What are the causes of oil dripping from the exhaust pipe?
2 Answers
The reason for oil dripping from the exhaust pipe may be due to faults in the piston, cylinder liner, piston pin, or piston rings. In this case, it is necessary to locate the damaged part and replace it. It could also be caused by severe wear or poor sealing between the valve stem and valve guide, resulting in excessive clearance that leads to oil leakage, which requires timely repair. Some vehicle models may have inherent design defects that cause oil dripping from the exhaust pipe, but this generally does not cause significant issues. If the oil dripping from the exhaust pipe is severe, it is definitely abnormal and requires prompt inspection and repair to avoid more serious problems such as vehicle breakdown.
Recently, my older car has also developed an issue with oil dripping from the exhaust pipe. I suspect it might be due to worn engine piston rings, causing poor sealing and allowing engine oil to seep into the combustion chamber. As a result, some unburned oil gets pushed out through the exhaust pipe. This symptom is often accompanied by blue smoke and a sharp increase in fuel consumption, making me squat down to check for oil stains at the exhaust pipe every time I park. During inspection, you can check if the engine oil consumption is abnormally high or use a compression tester to measure cylinder pressure. If it turns out to be caused by aging valve stem seals, replacing them isn't too expensive; but delaying repairs could ruin the catalytic converter, which would be much costlier. I quickly took it to a mechanic to fix the issue and did some maintenance while at it. Now the car runs much smoother—maintaining a car truly comes down to the details determining its lifespan.
