Normal cause of an oil leak?

[Killer]

ok, so my girlfriends car (kelly/chante) is leaking oil pretty bad... sometimes the puddles are huge other times just a drop or two.. oh and she drives a 99 civic lx..... now i haven't been able to get under the car yet to look at it (she lives in north ga, i'm in marietta) BUT we were out last night and i noticed the oil was coming from somewhere either right behind the oil pan, or maybe the back of the pan itself.
close to the plug, but didn't seem to be dripping from the actual plug....

i was in front of the car looking at it and the drips seemed to be coming from the back of the pan... and to the right of the plug... like and inch or two...


like i said i couldn't get under the car to actually look, but anyone have any ideas???

car does have like 190,000 on it.. but her uncle is a mechanic and takes care of it for her..(he's just busy until thursday... so i was gonna see what i could do)

[Evil Goat]

oil pan gasket? o-ring on the plug? its really a shot in the dark until you can get under there and see where its coming from, just b/c it looks like its leaking from the pan doesn't mean it isn't leaking higher up and just dripping down

[Killer]

oil pan gasket? o-ring on the plug? its really a shot in the dark until you can get under there and see where its coming from, just b/c it looks like its leaking from the pan doesn't mean it isn't leaking higher up and just dripping down


that's what i was wondering.. if something in that area could be higher up, and just dripping down... the drips themselves were coming off the pan though...

[Evil Goat]

you have an oil pressure sending unit thats right above the filter that could be the problem, its been a while since ive been under a civic for longer than an oil change, so hopefully someone else can chime in with some other ideas. i hope she knows how to check the oil and refill when needed....i wouldnt be driving the car that way thats for sure

[Killer]

you have an oil pressure sending unit thats right above the filter that could be the problem, its been a while since ive been under a civic for longer than an oil change, so hopefully someone else can chime in with some other ideas. i hope she knows how to check the oil and refill when needed....i wouldnt be driving the car that way thats for sure


well, she does, and doesn't.... but i've walked her through it, and she's got some guys at her office that would help her so...

[AnthonyF]

take a can or 2 of BRAKE CLEAN and spray all over everything and wipe everything dry. pressure wash if u want to. it's better if u do this when the car is cold. then go driving and see if it leaks. if so, jack it back up and see where the leak is.

[Killer]

take a can or 2 of BRAKE CLEAN and spray all over everything and wipe everything dry. pressure wash if u want to. it's better if u do this when the car is cold. then go driving and see if it leaks. if so, jack it back up and see where the leak is.

yeah, if she wasn't an hour and a half away would already have jacked it up.... we didn't notice the leake til like late sunday night... and then i noticed how bad it was when we met up last night. so i tried to see if i could find the source.. not easy to do in the dark, and not being able to get under the car...

there is no visible oil in the engine bay itself.. you only see oil once you're looking under the car.

[Evil Goat]

take a can or 2 of BRAKE CLEAN and spray all over everything and wipe everything dry. pressure wash if u want to. it's better if u do this when the car is cold. then go driving and see if it leaks. if so, jack it back up and see where the leak is.


negative captain....you dont want to spray brake clean on everything, that shit eats o-ring seals for breakfast and shits them out in the form of slow red mustangs....not to mention if you get that shit on any electronics it causes oxidation and eventually the sensor will not work properly

brake clean does wonders, but make sure most everything that you think might can get damaged is covered in some sort of way, if its leaking that bad its gotta be pretty obvious where its coming from


it is possible that when the oil was changed last that the rubber gasket from the old oil filter stuck to the block and its now leaking due to that....i had that problem once, the one time i didnt check to make sure the seal came off w/ the oil filter and it happened, wasted 7 qts of mobil1

[Killer]

negative captain....you dont want to spray brake clean on everything, that shit eats o-ring seals for breakfast and shits them out in the form of slow red mustangs....not to mention if you get that shit on any electronics it causes oxidation and eventually the sensor will not work properly

brake clean does wonders, but make sure most everything that you think might can get damaged is covered in some sort of way, if its leaking that bad its gotta be pretty obvious where its coming from

i'm assuming, if i get under it before her uncle does, you're right.. i should be able to spot it pretty easily.

