I need help my car is leaking Oil??

[98mstanggt]

I just got in my car and notice as i was driving that smoke was coming from under the hood so i pulled over and looking under the car and oil is everywhere on my headers, steering shaft, etc but i dont see where its coming from any ideas im going crazy here

 

[GDTrumbo]

Car an automatic? Can you tell if it's PS fluid or motor oil?? Done a level check for both fluids?
Check auto trans lines if applicable. Look for damaged PS lines. Valve cover gasket leak?

Good Luck, GT

 

[98mstanggt]

Car is a auto and it look like motor oil finna go do some searching

 

[98mstanggt]

Its def oil and its coming from the drivers side but i cant tell where and i dont have a jack or anything

 

[glittle75]

hmm, right above where your pic is, your filter assembly sits there, might check all that, the filter for tightness, the filter housing or whatever you want to call it.

and because its on your headers, assuming its on the top of them and dripped down, I would suggest looking at your valve cover seal.

since its all over everything im sure, I would clean it up with rags as best you can, fill the engine back up with oil, and start it. then go look at where its coming from. with the car sitting still to, the oil wont be blowing all over everything, should just drip down and you may be able to see exactly where its coming from.

best way to find a leak is to try to re-produce it while your staring at the problem area.

 

[98mstanggt]

I dont think its the filter cause its oil on the steering shaft/column or whatever and thats above the filter and i check to make sure the filter wasnt loose or anything. Ima clean it up and see if i can find where the oil is coming from

 

[glittle75]

only reason I say to check all the assembly down there is because when it started, you were driving. maybe oil might have gotten blown upwards from wind. dunno how fast you were going.

is there oil on your hood? like on the underside? if so, you might want to check your oil fill cap. if its good and theres no oil on the hood, sounds like a leaking valve cover to me.

 

[SableGT]

Was your dipstick in all the way when you checked it. I have actually seen someones dipstick pushed out about an inch and oil was everywhere. Just like you explained.

 

[98mstanggt]

Ok when i notice it i was leaving my apartment so wasnt going fast at all maybe 20mph and there's no oil at all on the passanger side. I clean up a little bit under and started the car again to see maybe if i'll see a leak but nothing happen(of coarse) but check under the hood no sign of oil at all until you look under the car. No oil on the hood, check the oil cap was close, dip stick was all the way in, checked valve cover doesnt look like it leaking probably have to put more oil in then start it up again and hopefully i'll see where it coming from

 

[98mstanggt]

You guys got any places i should double check?? Whats the worst that can happen since im leaking oil everywhere?? I scared to drive it think its gonna blow up lol i need some serious help im try to pressure wash under the car to remove all the oil from yesterday then full it up and drive a short distance and see what happens

 

[MustangChris]

valve cover gaskets... since the valve covers (stock) are plastic, and your heads are metal, they plastic heats up and cools down faster than the metal... this expanding and contracting at "unequal" timing can cause the valve cover gasket to wear unevenly and prematurly.

i would get under there with a rag and clean the heck-a-roony outa that sttering rack and then start the car... one of your lines may be going out. (i have 4 extra lines if you need one.)

It could also be (somehow, maybe, someone correct me if im wrong) brake fluid coming from your brake-boosted power steering lines.

also, check your timing cover. could be your front main seal going out... do you hear any odd sounds?

obviously you're losing fluid. I suggest filling ALL resevours (including windshield washer fluid) to the max lines and watch which ones lose fluid.

the problem is everything is on the drivers side. brakes, oil filter, washer fluid, power steering rack, power steering res., coolant expansion tank, ... . .>.<

 

[98mstanggt]

I double checked everything today Brake, coolant, power steering, and transmission fluid is full. I checked oil wasn't none on dipstick so waited check again and it was that time. It has to be leaking valve cover for it to have been on the steering shaft cause it's on my headers too so it has to be leaking from somewhere high like valve cover waiting on my girl to get off work so I can go buy some oil and see where it's really coming from

 

[MustangChris]

can you see if its on the side of the block as well?

I have skinny hands, so i can run my fingers along my gasket area and feel if its leaking.


ive replaced my valve covers like, 4 times now?

suggestions:
RTV = friend
dry ALL SURFACES 100%!!! oil will prevent the RTV from drying and sealing
undo the motor mounts and lift/lower the motor as needed
undo clutch cable at pedal AND clutch fork
undo the power steering and ignition coil bracket
*slide* the valve covers forward and backward, dont try and pull them up or push them down.

those are my suggestions. If you have stock valve covers they are 1000% easier than my chrome BBK big ones...

 

[blackgt4.6]

+1 for valve cover I know its hard to tell because there is so much in the way but it seems most likely.

 

[98mstanggt]

ok so yesterday I pressure wash the engine bay and under the car real good so now all the oil is gone so I decided to put a couple quarts in and drove around nothing happen no oil leak or nothing WTF

 

[MustangChris]

makes me lean even further toward a valve cover... just keep an eye on that drivers side valve cover gasket. it should smoke off your headers and smoke up through the hood scoop.... depending on how bad it is...

my steering rack looks just like yours did, but thats because im terrible at removing my oil filter... lol.

 

[98mstanggt]

Yeah that's what happen I was driving and notice alot of smoke everywhere then I checked under the car and oil was everywhere esp on the headers which is why it was smoking so what I need new valve covers??

 

[badass98svt]

Let me ask you something. When you took it out and it DIDN'T leak oil, was the car still "warm"? Did you drive it in the last 12 hours or so?

I had a BAD oil leak in the exact same location. It was my oil cooler gasket. It would leak with a very fast pour out from the area with a cold start. It'd leak about 1.5 quarts.
If I started the car within another 10-12 hours, I would have ZERO leak. Not even a drop.

I don't remember if the GTs have the oil cooler too, but I have the correct gasket FS in the classifieds currently.

 

[MustangChris]

i dont think we have an oil cooler....


you just need a new valve cover gasket... i think they are $100.00 from ford (if i remember correctly, i may be wrong)

 

[badass98svt]

I DOUBT that's a vc gasket.
$100 for a vc gasket? no way. You can buy a COMPLETE gasket set for $100.

I'd say it's leaking at the oil filter. When's the last time you changed the oil? is the filter tight? Did you double o-ring it by mistake?