I know, I'm an idiot and should know this; but I don't. Here is my question:
Since my last oil change, I am noticing oil spotting on the driveway, daily; a couple of pancake size spots. Now, if this is happening every time I park the car for 6 hours or so;
1) am I losing enough oil to have it checked?
2) why would it start spotting oil all of a sudden , since the last oil change, when it wasn't, before?
3)Should I do something about it or is this 'no big deal'?
thanks
Check the dipstick to find out how much oil is being lost. You could be seeing transmission or steering fluid on the ground, or even coolant.
do this wrote:
Check the dipstick to find out how much oil is being lost. You could be seeing transmission or steering fluid on the ground, or even coolant.
I'm pretty sure it's oil spotting.....it's not the redish or greenish tinted stuff you see if its another fluid.
How old is your car?
Find the dipstick and check it, that's the only way to guage how much oil is left in the reservoir without draining it.
Check the oil level using the dipstick. Also check to see if there is oil leakage from around the oil filter and the oil drain plug...wipe these off with a rags and after a few minutes check for seepage.Some times after an oil change the technician will over tighten the filter or cross thread the drain plug. Make sure there is a gasket on the filter and the drain plug.
It is a big deal sorta. Your car will cease to be without oil so check the dipstick. Had a friend that had an oil leak and he simply added more oil often. However because he was always adding new oil he thought he never needed an oil change which he didn't, but he forgot about the oil filter which should get changed around the same time as an oil change to be on the safe side. Anywho he wrecked his car because he never changed the filter.
Start by diagnosing your problem. Never happened before until your last oil change. What do they do at an oil change. Remove the filter and drain plug. So either one or more of those didn't get replaced properly. No they didn't spill it, because you would smell it and see blue smoke. Get under your car and get an appreciation for how it works.
It could be that they stripped the drain plug threads by over-tightening or that the gasket seal on the drain plugs is just old and worn out.
Since the oil started dripping after the oil change, I would take it back to where it was serviced and ask for them to take a look. It seems more likely that they will fix it for free the sooner you take it back in. I had a similar problem after an oil change. Becaue of laziness, I never took it back in until 18 months (and 1500 miles) later. I just kept a piece of cardboard under the car. Amazingly, they ended up fixing it for free.
It appears to be a minor leak.
Find where it is leaking from and then make a decision on whether it is worth fixing.
Sometimes you are better to "let it lie" because the cost of fixing the problem can far outweigh the inconvenience of leaving it.
Finance Guy wrote:
I never took it back in until 18 months (and 1500 miles) later. I just kept a piece of cardboard under the car. Amazingly, they ended up fixing it for free.
I'm more shocked at how you only drove 1500 miles in almost 2 years. I drive about 15k per year.
Finance Guy wrote:
I never took it back in until 18 months (and 1500 miles) later. I just kept a piece of cardboard under the car. Amazingly, they ended up fixing it for free.
mr. common sense wrote:
I'm more shocked at how you only drove 1500 miles in almost 2 years. I drive about 15k per year.
I'm more shocked that you think 18 months is almost 2 years.
New Question:
Air Conditioner - when I turn on my AC, it does not engage. Thoughts and how much $ you figure it would cost to fix? No need for AC right now, but just wanting to know.
Muger Cement wrote:
New Question:
Air Conditioner - when I turn on my AC, it does not engage. Thoughts and how much $ you figure it would cost to fix? No need for AC right now, but just wanting to know.
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you need a freon change
Is the clutch on the drive pulley engaging?
If not it could be a simple electrical fault.
Anything else and it starts to cost.
Open your hood, get a flashlight, and see where the leakage is coming from. If it is coming out the sides of the oil case, at the so-called seam, your gasket is fried and needs to be replaced. If it is leaking from the bottom, you probably need a new drainplug.
Get a Chilton Manual for Your Vehicle and checkout how to Troubleshoot different problems.
Muger Cement wrote:
Air Conditioner - when I turn on my AC, it does not engage. Thoughts and how much $ you figure it would cost to fix? No need for AC right now, but just wanting to know.
If the AC is not engaging, it's one of four things:
1. Blown Fuse - cheap, <$5
2. Broken belt (unless you have one giant belt, and you'd know because the car wouldn't run at all) - $100
3. Compressor - $500+
4. Condensor - AC usually engages, but no cold air, $500+