[Nissangeek]

it is possible that when the oil was changed last that the rubber gasket from the old oil filter stuck to the block and its now leaking due to that....i had that problem once, the one time i didnt check to make sure the seal came off w/ the oil filter and it happened, wasted 7 qts of mobil1

Thats what I was thinking. I've had the same problem to.

[Killer]

it is possible that when the oil was changed last that the rubber gasket from the old oil filter stuck to the block and its now leaking due to that....i had that problem once, the one time i didnt check to make sure the seal came off w/ the oil filter and it happened, wasted 7 qts of mobil1

Thats what I was thinking. I've had the same problem to.


well i would say that could be it, but her uncle is a mechanic.. so i'm sure he knows what's up..


(hows the hatch by the way??? is it running yet?)

[Kelly]

(hows the hatch by the way??? is it running yet?)


simple thing to do would've been a pm...


...

[Killer]

...

the difference is i didn't just start a thread for him to randomly find.. he already posted so i asked him...

don't think you'll out e-wit me babe.....

and look at you, trying to bust my balls and i'm trying to get ur car fixed.... WOMEN :rolleyes:

[Kelly]

the difference is i didn't just start a thread for him to randomly find.. he already posted so i asked him...

don't think you'll out e-wit me babe.....

and look at you, trying to bust my balls and i'm trying to get ur car fixed.... WOMEN :rolleyes:


But I have :boobies:

:dunno:

["B"]

Without reading this entire thread:

(answering a general tech question, because I have no idea about Hondas)

Normally if you have a major leak and it is coming from the rear of the engine, it is the rear main seal leaking. I have no idea if a honda even has a rear main since the the engine sits on the tranny.

If killer has any mechanical ability at all, he should be able to take down the oil pain (after cleaning and observing the leak first) and replacing the oil pan gasket. The rear main is a little bit more tricky usually.

Not sure if I even helped.

[Evil Goat]

But I have :boobies:

:dunno:


pics or no more advice

[Kyle]

ok, so my girlfriends car (kelly/chante) is leaking oil pretty bad... sometimes the puddles are huge other times just a drop or two.. oh and she drives a 99 civic lx..... now i haven't been able to get under the car yet to look at it (she lives in north ga, i'm in marietta) BUT we were out last night and i noticed the oil was coming from somewhere either right behind the oil pan, or maybe the back of the pan itself.
close to the plug, but didn't seem to be dripping from the actual plug....

i was in front of the car looking at it and the drips seemed to be coming from the back of the pan... and to the right of the plug... like and inch or two...


like i said i couldn't get under the car to actually look, but anyone have any ideas???

car does have like 190,000 on it.. but her uncle is a mechanic and takes care of it for her..(he's just busy until thursday... so i was gonna see what i could do)
Normal cause is dating a faggy acoustic guitar player.

[Killer]

Normal cause is dating a faggy acoustic guitar player.
..... get over it... i'm cooler than you are...

[Killer]

Without reading this entire thread:

(answering a general tech question, because I have no idea about Hondas)

Normally if you have a major leak and it is coming from the rear of the engine, it is the rear main seal leaking. I have no idea if a honda even has a rear main since the the engine sits on the tranny.

If killer has any mechanical ability at all, he should be able to take down the oil pain (after cleaning and observing the leak first) and replacing the oil pan gasket. The rear main is a little bit more tricky usually.

Not sure if I even helped.


yeah, i could take the pan off... again i haven't been able to get underneath the car yet.... so i was just looking at my options, and where i should look first... again that is if her uncle doesn't fix it before the weekend.... hopefully he will... if not... i know what i'm doing saturday... lol.

[Kyle]

..... get over it... i'm cooler than you are...
Hahaha just trying to stir things up.

[Killer]

Hahaha just trying to stir things up.

as always... ;)

[AnthonyF]

negative captain....you dont want to spray brake clean on everything, that shit eats o-ring seals for breakfast and shits them out in the form of slow red mustangs....not to mention if you get that shit on any electronics it causes oxidation and eventually the sensor will not work properly

brake clean does wonders, but make sure most everything that you think might can get damaged is covered in some sort of way, if its leaking that bad its gotta be pretty obvious where its coming from


it is possible that when the oil was changed last that the rubber gasket from the old oil filter stuck to the block and its now leaking due to that....i had that problem once, the one time i didnt check to make sure the seal came off w/ the oil filter and it happened, wasted 7 qts of mobil1

wtf? why the fuck u taking shots at me dick? whatever fuck off.

we have never had an incident with brake clean at our shop. If you spray in the back of the motor what seal is there? none. u have the drain plug gasket and thats it. Brake clean dries so fast u have to wipe off immediatley anyways.

