Engine oil leak

I have oil leakage problem from long time 2 days before i forgot to check i went out and stuck as i check oil it was empty i poured oil but all comes out.

Do you have a hole in the sump? when you say it comes out will it come out with out the engine running?

my 2001 honda accord v6 began leaking oil a couple of weeks ago. The color is brown and is leaking from the front. I've added a couple of quarts since the leak began.

I've been told that I need to replace a seal and been quoted a $900 price because they will have to remove the tranny. Does this sound legit and is the price reasonable for such work? thanks.

That quote seems to be a bit high. But if the rear main seal is indeed leaking, the transmission does have to come off.

I'd get a second opinion and another quote first.

After getting my timing belt and water pump replaced I noticed an oil leak and my car idling really rough. Two days later my check engine light comes on. I took it back to the mechanic that changed my timing belt and he said the check engine light came on because I needed a new gas cap. Well the a new gas cap was replaced but the engine came back on. Please tell me what the heck is wrong

Hi there,

your mechanic will have to do a scan, and see what the fault code is, this will be the starting point to identify your problem, get this done first.

Mark (mhpautos)

Very major oil leak, very major. done a lot of looking if the car is sitting, I put a QT in every day!

please will someone out there help me????

in the pic of the pump there is no seal around the pumpbut it may have a sealer onit. I've pointed out a few places it could leak. However instructions for this are quite lengthy and it may be better for you to rent the manual as you can print eh pages you need. you can do that on site here for a small amount. you have to remove the timng belt so if your leak is in the front of engine you will be better off getting a timing belt kit and it will give you have all the items you need for replacement. maybe including water pump. on our tips page however it says the the crank pulley bolt is very hard to get undone and if not using a special tool will break. it could also be coming from oil flter as well as oil pressure sender so check those as well.

I have an oil leakage problem. It doesn't leak to the floor because I check underneath the car and see no oil stain. The gas exhaust pipe has turned black. No visible black smoke seen. I think the oil leaks into the engine and got burned. I wonder if it's worth it to repair this problem or not because it seems to cost a lot of money?

Hi chaulong,

Replacing the valve seals would solve at least 70 % of oil consumption problem for Honda engines.

Would not cost a hand and leg and you should ask around for an estimate. Cylinder head removal is not necessary for this job.

Our car is in great shape (well maintained). All of the sudden after a drive, noticed oil on underside of the car. It is coming from multiple places from the pan about one foot in front of the rear tires. Continuing to leak from a couple of drip places with car off. See pictures. Based on the location, what would be your best guess as to the cause?

1) Oil pan gasket.
2) Rear main crankshaft seal (transmission end).
3) PVC crank case ventilation system.
4) Oil filter or oil pressure sensor unit (above oil filter).
5) Front timing cover seal.


Would you recommend BlueDevil or Bars leak sealer before getting work done of the car?

Look for the furthest point forward that you see oil underneath. Unless there is some type of cooler toward the rear, what you are seeing has been spraying there when driving at higher speeds. A leak has to be pretty significant for the oil to make it that far back.

You will need to wash the area with Engine Degreaser, then run the engine to see where the oil is coming from. Watch around the oil pressure sending unit in particular. Engine seals typically do not leak fast enough for oil to be sprayed around so badly, at least not all of a sudden. Oil pan gaskets are another sore point, but the problem is oil from other leaks can run down there and make it look like the pan gasket is leaking. After the engine has been cleaned, look for the highest place you find oil running down.

There are two ways to locate a leak other than visually. For real slow leaks, you can add a small bottle of dark purple dye to the oil, then check later with a black light. The dye will show up as a bright yellow stain that you can follow back to the source. Auto parts stores will have the dye for the fluid being tested, and those that rent or borrow tools should have a black light.

For faster leaks, you can use a smoke machine to inject a white, non-toxic smoke at 2 psi, then watch for where it sneaks out. The problem here is it works best if the leak is in a non-pressurized place, like the oil pan or valve cover. If the leak is in a place that is under pressure, like all the passages, the oil pump, and the sending unit, the smoke usually does not have enough pressure to push through the oil and become visible.

I cannot think of a single thing that would leak oil that far back on that car (or any front wheel drive car). I cannot tell for sure, but that looks like you fuel tank that has wetness all over it.

By chance, is the gas tank full? If you just filled it, you might have a leak in your fuel filler neck (the pipe that goes from your gas door to the tank). It could be a small crack in it, or just a loose hose clamp on it. Could also be a leaking fuel return line (again a hose with a clamp that could be loose).

Or if you just hit a big puddle that could just be water that has not dried off yet. Either way, it is not oil.

Sorry caradiodoc. We must have been writing at the same time. To me that looks like a gas leak though.

Very possible. I did not think of that, but I would never admit it out loud!

I would go with a fuel leak that is washing the undercoat off the tank as well. The pipe, hanger and EVAP canister are right in line but clean. I would expect them to be coated if the leak was engine related. In the first picture you can see the suspension brace, if it is damp from the top down, but if the leak was up front and blowing back I would expect it to be coating the underside.

I would dip my finger in the "oil" and see if it smells like fuel.

No on the use of any sealer.

Thanks much all. You all got me to take another look. While it was wiping dark black from the ground and body of the car, a clean drip into towels was clear. It is gas.

I'll look to have the shop check:
Fuel filler neck leaks
Crack in gas tank
Fuel return line.
(Fuel filter is totally dry.)

Please get back to us with what they find, it will help others.