What Causes Oil Leakage in a Car?

[BrodyLynn]

Vehicle oil leakage can result from various complex causes, with different locations indicating distinct fault reasons, necessitating inspection and repair at a maintenance facility. Below are precautions to prevent vehicle oil leakage: 1. Pay attention to the role of gaskets: Gaskets between stationary parts of a car play a crucial role in preventing leakage and sealing. If the material, manufacturing quality, or installation does not meet technical specifications, they may fail to seal properly, potentially leading to accidents. 2. All types of fastening nuts on the vehicle must be tightened to the specified torque: If nuts are too loose, they won't compress the gasket sufficiently, leading to leakage; if over-tightened, they may cause the surrounding metal to bulge or strip the threads, resulting in oil leakage. Additionally, if the oil pan drain plug is not tightened properly or becomes loose and falls off, it can lead to oil loss, followed by severe engine damage such as "bearing seizure." 3. Replace worn-out oil seals promptly: Over time, oil seals can lose elasticity due to rubber aging.

[LaPaisley]

My old ride started leaking oil after the last maintenance, and the inspection revealed a cracked oil pan gasket due to aging. The mechanic said that the high engine temperatures can make rubber materials brittle, which is common for cars that have been running for seven or eight years. Besides the oil pan, the front and rear crankshaft oil seals and valve cover gaskets can also leak. The worst is when the transmission oil seal starts seeping—it's a real pain to fix. Every month, I crawl under the car with a flashlight to check for oil stains on the chassis, and if I spot new leaks, I address them immediately. Minor seeping can wait a few days, but if the oil drips form a continuous line, it's time to rush to the shop. Otherwise, running out of oil could lead to engine seizure, and that's serious trouble.

[ArthurFitz]

Last time my car had an oil leak and it almost caused a major issue! First, the oil warning light on the dashboard came on, and when I drove to the repair shop, they found that the oil dipstick could barely reach any oil. The diagnosis showed that the drain plug threads were stripped because the mechanic at the roadside stall last time tightened it too harshly. Now I pay extra attention to several high-risk points: an improperly installed oil filter can cause seepage, loose brake fluid line connections are extremely dangerous, and the crankshaft oil seal in older cars is also prone to leaks. A tip for everyone: place a piece of cardboard under your car after parking, and check the oil stain position the next day to roughly identify the leak point. Remember, never use a plastic bag to catch leaking oil—last year, a car in our neighborhood caught fire because of that.

[OLila]

Three months after getting the new car, oil stains were found on the chassis. The 4S store claimed it was residual assembly oil that wasn't cleaned properly. However, after driving 200 kilometers, the oil drips became increasingly obvious. Inspection revealed that the oil cooler pipe sealing ring was deformed. Now that I know more about cars, I've learned to check these critical points: the oil filter seat gasket, axle shaft oil seal, and steering gear high-pressure oil pipe joints. Last week, my neighbor's turbocharged car had an oil leak—the radiator oil pipe cracked, spraying oil onto the exhaust pipe, causing smoke. The repair shop mentioned that modern full-synthetic oils have strong permeability, making old seals more prone to leaks. Now, I lift the chassis every 5,000 kilometers to inspect the condition of rubber components.