What Causes Car Shock Absorber Oil Leakage?
2 Answers
The causes of car shock absorber oil leakage are as follows: 1. Shock absorber contaminated by mud and sand: When the shock absorber core is covered with mud and sand, the reciprocating motion of the shock absorber causes the mud and sand to scratch the oil seal, leading to the failure of the oil seal's sealing performance and resulting in oil leakage from the seal. 2. Abnormal impact on the shock absorber: After suffering abnormal impacts, the shock absorber core bends and deforms, creating gaps in the oil seal fit, which also causes the oil seal's sealing performance to fail. This situation mainly occurs in MacPherson strut shock absorbers, which frequently experience forces not axially balanced with the shock absorber. 3. Incorrect installation and adjustment: Due to improper installation and adjustment, the shock absorber is fully stretched during use, causing the piston to hit the top and deform the impact-type self-lubricating bearing, thereby damaging the oil seal and leading to oil leakage. 4. Poor quality oil seal: The oil seal used by the manufacturer when producing the shock absorber is of poor quality. 5. Poor coating smoothness of the shock absorber core: The coating smoothness of the shock absorber core is substandard, and under the pressure of the shock absorber oil, the oil leaks from tiny fitting gaps.
I've driven quite a few cars, and shock absorber oil leakage is quite common. The main reason is the aging of sealing rings. After prolonged driving, especially on bumpy roads, strong vibrations cause oil seal wear and leakage. There are also assembly issues, such as improper tightening or misalignment during repairs, leading to gradual oil seepage. Corrosion is another factor, with metal parts rusting and breaking in areas with heavy rain or snow. I remember experiencing it once myself—the car body shook severely while driving, and upon inspection, shock absorber oil leakage was found, directly affecting safety and comfort. Poor handling could also accelerate damage to other parts. The maintenance advice is to conduct regular service checks, pay attention to unusual noises or oil stains when driving over bumps, and replace parts promptly upon early detection to prevent minor issues from turning into major accidents.
