in my garage today, I noticed some oil underneath my motor. not a whole lot
but some. My truck was in the driveway, so I got underneath it and didnt
see any oil on the plastic shield protecting the oil pan. I did notice fluid
on the box just behind the shield. I ran my fingers across and sure enough,
there was a smooth coating. Is this the transmission reservoir? the box
was rectangular in shape, with a bolt in one corner. Is this possibly a seal
gone bad due to cold weather? I have 37K, so I should be covered under
the powertrain warranty.
NOt Coolant
not purple in color
given the location, I dont think it is gear oil
What if my seals are leaking? I had my oil changed about
6 weeks ago, at the place I always go (aside from the dealer).
Is it possible they overfilled it? they wrote 5.5 quarts on the paper,
but I watched him, and I thought he may have put in six. Is there
any way to tell from the top of the motor?
in my garage today, I noticed some oil underneath my motor. not a whole lot
but some. My truck was in the driveway, so I got underneath it and didnt
see any oil on the plastic shield protecting the oil pan. I did notice fluid
on the box just behind the shield. I ran my fingers across and sure enough,
there was a smooth coating. Is this the transmission reservoir? the box
was rectangular in shape, with a bolt in one corner. Is this possibly a seal
gone bad due to cold weather? I have 37K, so I should be covered under
the powertrain warranty.
Scott... from your explanation, that "box" is your lower oil pan. Clean it up real good with a rag and see if it happens again. It is possible that the grease monkey that changed your oil was sloppy when removing the filter and some of it ran down. Also, it is possible that the filter is leaking... it happens. I have seen this more than once with the cheaper filters. Why dont you remove the splash shield and take a closer look at the filter to see if this is the culprit?
NOt Coolant
not purple in color
given the location, I dont think it is gear oil
What if my seals are leaking? I had my oil changed about
6 weeks ago, at the place I always go (aside from the dealer).
Is it possible they overfilled it? they wrote 5.5 quarts on the paper,
but I watched him, and I thought he may have put in six. Is there
any way to tell from the top of the motor?
Anything is possible. Check your dipstick for over/under fill.
If you swapped to synthetic oil it will sneak past the seals.
...Also, it is possible that the filter is leaking... it happens. I have seen this more than once with the cheaper filters. Why dont you remove the splash shield and take a closer look at the filter to see if this is the culprit?
I can attest to that. Not that I use extremely "high-end" filter, but I have found that some filters don't seal as well as others. I have sometimes had to come back and tighten them again after the initial install.
I took it in and had it checked. It is the cheap drain plug gasket leaking.
the levels were good. Service advisor said the only way to repair it is to change the oil again, but it could wait. I just had it changed about 1400 miles ago.
...Service advisor said the only way to repair it is to change the oil again...
Bunk! Get a semi-soft copper washer to fit the plug. Put a drain pan under the drain. Loosen plug. Turn it by hand while keeping pressure on it. When it feels like it's going to fall off (it will click) slide it off and slide your thumb over the hole. With your other hand, remove the POS washer the dealer (or JL or whoever) installed and put the copper one on. Slide the plug back over the drain hole - you may want to simultaneously move your thumb out of the way, it's your thumb so you decide - and tighten. Done right, less than a few ounces of oil will leak out ... on your hand.
Or, you can wait until the next change, but keep an eye on the oil level. That drip doesn't stop while you are driving. It only gets worse as the oil thins out.
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