[Killer]

calm down dude, i'm sure it was just a joke...

[Evil Goat]

calm down mommas boy....when you're giving out advice you have to assume that the person you are talking to is ignorant, b/c you never know, especially on the internet who is going to read this.

you advised the guy to take some brake clean, which doesn't spray like a fogger but more like a fucking water hose, and spray it all over the fucking place to clean off an oil leak, there are more than the plug orings on the back of the motor, you have the oil press sending unit, the alternator is just to the left, the solid water pipe that runs along the back just above the oil press unit, and not to mention the tranny to the other side....so as you can see spraying brake clean "all over everything" isn't that great of an idea

if you worked at a real shop, and not some backyard university cars r us, you'd be using a uv liquid dye to put in the oil along w/ a uv light to locate the leak, not spraying brake clean all over everything...but what the fuck do i know?

[Killer]

well.... anyways... i'll let ya'll know how it turns out... or get back on and ask some more questions.

[BlkCD5]

a possibilty it could be from the crank or rear main seal :dunno:. My car has about 192k on it and i had to replace both of those.

[AnthonyF]

calm down mommas boy....when you're giving out advice you have to assume that the person you are talking to is ignorant, b/c you never know, especially on the internet who is going to read this.

you advised the guy to take some brake clean, which doesn't spray like a fogger but more like a fucking water hose, and spray it all over the fucking place to clean off an oil leak, there are more than the plug orings on the back of the motor, you have the oil press sending unit, the alternator is just to the left, the solid water pipe that runs along the back just above the oil press unit, and not to mention the tranny to the other side....so as you can see spraying brake clean "all over everything" isn't that great of an idea

if you worked at a real shop, and not some backyard university cars r us, you'd be using a uv liquid dye to put in the oil along w/ a uv light to locate the leak, not spraying brake clean all over everything...but what the fuck do i know?



i work at a real shop fag. a real mechanic does not add anything to the oil. The only thing that belongs in the motor is oil. and u work where? and you think u know all this b/c why? you own a wannabe GTO? right. i'm guessing ur v8 is a compensation. haha:lmfao: get a life. you don't like my idea, ignore it. post ur own. i didn't knock ur idea so don't do it to mine.

[AnthonyF]

killer-i apologize for all of this. i wish this fool didn't call me out like that in some1 else's post. sorry for all my ranting.


if u think my idea is uncalled for, then don't use it. well all kno it was a suggestion. You don't do everything some1 suggests. P.S.-0 problems from well over 1000's of cars that come in my fathers shop that i work at in Atlanta. :) good luck with everything. I hope whatever you do works out for the best for u

[Killer]

killer-i apologize for all of this. i wish this fool didn't call me out like that in some1 else's post. sorry for all my ranting.


if u think my idea is uncalled for, then don't use it. well all kno it was a suggestion. You don't do everything some1 suggests. P.S.-0 problems from well over 1000's of cars that come in my fathers shop that i work at in Atlanta. :) good luck with everything. I hope whatever you do works out for the best for u

thanks, and it's no biggie...

hopefully her uncle can get to it before i have to.. .if not i'm sure as fast as it was dripping i'll be able to find the leak!

[Evil Goat]

yeahh....daddy gave you a job at his shop....that automatically makes you ase certified from what i understand, and since he gave you a car i guess youre automatically certified to race anywhere too right? go back to mooching off mommy and daddy you fucking monkey cunt

i worked in several middle ga shops from 16-21, from mom and pop places to national chains, and have owned/modded more cars than you can shake a stick at, and not one of them did mommy and daddy give to me...your lack of knowledge and willingness to spread it is what scares me....not your internet attitude

uv dyes are widely used to locate leaks in a/c, power steering, oil, gas, etc etc....just b/c the shop you work for chooses the not so professional way to finding leaks doesnt mean it isnt a widely used source

killer, personally i wouldnt invest in a uv kit if i were you, i have a cheap kit but i do a pretty good bit of sidework, but ive already said theres nothing wrong with cleaning the engine off w/ some type of cleaner, but to be sure to cover all electronics, b/c whether or not this douschebag thinks so it will fuck some stuff up

[Killer]

well thanks again.... if i can't find it, i'm sure her uncle will....

