What 5 Causes An Oil Leak To Happen?

By Author: Car Services in Reading
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You should not ignore an oil leak in your car's engine since it might be dangerous. Aside from engine failure, oil leaks can cause a fire in your engine bay or danger for other drivers on the road if there is enough oil spilled.

Fixing leaks should be a top priority and taking care of your vehicle is necessary. It doesn't always take a qualified mechanic to find out the best answer, there are some things you can do on your own. Before you can do that, you need to figure out what's causing the leak and where it's coming from.

5 causes of an oil leak
The following are 5 causes:

1. Time
Due to multiple heat cycles and oxidation, your oil might lose viscosity while you drive your car. Your gaskets, hoses, and other rubber components that keep oil and other fluids in their proper reservoirs and chambers can also deteriorate over time.

2. Incorrect installation
There are times when one of your car's gaskets or parts is placed incorrectly. That suggests either the oil pan or valve cover is overtightened, or the tightness isn't spread evenly. It might also be the oil ...
... filter's faulty installation, which, if loose, could cause a leak in your automobile. You might potentially have a poor seal around your oil pump or an incorrectly fitting hose clamp on an oil line. check MOT status of your vehicle and have this issue repaired by your car mechanic.

3. Accidents or physical damage
Road debris is another cause. As a result of the rough roads, a hole might form, causing an oil pan leak. Your oil pans and gaskets may be damaged by stone chips, boulders, and other road mishaps. If your MOT status is still valid, have this problem looked at and fixed by your car mechanic before your next MOT test.

4. Heat
While engines and oil have an ideal working temperature, excessive heat may cause your engine oil to thin out prematurely and seep out of your oil seals. Too much heat, on the other hand, may prematurely age your car's gaskets, oil seals, and hoses.

5. Too much engine oil
There's such a thing as too much of a good thing can be bad, and in the case of oil, too much can lead to an overflow. There may be too much oil in your car's engine, and it's leaking out of the top reaches of the engine, such as valves and various breather hoses. Check MOT expiry date for your vehicle and get your mechanic to rectify the correct amount of engine oil in your car.

Common oil leak areas
After going through the many causes, you may already be aware of the usual locations or regions where it occur. The damaged or worn-out gaskets, as well as the rings or valve seals, are as follows:

• Gaskets and seals

• Oil pan

• Oil lines

• Oil filter

• Oil drain bolt

How do you find an oil leak?
After you've gone over the essentials, you'll need to figure out if your car is actually leaking oil before you can figure out how to fix it. It's also worth noting that the oil on your car is most likely the product of road filth and other cars' fluid, not necessarily yours.

Step 1 - Check the leak to see if it's indeed an oil leak
You must first view your car for yourself before concluding that it is oozing with oil. Examine the drips under your car and try to capture some of the fluid by laying down newspaper or a white plastic plate. Try blotting oil on a surface with paper towels to examine the colour and properties of the seeping fluid. A sluggish leak will seep out, but a rapid leak will drip.

Step 2 - Check your fluid levels
It's critical to check your fluid levels on a frequent basis. The dipstick may be used to check the fluid level. If its level is low, it's likely that you haven't changed it in a while or that there is a leak. If the level is low, it's time for a fluid change; however, if you've just had a fluid change and are still running low, there might be a leak.

Step 3 - Find the source of the leak
You may hire a mechanic to handle this, or if you're ready to do some dirty work, you can play detective and find the source of the leak yourself.

Step 4 - Consult an expert
If you don't want to perform the dirty work yourself, you may hire a car mechanic or technician to do it for you.

If you check MOT history of your car, you will notice that an excessive oil leak will be the reason for failure or a minor oil leak as an 'advisory' to be repaired.