Leak After Oil Change

[chocker]

Hi,

I did the oil change which I have done a few times before. After I replaced the cover under the radiator. A little later I noticed some dripping around the cover. There seemed to be a lot of dripping. I opened the cover and there were little pools of kind of diluted oil on the cover. I checked the oil filter and it seemed to be on tight and there were no signs of it leaking. I rechecked the oil pan plug and it was dry. The oil level was still normal. I cleaned the cover and replaced it thinking that it must have been from the oil filter still dripping. I saw later on that it starting dripping again. It doesn't seem like thick oil but it is definately not coolant. Anybody have any ideas. Also can anyone tell me what the three lines that are connected to the cross member behind the cover below the radiator are?

Thanks,

Mark

[VBdenny]

It is probably because the crush ring on the oil drain plug is either missing or crushed. You can sometimes get several uses, sometimes not.

[chocker]

The leak is not coming anywhere near that area first of all. When I removed the plug, I removed the old washer and replaced it with a new one. Either way that area is completely dry but thanks for the suggestion.

[VBdenny]

Ahh well, just something I've had happen. Might just be from oil that got on the splash pan during draining? Might not be oil?

Either way Mark, welcome to the LOC where hopefully we learn from others mistakes.

Denny

[VBdenny]

The lines are most likely transmission or AC.

[lenore]

You know sometimes when filling the oil it creeps down the valve over and puts drop on that pan. I filled to fast once and it went over the oil fill area before I could stop it. I would make a bottle of simple green and water and spray with a spray bottle on the front area of the valve cover and by the oil filter. than rinse very carefully just that area. After drying see if the drips reappear.

[chocker]

I checked the dipstick just to the right of engine which I assume is the transmission fluid. It had a reddish color and was full. I then checked the dripping on the ground and it seemed to match in color. The three lines that were near the cross member were wet but I thought it was because they were very close to the plastic cover that accumulated the drippings.

Mark

[lenore]

Could be a loose hose clamp on the transmission lines.....I would tighten them carefully and than clean everything with simple green and rinse and see where it is coming from. Another reddish color is the coolant if it has Toyota Coolant in the engine. I had a leak by the thermostat, which turned out being the intake manifold leaking cooling and dripping down the back side of the engine...

[VBdenny]

Mark, did you have the engine level, warmed up to operating temperature and running when you checked the transmission fluid level? Also, the red kind of raises a question with me. I seem to remember Toyota transmission fluid being kind of an amber color. The only red fluid would be the Dextron used in the power steering system.

[chocker]

We'll it's either transmission fluid or power steering fluid because my coolant is pink.

[lenore]

In that case check the hose clamps....going and coming from transmission area....

[chocker]

I am going to check the transmission oil cooler lines because it seems to be doing from that area.

[eugene.s]

Try finding your car here (link) and the diagrams should tell you what those 3 wet lines to which you refer are about.

A while ago one of my friends replaced a radiator on his Land Cruiser with a cheap aftermarket one. After a few months, his ATM broke off and he had to replace it (a costly one!). Then it happened again and he had to replace ATM for another time.

He went to a service and it appeared that the lines in his aftermarket radiator, through which ATM fluid flows to get cooled, had micro cracks. Not sure if he had seen any leaks, but looks like through these cracks coolant leaked in to the ATM fluid, ultimately ruining the ATM. He finally replaced the radiator to the original model and all went well since then.

So, suggest you don't experiment further and go to a dealer ASAP.

[chocker]

I took a look and saw that it's the metal transmission coolant line that hangs just below the radiator. It's very rusted and leaking. I will get a replacement, drain the ATF, install the new line then refill the ATF.

Mark