[mxglory258]

The only thing you should do before reading into this any deeper, is to get ythe car up, clean it all off. I usually use simple green a scrub brush, and garden hose. Then start it let it run a minute, and determine where it is coming from. Then, you begin to ask more questions. As to where its coming from, how to fix it, things of that nature. All this thread has gotten you, was idea's. That your basically going to see anyways as soon as its cleaned up. TryMy had the best idea first off. No, 2nd off. He bought a rustang first lol.

Just don't use a really agressive cleaner like he's saying. Even gunk degreaser would work fine.

[Killer]

The only thing you should do before reading into this any deeper, is to get ythe car up, clean it all off. I usually use simple green a scrub brush, and garden hose. Then start it let it run a minute, and determine where it is coming from. Then, you begin to ask more questions. As to where its coming from, how to fix it, things of that nature. All this thread has gotten you, was idea's. That your basically going to see anyways as soon as its cleaned up. TryMy had the best idea first off. No, 2nd off. He bought a rustang first lol.

Just don't use a really agressive cleaner like he's saying. Even gunk degreaser would work fine.

thanks man! preciate it... u wanna come work on this one too? LOL just kiddin...

[mxglory258]

Haha, going to have to sit out on this one man. With the Ef meet coming up, i'm scrambling to get paint on my car.

[Killer]

lol... well i hope u get ur situation worked out as well!! gl!

[AnthonyF]

yeahh....daddy gave you a job at his shop....that automatically makes you ase certified from what i understand, and since he gave you a car i guess youre automatically certified to race anywhere too right? go back to mooching off mommy and daddy you fucking monkey cunt

i worked in several middle ga shops from 16-21, from mom and pop places to national chains, and have owned/modded more cars than you can shake a stick at, and not one of them did mommy and daddy give to me...your lack of knowledge and willingness to spread it is what scares me....not your internet attitude

uv dyes are widely used to locate leaks in a/c, power steering, oil, gas, etc etc....just b/c the shop you work for chooses the not so professional way to finding leaks doesnt mean it isnt a widely used source

killer, personally i wouldnt invest in a uv kit if i were you, i have a cheap kit but i do a pretty good bit of sidework, but ive already said theres nothing wrong with cleaning the engine off w/ some type of cleaner, but to be sure to cover all electronics, b/c whether or not this douschebag thinks so it will fuck some stuff up


hahaha....yea he didn't give me a job here dumbass. I had to apply and wait for some1 to either get fired or quit. O and my car, on the bill of sale is my name. :D sorry to tell you. I haven't "purchased" it but it'll be paid off pretty soon. Im not like other people on here dik, i pay for my own shit, pay for my own parts and put them on. but again...ur a wannab GTO so u must know everything cuz u got a biiiig motor right? :lmfao: :lmfao: piss off.

[Nissangeek]

well i would say that could be it, but her uncle is a mechanic.. so i'm sure he knows what's up..


(hows the hatch by the way??? is it running yet?)

Yeah its up and runnin again. Apparently when you took out that alarm you left some wires in that shorted out the dizzy and blew a fuse. The guy at the shop took them out though so its all gravy. Sry if you've tried callin. My phone charger is in my bosses car and hes out of town till tomorrow so my phone is dead right now. But the good news is that my boss just bought a Maserati MC-12 (the Maserati version of the Enzo) and it will be delivered on Thurs. at the latest. I'll try to post pics as soon as I can.

[Killer]

Yeah its up and runnin again. Apparently when you took out that alarm you left some wires in that shorted out the dizzy and blew a fuse. The guy at the shop took them out though so its all gravy. Sry if you've tried callin. My phone charger is in my bosses car and hes out of town till tomorrow so my phone is dead right now. But the good news is that my boss just bought a Maserati MC-12 (the Maserati version of the Enzo) and it will be delivered on Thurs. at the latest. I'll try to post pics as soon as I can.

pm'd

[cactusEG]

ok, so my girlfriends car (kelly/chante) is leaking oil pretty bad... sometimes the puddles are huge other times just a drop or two.. oh and she drives a 99 civic lx..... now i haven't been able to get under the car yet to look at it (she lives in north ga, i'm in marietta) BUT we were out last night and i noticed the oil was coming from somewhere either right behind the oil pan, or maybe the back of the pan itself.
close to the plug, but didn't seem to be dripping from the actual plug....

