oil leak

[Ed Fenwick]

Aloha folks, I changed to a synthetic oil a couple of weeks ago and now there is a small oil leak. There is none on the carport floor but I can smell burning oil at a stoplight. My concern is fire! I have to go up the mountain on Saturday with some photographers and I don't want to get stranded up there. Do you guys think that there is much chance of the exhaust igniting the oil drip?

Tks and God bless Ed

 

[Gavin Allan]

Are you sure there is actually a leak? Oil may have been spilled on the engine during the change.



I would hose the engine down good at the self-service car wash and let it dry. If you still have the burning oil smell, you may just have to crawl under it and look for the oil. Otherwise take it to a mechanic and have it checked out.



Yes, a fire could start from leaking oil. I think is is somewhat rare, but it could happen.

 

[Ed Fenwick]

Thanks Gavin but it has been too long for a spill. Very slow drip though, nothing on the floor, just a smell at idle. Takes a couple of weeks to go down a quart.

Ed

 

[swshawaii]

I changed to a synthetic oil a couple of weeks ago and now there is a small oil leak.



Takes a couple of weeks to go down a quart.

One quart every two weeks is NOT a small leak. Did you check valve cover gaskets as Eddie suggested?

 

[scott degroot]

Are you thinking that the switch to synthetic caused the leak? I would have to say that that is very unlikely. Sure there is alot of disinformation on the internet that says that switching to synthetic oil can cause leaks but just because it is on the internet doesn't make it so. Going a quart low every couple weeks is heavy consumption and would almost certainly leave drops wherever you park. I wouldn't let it go any longer without getting it checked.

 

[Vic Sorlie]

Lots of BS in this thread. First of all, your engine's not going to catch on fire. If you're smelling burnt oil then you need to check valve cover gaskets on this '02 truck. I think you're leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold(s). Gavin's advice is dicey - hose down your engine and you're asking for trouble by getting water where it doesn't belong. You're claiming excessive oil consumption; are you getting any white smoke out the exhaust? What's condition of PCV valve?

 

[Gavin Allan]

I hose down my engine 3 or 3 times a year. Keeps it looking like new and makes it much easier to work on, as well as detect any leaks. Never had a problem with it, and I have been doing it for years. I don't spend a lot of time blasting water at the electronics, but I do spray the block and the firewall, etc. pretty good. Battery and battery trays look like new. Use the high-pressure soap and then the high-pressure rinse. I even use the wax and Rain-ex sometimes.



Since I keep everything clean, I can immediately find the source of any leaks just by crawling under it and looking for the source.



try it, you will like it.

 

[Alan Peters]

Sounds like is dripping on the exhaust. What I found once is leftover from the oil filter was running off and drips on the exhaust some how causing the smell. I replaced the filter and tightened by hand then a quarter to half turn with a tool. No more smells. This might not be your case but I would crawl underneath and trace down the leak. If your smelling it chances are its hitting the exhaust.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Wasn't there a recall or TSB for 2002-2004 models regarding a leaking oil filter adapter from the factory because of porosity in the castings?

 

[EddieS'04]

When my dad switched his pontiac from dino to mobil one @ 40k. The rear main started leaking. That wasnt dis-info.

He imediatly switched back and it quit. Before the next oil change.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Found the TSB:



Nature of Defect:

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Bulletin Number:

041910 Bulletin Date:

Oct 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Summary:

OIL LEAK FROM OIL FILTER ADAPTER - 4.0L SOHC ENGINE BUILT BEFORE 4/1/2004. ( NHTSA ITEM NUMBER - 10010719 )



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[swshawaii]

Good catch Gavin.

 

[scott degroot]

Eddie



Did that old Pontiac have a rope seal for a rear main?

 

[Ed Fenwick]

well ok, does that mean Ford will fix it?

 

[EddieS'04]

Scott,



Most likely it did. Back in the day of the 400cui Grand Prix...

 

[scott degroot]

Ed,



Ford would have fixed it under warranty. Being that your ST is a 2002 I'm quite sure the warranty period has long since expired.



Eddie,



I could see that happening on the old rope seals as the oil actually helped them to seal. It wasn't uncommon to start an engine that had been sitting for a while and have the rear main leak like crazy but after running for a while they would seal up. On modern day engines, and by modern day I mean mid 90's and newer, synthetic oil won't cause an engine to start to leak or burn oil. They say in some cases that syn oil may cause builup to be washed away at some of the sealing joints that was preventing an oil leak from occuring but I have yet to see this happen (I have only seen one inertia switch go bad also though) but if it were to happen it would be a slow process as the cleaning process doesn't happen overnight but after the buildup was eliminated the main culprit is still a defective gasket/seal that is causing the leak and not the oil...kind of a chicken or the egg scenario I guess