Engine oil leak
An engine oil leak is a common problem found on many vehicles. Not only does it mess up the driveway of the vehicle owner, but also it can cause serious engine damage if left undiagnosed. Most vehicles hold about 5 quarts of oil, and that will not last long if a continuous oil leak or even oil pressure leak is ongoing. Yes, most vehicles are equipped with an engine oil warning light. But I would rather not rely on this device and the pressure sensor that turns it on. What is worse than an engine oil leak is when it develops after an oil and filter change. When this happens, all fingers point to the mechanic that did the last oil change. Myself and the mechanics in my shop are all certified and have many years of experience. When we started receiving comebacks with engine oil leaks directly after engine oil and filter changes I knew something was wrong.
Motor oil leakingAfter changing the engine oil on the Jeep Cherokee it came back the next day with the driver saying there was oil spots under the vehicle. I lifted up the vehicle and the oil filter was wet. I checked the tightness of the oil filter and found that it was very tight, maybe even too tight. I thought that I had a defective oil filter and that my fellow car mechanics might have been experiencing the very same thing. Maybe even a defective batch or case of the bad oil filters. I took the extra time on this vehicle and installed some engine oil dye. I ran the engine and then leak checked it with a black light.
The oil leak was not from the oil filter, but just above it from a part known as the engine oil filter adapter. This is what the filter screws onto.
This is an easily misdiagnosed concern due to the fact that the oil leak is just above the filter and then runs down directly onto it thus making it appear that it is leaking.
Engine oil leak technical service bulletinThe engine oil adapter and adapter plate are experiencing warping conditions on older model units starting in 94 and 95. The procedure to check the adapter plate for warping is to remove it and lay it on a flat surface such as a piece of glass. You then take .008-inch feeler gauge and try to stick it between the sealing edge of the adapter plate and the glass. If the feeler gauge slips in between the two while you are pushing down on it with your hand then the plate is warped and needs to be replaced.
It is just about impossible to see the warp with the naked eye. So removing and following this procedure will be necessary to verify that the part does need to be replaced. Now that we know about the problem we stop and check the adapter plate before screwing on the replacement engine oil filter. This saves us the embarrassment of a comeback after an oil change. Since this engine and vehicle combination are extremely popular and millions of these vehicles are still operating on the road. I decided to share with you this story and also about the technical service bulletin that applies to this engine oil leak repair.
Engine oil leaks not only mess up your driveway, they can also cause serious engine damage, if not handled quickly.
 Custom Search I was told that if you want to have a car repair website that people will return to often that you must have lots of short videos. So to satisfy the masses I have put together a section with nothing but auto repair videos To learn more about this car repair website. I will direct you back to the homepage. This next link takes you from engine oil leak to more auto repair advice
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