i was in front of the car looking at it and the drips seemed to be coming from the back of the pan... and to the right of the plug... like and inch or two...


like i said i couldn't get under the car to actually look, but anyone have any ideas???

car does have like 190,000 on it.. but her uncle is a mechanic and takes care of it for her..(he's just busy until thursday... so i was gonna see what i could do)

didnt tied the filter on hard or gasket in the oil plug.. or bad oil pan gasket or rear main seal

[GSRteg®]

Thats what I was thinking :yes:




oil pan gasket? o-ring on the plug? its really a shot in the dark until you can get under there and see where its coming from, just b/c it looks like its leaking from the pan doesn't mean it isn't leaking higher up and just dripping down

[Evil Goat]

hahaha....yea he didn't give me a job here dumbass. I had to apply and wait for some1 to either get fired or quit. O and my car, on the bill of sale is my name. :D sorry to tell you. I haven't "purchased" it but it'll be paid off pretty soon. Im not like other people on here dik, i pay for my own shit, pay for my own parts and put them on. but again...ur a wannab GTO so u must know everything cuz u got a biiiig motor right? :lmfao: :lmfao: piss off.


that was all you could come up with? maybe you should get daddy to buy you some jokes too...

[Killer]

her uncle fixed it...

"bad" oil filter.... don't really know what that means yet exactly whether it was loose, hole, bent.. i don't know.. but that's what the problem was...

[jerzey908]

the oil filter can be loose also or it can be block seals

[speedminded]

negative captain....you dont want to spray brake clean on everything, that shit eats o-ring seals for breakfast and shits them out in the form of slow red mustangs....not to mention if you get that shit on any electronics it causes oxidation and eventually the sensor will not work properly

brake clean does wonders, but make sure most everything that you think might can get damaged is covered in some sort of way, if its leaking that bad its gotta be pretty obvious where its coming from


it is possible that when the oil was changed last that the rubber gasket from the old oil filter stuck to the block and its now leaking due to that....i had that problem once, the one time i didnt check to make sure the seal came off w/ the oil filter and it happened, wasted 7 qts of mobil1naw i've used ZEP for years cleaning and keeping engines clean with no problems at all...specifically B and D-series engines.

As for the oil filter, that could possibly be the issue...I would think it would be quite noticeable on the dipstick though :dunno: That's definitely where i would start though and should be able to take a peak under the intake manifold during daylight or with a flashlight and see down behind there...

[speedminded]

her uncle fixed it...

"bad" oil filter.... don't really know what that means yet exactly whether it was loose, hole, bent.. i don't know.. but that's what the problem was...ah, nm :tongue:

[Evil Goat]

what? zep engine cleaner? you do realize theres a slight difference in engine degreasers and brake clean right?

[speedminded]

what? zep engine cleaner? you do realize theres a slight difference in engine degreasers and brake clean right?Brake cleaner is 80-90% Heptane, Isopropyl Alchohol, and a little bit of Methonol...the alchohol is what would cause seals to dry out so not sure which Zep we've always used. It smells like brake cleaner, works and evaporates like brake cleaner, and feels like brake cleaner when it accidently gets sprayed in your face :tongue: so not sure. I know the o-rings on the brembo brakes i have on my car [and the race cars] aren't effected by it so who knows :dunno:

[green91]

Petroleum products naturally cause rubber seals to harden and leak, id recommend cleaning up around moist spots with brake clean and see where the leaks re-occur. typically hondas leak most around axle seals and the distributor o-ring that ive seen.

[green91]

Brake cleaner is 80-90% Heptane, Isopropyl Alchohol, and a little bit of Methonol...the alchohol is what would cause seals to dry out so not sure which Zep we've always used. It smells like brake cleaner, works and evaporates like brake cleaner, and feels like brake cleaner when it accidently gets sprayed in your face :tongue: so not sure. I know the o-rings on the brembo brakes i have on my car [and the race cars] aren't effected by it so who knows :dunno:


Funny how i use brake clean every day and have never had it deteriorate a seal but what do i know?? Im sure if a seal was allowed to soak in it that it could eat the rubber, but brake clean evaporates so quickly that its not an issue.

[iNsTuN nOoDoH]

Brake clean turns me white.

[green91]

Me too