95SLS Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Ok, not my car, but a friends 96 STS y vin STS NS. Has a real bad oil leak drivers side. Says the flywheel is free of oil but lots oil elsewhere, tried the sensor replacement did not work. After a top off soon the low engine oil light comes on and leaves a puddle of oil. Car runs fine, Just oil leak and low oil warning. I'm telling him I think it might be a cooler return line, anyone else have a guess or experience where to look for a leak? He says the leak seems to be drivers side (Rear of engine) Checked for half case leak and also tightened oil pan bolts and new oil plug gasket. Help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandman2631 Posted February 21, 2004 Report Share Posted February 21, 2004 Ok this is my car the oil indicator is fine now changed the sensor but do still have a lot of oil leaking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 22, 2004 Report Share Posted February 22, 2004 Does it leak out when running or when stopped, etc? Can you fill the engine full of oil and start have it dribble out from underneath? If not, can you start the car and then observe where it's leaking? If not, how long do you have to drive it before it starts leaking? The point is to clean (dry) off as much as you can under the engine, and get it to the point where it leaks again. If you simply have to fill the crankcase back up and it starts leaking already, that'd be easy because you could just crawl under there and check it out. If you have to run it around the block, do so and park it up on ramps, set the parking brake, and leave the car on. Slide under and see if you can see where the oil is coming from. Use safety glasses. Or if it makes you feel more comfortable, you can shut the engine off and hope it starts leaking for you. If it leaves a puddle on the floor, it should be relatively easy to spot the leak, if you clean off the oil pan real well. An interesting side note -- has the engine been replaced in your vehicle before? An STS should have the L37 engine (VIN 9), but the first post indicated specifically that it was the LD8 engine (VIN Y) in your car. Just curious. 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...
Sandman2631 Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Ok this is what I have done so far put the car on a lift and cleaned underneath started car but no oil leaked then took it for a drive about 10 miles and put it back on the lift and oil was heavy around the drivers side in the area where the exaust goes between the oil pan and the flywheel and all over the black piece that has four bolts on it and covers the exhaust pipe. Then all over the bottom of the oil pan and then spread along the bottom of the car all the way to the back. I just purchased the vehicle about 2 months ago and this started about a week ago as far as the vin this is what is on the Title 1G6KY5290TU800162 I also have these codes showing up PZ2042 RF2560 PC1602 Have been unable to locate the code posting any help there would be appreciated Thank You Sandman2631 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsjoe Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 I had a 95 Eldo with a bad leak turned out to be the oil line above the filter, just be careful the fitting is plastic, tightened it up no more leak Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Can you see how far "up" the block the oil is leaking from? The first joint would be the oil pan gasket. If it's dry up above there, it may be the pan gasket. The next joint up would be the case half seals. If it's wet up to there, but dry above, it may be that joint (although I wouldn't suspect such an oily mess from that one). The next joint up the block would be the cam cover seals. I'd also check any oil cooler lines or oil pump (edit: filter, not pump) adapter seals/o-rings. It sounds like your leak is pressurized (just based on the volume of oil), and I don't think that would occur with an oil pan or case half seal. I have some oil pan seepage, and it leaves a drip overnight at the most. Never a puddle. 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...
98Concours Posted February 23, 2004 Report Share Posted February 23, 2004 Ok, maybe this will help. I had some work done on my engine a couple of years ago. Got it back and it was fine. Then a day later, driving down the highway by my house, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw tons of white smoke. Couldn't see anything behind me. I thought, man, someone is really having a problem with their car. Well, after I exited, I realized it was me that was having the problem. Pulled in my driveway and opened the hood. Oil was gushing out under the car. Called the dealer and had it towed in. They r&r'd the upper cooler line and then replaced the oil cooler line. Two simple parts and so much oil gushing out. Anyway, maybe you should check out those parts. I just knew my engine was blown or something. LOL Jeff 98 Concours 90 Seville 04 Corvette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95SLS Posted February 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 They guy who had the smoke follow him off the exit ramp...... that may be your problem sandman. I'm still thinking it's a 30 cent part in a $200 spot. This weekend will be 50 degrees, good time to check it out. Also, I was suspicous of the Vin too. STS Y hummmmm. That is why I asked. Wierd. MC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Posted February 25, 2004 Report Share Posted February 25, 2004 Mine did the same thing. Would leak like a seive, I'd put it up and look and nothing. What I finally found was that the head gasket was leaking oil into the valley under the intake manifold. there are two divider walls (dam's so to speak) there. The oil would get about two inches deep there. When you would go around a corner the oil would splosh over the dam and down the rear of the engine. When you jack it up to look, no leak. The oil in that starts filling up again until it breaches that dam wall again. For some reason tilting the car stops it from dripping. The wall at the rear of the motor has a weep hole right under the starter. This is where the oil leaks from. it then runs down the back of the motor and looks like a rear main seal, oil pan or case half leak. You cannot see this hole from below but it is there. Anyway, check it. Get a real bright flash light (not a trouble light) and look down into the valley. You can see down in there right behind and below the PS pump. There should be no oil down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loucar1 Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 Mine did the same thing. Would leak like a seive, I'd put it up and look and nothing. What I finally found was that the head gasket was leaking oil into the valley under the intake manifold. there are two divider walls (dam's so to speak) there. The oil would get about two inches deep there. When you would go around a corner the oil would splosh over the dam and down the rear of the engine. When you jack it up to look, no leak. The oil in that starts filling up again until it breaches that dam wall again. For some reason tilting the car stops it from dripping. The wall at the rear of the motor has a weep hole right under the starter. This is where the oil leaks from. it then runs down the back of the motor and looks like a rear main seal, oil pan or case half leak. You cannot see this hole from below but it is there.Anyway, check it. Get a real bright flash light (not a trouble light) and look down into the valley. You can see down in there right behind and below the PS pump. There should be no oil down there. Where was the oil coming from, not the head The leak must have been from the valve covers I would bet Lou 94 Seville STS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 "Where was the oil coming from, not the head The leak must have been from the valve covers I would bet " Actually I had a similar leak from my head gaskets. The cam covers were sealed tight, but the heads were seeping oil from the corners in to the valley, and from the right rear lower corner of the head onto the exhaust crossover pipe. Not severe enough to cause a big problem, but did get messy after awhile. The oil leak described sounds like a oil filter adapter, oil filter and/or the oil cooler lines. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence Posted February 26, 2004 Report Share Posted February 26, 2004 loucar1......in my case yes it was the head gasket. When the motor was cold you watch the oil flow over the head gasket about an inch wide stream. A lot of oil. When the motor would warm up (less than 5 min), it would stop all together, not one drop. At least from the source. As you drove the oil that had puddled would find its way down the back of the motor. As the block and head expanded they would apply enough pressure to the head gasket to seal the leak. There is a pressurized oil feed to the head that goes through the head gasket at the front of the motor. This is the source of the leak. But the oil will run to the back of the motor. Thats why I had such a hard time finding it. I would put it up on jackstands and the darn thing wouldn't leak a drop. In addition to the angle, the motor was usually warm when I put it up sooo....... it didn't leak. Sure hope thats not the case here. If it were a cooler line or something it should be pretty easy to find. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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