RoboRam12 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 I just did an oil change yesterday. Normally we would just take it to Firestone and they put a Kendell synthetic blend in. But I wanted to do it myself and I switched to Pennzoil full synthetic. Before I changed it I noticed the oil level was about halfway between the low dot and the full dot, and yesterday I noticed some oil spots being left under the car. At the time I just assumed it was residual oil from when I replaced the oil filter, but when I checked the level this morning it was halfway between low and full again. So my question is, where should I be looking for a leak, and can this be solved by going to a petroleum oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djspawn00 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 If you're seeing oil on your driveway its probably leaking from a filter or the oil drain plug. Did you put oil around the filter gasket before you tightened it? Try hand tightening the filter a little more and check to see that the drain plug and gasket are secure. Be careful not to over tighten it. It may also be a good idea to clean the surrounding areas so than you can pinpoint the leak. Other fluids may leak as well so getting under your car and doing some investigating is going to be the best way to find it. How many miles are on your car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboRam12 Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 I did put oil around the gasket, but I can go and try to hand tighten the filter a little more. I was a little wary about it because I knew not to over tighten it. The car just hit 134k miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djspawn00 Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 I would just clean up everything... just spray some brake cleaner if its really oily and try to pinpoint where the leak is coming from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboRam12 Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share Posted July 11, 2009 Alright, so it was a combination of things. The oil filter was loose causing a slow leak, fixed that. However, the plastic cover under the engine was filled with dried up oil and other gunk, which made the leftover oil that spilled there spread over everything making it look worse than it really was. So the only leak was the oil filter, that was tightened up and the oil was topped off. However, when I was under the car I found the piece that was causing a really bad exhaust rattle at idle. The best way I can describe it is that it is a heat shield that covers the exhaust as it goes from 2 pipes to 1, where one of the O2 sensors is. So that needs to get taken off/replaced, any idea where I can order that part from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djspawn00 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 That heat shield rattle seems to be a common thing unfortunately I have not fixed mine yet, I was going to see if I could just tighten it when I redo my exhaust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboRam12 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hmmm, ok. It's really taken a hit from the elements, the end where the rattle is coming from is rusted and is missing a few sizable chunks. I was hoping it would be easily fixed with a hose clamp or something, but there might not be much left to clamp on to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillsndale Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 However, when I was under the car I found the piece that was causing a really bad exhaust rattle at idle. The best way I can describe it is that it is a heat shield that covers the exhaust as it goes from 2 pipes to 1, where one of the O2 sensors is. So that needs to get taken off/replaced, any idea where I can order that part from? Thanks for the info, I need to look at that. I have a rattle only at idle, in gear and warmed up. So embarrassing that I put it in neutral at stop lights. It's been driving me nuts trying to find it because I can't exactly get under the car when it's running and in gear (no matter how much I trust my wife :o ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoboRam12 Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 Yeah, just go under the car and see if you can move anything by hand. We have had 3 or 4 other brackets on the exhaust system rust and break causing the same rattle, all have been replaced. This most recent one is a bit more tricky though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellison Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Has any one had to repair an oil leak from the timing gear? I was given an estimate of $1100 to replace the gear, timing belt. Has anyone had this type of leak and do you think the repair price reasonable? Thanks for your feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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