5 quarts lost in 2 weeks

[Mudeprived]

I am scratching my head here. I changed the oil two weeks back. I decided to check the oil today just cause I felt like it and nothing was on the dipstick. I went in and purchased two quarts and that barely registered on the dipstick. I had to pour in three more quarts to get it up close to full line.

I have had a valve cover leak for the past two years and it has lost about a quart per oil change. Is it possible to lose that much in two week's time? It has been really cold lately so I thought maybe the gasket shrinks and leaks more?

It drips but no more than is usually does. No smoke out of tailpipe. Coolant is good. Runs like you don't know it's running.

What say you?

 

[brillo_76]

I am scratching my head here. I changed the oil two weeks back. I decided to check the oil today just cause I felt like it and nothing was on the dipstick. I went in and purchased two quarts and that barely registered on the dipstick. I had to pour in three more quarts to get it up close to full line.



I have had a valve cover leak for the past two years and it has lost about a quart per oil change. Is it possible to lose that much in two week's time? It has been really cold lately so I thought maybe the gasket shrinks and leaks more?



It drips but no more than is usually does. No smoke out of tailpipe. Coolant is good. Runs like you don't know it's running.



What say you?

I thinking your oil filter wasnt snug enough and your oil went into your skid plate. if there is enough grime on your skid plate it could hold a few quarts of oil. There should be a puddle of oil where you park as well.

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[Mudeprived]

I thinking your oil filter wasnt snug enough and your oil went into your skid plate. if there is enough grime on your skid plate it could hold a few quarts of oil. There should be a puddle of oil where you park as well.

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I have a combination of situations that are making it hard to diagnose. My truck is heavily undercoated with a gallon of fluid film so it looks like everything is leaking. My gravel driveway is soaked from all the rain and snow so you can't really see an oil leak at this time. And i have no skid plate.

I moved the truck over onto a patch of snow to see if it leaks.

 

[brillo_76]

I have a combination of situations that are making it hard to diagnose. My truck is heavily undercoated with a gallon of fluid film so it looks like everything is leaking. My gravel driveway is soaked from all the rain and snow so you can't really see an oil leak at this time. And i have no skid plate.

I moved the truck over onto a patch of snow to see if it leaks.

See if you can get cardboard underneath it and it will drip on it. Gravel, limestone can hide the oil patch at times. :-(

 

[Mudeprived]

Well just one drip on the snow the past two hours. Filter is snug.

 

[Mudeprived]

So it sat all night and appears to be dripping from rear drivers side of engine right where the steering rack bolts onto the crossmember. Hmm....

 

[brillo_76]

So it sat all night and appears to be dripping from rear drivers side of engine right where the steering rack bolts onto the crossmember. Hmm....

Yup. Look in at your oil filter when the engine is running and make sure your filter is tight and not leaking oil. As that's exactly where it will leak of the skid plate when the oil filter is loose.

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[Riceye]

This can happen if the gasket from old filter stuck to the housing and new filter was installed. Even though the filter is tight it will still leak.

 

[brillo_76]

If it's not the oil filter. Pull you skid plates and verify your oil cooler isnt leaking as it's on the same side of the block closer to the rear of your engine.

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[Riceye]

Post #3 indicates he has no skids.

 

[patkelly4370]

Visually inspect while running. Could be leaking from somewhere while under pressure.
Long ago my Aunt had a car with a similar problem. She sold it to her son cheap. He found the oil pressure sender leaked only when th he engine was running. $10 repaired it. His mom was pissed.

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[brillo_76]

Post #3 indicates he has no skids.

Ah.. I missed that. I also didn't see if its a v6 or 4 cylinder as I am uncertain the 4 cylinder has a oil cooler. With no skids the oil leak would a lot easier to find. However, the wet FF etc definitely isn't helping the cause. Loosing 5 quarts in 2 weeks is a very significant oil leak.

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[thennen]

Yup. Look in at your oil filter when the engine is running and make sure your filter is tight and not leaking oil. As that's exactly where it will leak of the skid plate when the oil filter is loose.

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I think you're on it. I had the same exact symptom right after an oil change on my 2001 18 months ago. I had captured a grain-of-sand size piece of crud between the filter gasket and block. I found my leak by spraying degreaser over the the entire oily area and letting it dry, then starting the engine. Saw it instantly.

 

[brillo_76]

I think you're on it. I had the same exact symptom right after an oil change on my 2001 18 months ago. I had captured a grain-of-sand size piece of crud between the filter gasket and block. I found my leak by spraying degreaser over the the entire oily area and letting it dry, then starting the engine. Saw it instantly.

I had this happen twice on my 3rd gens. I actually went out and bought an oil filter wrench to tighten the filters as they seem tight and will leak only when the rig is running. I couldn't tighten then tight enough by hand when I changed oil filter types.

The OP may have to degrease their engine to find it if its leaking somewhere else. As this leak is pretty significant losing that much oil that quick.

Unless a half moon or gasket chunked off and its just running out elsewhere. But when the engines running. The oil will almost have to be streaming out.

This is all I can come up with.

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[Riceye]

If the engine was, in fact, five quarts low I'm pretty surprised that it was even able to make pressure. I mean, isn't capacity five and a half quarts?

The leak would have to be from a pressurised source such as the filter, oil cooler or pressure sending unit in order to lose that much. That or a missing drain plug. A leaking valve cover (or other) gasket wouldn't do that.

 

[Mudeprived]

I will inspect the filter again. I did not see it dripping the two times I watched it but it had had oil around it. It is tight, tighter than I normally tighten them since I snugged it twice since yesterday. I threw away the old filter so I can't verify if it is a double gasket issue until I remove it. Seems odd if it was the filter since it is dripping from the steering rack crossmember while parked and the oil filter is further forward but it could be blown back.

I will try to degrease the engine 2nite. I get off at 10pm so hopefully I can do that without everything freezing. It is cold out.

And yes v-6, and yes 5 quarts to get it 1/8" below full line.

 

[brillo_76]

I will inspect the filter again. I did not see it dripping the two times I watched it but it had had oil around it. It is tight, tighter than I normally tighten them since I snugged it twice since yesterday. I threw away the old filter so I can't verify if it is a double gasket issue until I remove it. Seems odd if it was the filter since it is dripping from the steering rack crossmember while parked and the oil filter is further forward but it could be blown back.

I will try to degrease the engine 2nite. I get off at 10pm so hopefully I can do that without everything freezing. It is cold out.

And yes v-6, and yes 5 quarts to get it 1/8" below full line.

Surprised the engine didn't seize up. I have no idea how it ran on .5 quart. Being the skid plates are not there or missing. It sounding like the leaks are coming from above or the oil cooler.

I honestly can see the oil blowing that far back on a block.

That far back is sounding more like valve pans or cam plugs super leaking. :/





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[3bears]

if its not any of the above...how about rear main seal

reminds me of something that happened years back to a lady friend. Her brother changed the oil and put all the new oil down the tranny dipstick

 

[brillo_76]

if its not any of the above...how about rear main seal

reminds me of something that happened years back to a lady friend. Her brother changed the oil and put all the new oil down the tranny dipstick

Great thought. I always thought the rear mains always leak out the bell housing.

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[Mudeprived]

if its not any of the above...how about rear main seal

reminds me of something that happened years back to a lady friend. Her brother changed the oil and put all the new oil down the tranny dipstick

I did put oil down the tranny dipstick......6 months ago and it was transmission oil.

I will report back with what i find but if not then it was too dark and I have to wait till Tuesday when I am off.

Thanks for the tips so far.