99rx

iTrader: (6)

I looked under the car and i see oil in places that i thought there shouldn't be oil. I looked under my other car and its dry around it's oil pan and under his engine. So here are some pictures to look at and tell me if you think they could have just spilled oil over the years or am I leaking somewhere. Take a look at the last picture and let me know if that looks like a problem. Wanna add not missing any oil. I'm 1800 miles on this oil change.

Nad1370

Looks like valve cover gaskets to me.
Also maybe cam seals.

bob2200

The last photo is the felt anti-splash baffle under the oil filler cap and looks normal to me. The other photos don't look like old oil.

I would just monitor oil consumption unless the oil dripping really bothers you. If less than 1/2 quart per 1,000 miles, I would be inclined to ignore it (other than topping up). How many miles on the engine?

99rx

iTrader: (6)

Its got 86,xxx. I drive less than 100 miles a week. I've got 1800 on this oil change and no oil is missing. So im wondering if they just spilt SOME oil or something...

Lexmex

Could be the valve cover gaskets as suggested. I'd just monitor the oil level for now.

code58

Bob- I'm curious as to the term "felt anti-splash baffle under the filler cap". There is no felt there, just shiny metal when they built the car. What you're looking at is the "baked on granite-like deposit" from these engines running so hot in the crankcase. On my DIL's, it had some of that same granite-like deposit randomly deposited throughout the engine. It's almost like cinder. No rhyme or reason as to where it gets deposited. I did clean it out (under the cap) on hers but I scrubbed with lacquer thinner and 0000 steel wool for quite a while because it IS LIKE GRANITE! Hers had quite a bit but not as much as that picture. If it were my car, I would at least pull the front valve cover and check to see what it looks like inside. I think I would definitely invest in a couple of cans of Auto RX for the next couple of oil changes to see if I couldn't dissolve that granite.

P.S. I did have the valve cover off when I did this cleaning.

bob2200

I stand corrected. Mine didn't look metalic from the first oil change onward. I think I have poked it and it didn't feel metalic, but I guess I was wrong.

code58

Yep, metal baffle under that slag. It's really close to the opening so it was hard to get in there and clean it out. Some of the hardest stuff I've ever seen. Finally got it off, but nothing even wanted to touch it. If Auto RX will dissolve that (and I believe it will), there is nothing it won't be able to handle. Sure won't undo that granite over night though!

Maybe it was a little soft because I doubt that even granite starts out "like granite".

thomas1

I have had that after filling the oil during a change...the oil even with a funnel creeps under the engine cover and drains down the block...I use engine degreaser and spray the area, and rinse. Then see if you really have a leak or just spillage.

carguy07

You're right, if that is the front of the engine after an oil change. When I do mine I end up with a ton of oil running down the front of the block because of that goofy oil filter location. Drips on the floor for days if I don't hose it off.

georgie39

I just had my 2002 RX's oil and filter changed today and as always happens the mechanic manages to spill oil down the front of the engine while changing the oil filter (what a miserable location for an oil filter). You can change the filter WITHOUT spilling a great amount of oil all over the front of the engine and down into the frame. I've done it in the past.
I'm sure that if you don't hose off the spillage (as I just did) the airstream will carry the spilled oil the back under the engine and result in the kind of oil dribbles and drops you see in the photos.

bearbrew

The oil looks like fresh oil not used oil. The oil would be a lot darker to nearly black if it is oil that has been in the engine for some time. IMHO I think it is probably spilled oil draining down the side of the engine from the last oil change when someone missed the filler port, then didn't do a very good clean-up job.
I have tried numerous ways to keep the oil off the front mount when changing the filter. Now, I just place the drain pan below, spread some rags and spray the area with degreaser.

Bearbrew

code58

Tom- the reason it overflows and runs down the front of the engine is because of the design of the valve cover and the baffle shown in the last picture above. The baffle is too close to the top of the valve cover and it's not able to "ingest" the amount of oil that normal gravity will feed it into the top of the engine. The rubber (foam) gasket around the filler opening should catch that spillage when new, but with age and heat, the foam deteriorates and finally falls apart and leaves an open path for the oil spillage. I solved that problem by using a type of oil spout that screws onto the oil bottle and has a funnel shaped opening that you are able to easily control the amount of discharge by rotating the knurl. No more oil spillage (if you do your own changes- all bets are off when someone else changes it). Just not enough clearance under the cap to ingest all of that oil at one time.

Nad1370

Pictures 1, 2, and 4.

I'm positive these are from the rear valve cover.
FWIW...even after 2k miles after an oil change.
My oil still looks golden. Around 3-4k then it starts getting darker.

code58

Nad, that does look like the rear cover doesn't it? I can't imagine the oil being that clean, leaking from the cover even when you've just changed it. The design of the valve cover gaskets is good and NORMALLY shouldn't leak any for a long long time. I always understood that if detergent oil was doing it's job, It wouldn't stay clean. (coal black isn't good obviously) Except in my brothers '07 Dodge with the Cummins. He can change it and once around the block it's like lamp black. What type and brand of oil do you use? My wife's Camry ('02 4cyl) does stay clean for quite a long time but then her '95 Taurus w/3.0 did too.

P.S. The oil filter isn't in the best place but what I do on my truck is break it loose, then slip a 1 qt. zip-lock bad over it before I begin to unscrew. It catches the oil that leaks out of the full filter and you can even get it zipped before you pull it out to contain the oil with filter.