cactus sam Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 my 2001 northstar engine is leaking oil, what do i do now??? i hear this is common occurence, cactus sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 Where is it leaking from? That's the first step towards remediating it. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acklac7 Posted January 13, 2005 Report Share Posted January 13, 2005 How much oil are you leaking? a few drops? or puddles? How often do you need to top off your oil? The lower crankcase seal is a known problem area for the N*. If its the lower case half leak I would just let it leak...I've had the lower case half leak for a little over 2 years, no problems what so ever . And from what I've heard the leak won't get any worse. Symptoms of a lower case half leak are dirty oil pan/bottom of engine, and a couple drips of oil on the driveway after letting it sit overnight. Be aware that leaking oil cooler lines may mimic the case half leak...Try searching this site and the old board for "oil leak" for more info. A.J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DustyS Posted January 14, 2005 Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 It's hopefully, and most likely, not a big issue. I, and several others, have had success stopping Northstar oil leaks using Valvoline MaxLife and Castrol High Mileage oil. Is it simply a slight seapage? If so, the MaxLife or Castrol High Mileage oils have seal swelling agents to considerably reduce or stop the problem. If it is something that requires repair or more attention, then it may be a good idea to have the issue completely repaired. Best of luck! Some may be skeptical of these oils, but I have experienced many good results. The key is to keep using it. The leaking can get worse before it gets better. It has generally taken 3-5 oil change intervals (2000-4000 OCI), before results are noted. Also, if your Northstar uses oil, these oils can substantially reduce the amount of oil used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckgann Posted January 14, 2005 Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 Correct me if I am wrong but the infamous half case issue was resolved with a newly designed gasket starting in years 1997 or 1998. The later models are not nearly as suseptable to this type of leak, making it all the more important to check other areas, like the oil cooler lines, drain plug etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted January 14, 2005 Report Share Posted January 14, 2005 Yes, and as I understand it, starting in the mid 1990s, they didn't even have oil coolers (for this reason I think). Any oil leak should be easily traceable to a drain plug, or an oil filter adapter (common causes), or more seriously, perhaps an engine seal like an oil pan gasket or timing cover gasket. Where is it leaking? Does it drip on the driver's side of the car or on the passenger's side? Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acklac7 Posted January 15, 2005 Report Share Posted January 15, 2005 Thanks for the info chuck...you learn something new everyday A.J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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