify leak
When you see oil coming out of your car’s front passenger side tire, you can likely identify the source of the oil.
The front passenger side is usually the more exposed area due to its location. It also usually means you have a less secure hold on your car because of the oil coming out.
There are a few ways to find a leak. You can look for tiny drops of oil, you can put an oil towel in it, or you can put petroleum jelly on it and let it sit overnight. If you do this, make sure to keep your car in a locked trunk or similar structure to prevent theft!
Once you find the leak, you can either patch it up or buy a new tire for it.
Tighten oil pan bolt
If your oil pan looks like the one in the picture, then you do not need to add anything else. The bolt on the front passenger side of the car holds the oil filter. If your bolt is larger or has a different shape, then you can try this method: Remove oil pan by removing four hex head bolts along with two Allen head bolts and washers.
Put new meritor nut on top of bolt and go around axle to lock in place. Then put new washer and nut on top of new nut. Take an impact driver or similar tool and hit the new washer until it snaps into place. Next take an S-shaped wrench and turn off fourth bolt that holds wheel onto engine.
Replace oil pan gasket
When car is getting older, the oil pan can begin to develop a spot where the oil gets stored. This is called a oil pan fat deposit. When this happens, you should replace the old one with a new one to keep your car running smooth.
To do this, take your car to an experienced oil change provider. They will install a new gasket for you, which is cheap ($40+) and gives your engine more life as it sits and cleans itself.
Alternatively, you can do this yourself using some household paper towels and a bottle of mineral oil. Both are relatively easy to find!
The total cost of having your car fixed by an expert vs doing it yourself is $5-$10 difference in prices, depending on where you get them from.
Refill oil reservoir
If your car is leaking oil, the first thing to do is to check the oil reservoir. If there is enough oil in there, your car will stay running until you refill it.
If there is only a small amount of oil in the reservoir, then you need to refill it. This will require removing the fillerplug and putting in new oil before starting up the car.
The trick here is to always have enough oil to keep your car running for an hour or two after refilling it. Most cars have a warning about overfilling, which can be ignored if nothing else is leaking.
Bullet point: Check engine light/engine gremlin
If your engine light/light does not come on but your car keeps failing emissions tests, then something may be gushing out of it. Check for blockage behind the sparkplug or underneath the cylinder head where the plug meets the barrel. If found, remove and clean out area(s) with a wire brush or similar tool.
Check filter
If your car is leaking oil, your next step is to check the oil filter. Most cars have a bypass filter that can be placed in front of the standard oil filter. If not, you can buy a U-fit type filter that can be fitted in between the regular oil filter and the engine block.
If your car does not have a standard oil filter, you can buy a clear one to place in between the regular and carbon film type filters. These are becoming more common as they are hard to spot when looking at the car.
Carburetor misfiling is another reason to buy an aftermarket Oil Filter. These usually come in 1/4 turn tighter than the standard one and must be used with it.
Check valve cover gasket
If your oil leaks out of the front passenger side valve cover, you may have a broken check valve. This can be confirmed by checking for oil when the car is in gear.
If there is an oil change performed, then you may need to replace the broken check valve. During an oil change, a new gasket is placed on the check valve and replaced.
Mixing oils can cause gaskets to wear, thus making a gap where it does not fit into the engine crankcase. If this happens, then when the car is in gear, there will be no oil as it falls down to prevent gears from turning.
Tighten valve cover bolts
When replacing the valve cover on your car, you will need to tighten the two bolt that hold it on. One of them is a Allen head type, and the other is a hex head.
When replacing the valve cover, keep an eye out for this part. It connects to the valve cover through a hole in the bottom of the cover. When it is disconnected, there is no valve cover!
Tightening these bolts can be tricky at first. Try pulling away on them slowly, then snapping them off at an angle to make them easier to thread into place.
Recheck oil leak
If the previous step did not resolve the oil leak, try the following steps. First, inspect your car for any leakage at the front passenger side oil tank. If there is enough oil coming out, you have less of a chance of detecting a new leak.
If there is new oil coming out, it may be time to check your cooling system. There may be some oil getting caught in your cooling system over time due to this.
Lastly, if no one is noticing any signs of an oil leak, then it is time to check your tires. You should always keep good Tire Pressure & Balance Regulators on your car to detect any low pressure or overfilling of the tires.