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First off, sorry about this not being in the series 1 troubleshooting section, it wont let me post there (permissions of some sort).
I have a 2004 MT about 108K miles, original engine. I seem to have an oil leak from somewhere next to the engine on the right side above the oil pan (see pictures). I would like help identifying what could be leaking and how to fix it. Now I have spilled some oil when pouring more into the oil fill port, but that was a while ago. The pictures, I feel, are showing the leak. Feel free to comment on that thought.
My oil consumption is through the roof, I just changed my oil 300 miles ago and filled it up and the oil light is already on. I use 10w-40 RP HPS. I know about normal oil consumption but this is way beyond. I have been suspecting oil seal issues with the rotors in the past due to other symptoms (random puffs of blue smoke with hesitation at stop to start) but I am sure that would not manifest outside the engine as oil leak.
I have a prosport oil pressure sensor and normally I get 80 PSI max, but I can only achieve 45 PSI max and 0 PSI at idle to 2K RPM. If the sensor is right (which I feel it could be since a leak could cause lower oil pressure, right?), I am concerned that this could be damaging my engine. However, except for the leak, oil consumption, and sensor reporting low oil pressure, the car runs great! No noticeable loss in compression/acceleration and otherwise performs just fine.
An suggestions on what/where the leak is and how to fix it? Should I take it into the dealer (I really like to do everything myself but I don't have a lot of time and I feel the engine could be in trouble soon)? Are my concerns valid? Are all my deductions sound?
Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
You can see the exhaust manifold at the top of the image for perspective. On the ground looking up into the engine, to the right/passenger side of the oil pan.
Different angle.
Differnet angle.
Zoomed in to the most wet/gunky spot in the center.
Last edited by codecrackerx9; 11-23-2015 at 11:12 PM.
I also want to note I did take apart my oil filter adapter for my sensors, cleaned it and tightened and sealed all of the sensors and bolts. Unfortunately that didn't seem to be the issue as the oil pressure was still low.
That's your OMP in the picture, but there shouldn't be anything failing in there if you haven't had it apart. The OMP bolts to an oil passage in the block, but I don't know if that passage is pressurized. I suppose it would have to be. Anyway, there is an o-ring there that could be leaking.
And yes, 0 oil pressure is not a good operating scenario.
Ok thank you, that is a great start. I have found a thread about replacing this, so I will order a o-ring for it and start there. Is there any other wear items that could be replaced (besides the whole OMP itself) that I should order now?
How bad of an operating scenario is 0 PSI at idle? Under load (anything above 2K RPM) has sufficient oil pressure. Could it be too that the oil pressure at the oil filter is too low to register (where the sensor is), but flow is still happening enough for the engine? Really the question is how bad is it and should I halt anymore driving until this is fixed?
Well 0 psi at the filter means no oil is going through the filter, which means it's not being returned to the pan. But I question how it could be 0, if the oil pump is still turning. That oil has to be going somewhere.
How about this, can you clean off the oily areas and run the car to see where the oil is really coming from?
When my OMP leaked, the oil got flung all over the place, it was really hard to pin point the source.
There are no other wear items in there, in fact the oring itself shouldn't break if the omp has never moved. It's not exactly a moving part.
I would check the gauge first ( use a known good mechanical gauge to check it)
If it is OK....the next most likely failure is the oil pressure regulator. They don't fail very often though. If it sticks open a bit it will give that kind of failure. You don't want to drive it or run it until you know what it is though. Damage will occur quickly if the oil film doesn't keep the metal bits from touching
If the oil pressure is indeed 0ish at idle then you will likely already have bearing damage.
Usually bearing or oil pump wear has to be quite bad to get pressure to drop that low....and it would happen slowly.....
And an oil leak isn't going to cause this issue.........unless you have run out of oil .
Thank you both for your input. I have cleaned off some of the oil in search for the leak. I started to disconnect the OMP to replace the seal, but I am not sure that is the issue since it is not where the most concentration of oil is. What does this bolt belong to? Could it be leaking? This bolt had the most gunk on it. See my new pictures below:
I do not have another oil pressure sensor. Could you recommend a mechanical one? I imagine something like this could work. I could also just order a second prosport sensor, as two would failing with the same readings would be highly unlikely.
Last edited by codecrackerx9; 11-28-2015 at 02:13 PM.
I replaced the seal in the OMP (it didn't appear to be damaged) and bought a oil pressure kit from harbor freight and was about to install everything back up and the coolant tank broke (where the cap tightens). Tried to remove it and broke the radiator top nipple to the coolant tank right off, seemed very corroded.
I have a new Koyo V2695 radiator coming in from amazon and with a new tank and hose from mazmart. Once that is all replaced I will be able to report back on the leak and oil pressure. Any tips on what the bolt is in the previous post would still be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your help!
The only bolts in there are the front cover retaining bolts that hold the front cover to the engine
It is fairly common for the front shaft sear to leak and it comes out in that area and drips down. You need to really clean things up so you can see where the leak is coming from
Sure I understand, there is just so much oil and its cold here in Michigan this time of year, so the oil is extra difficult to remove, but I'll clean it up and post more.
I did lookup a front shaft seal replacement (I imagine you mean front eccentric shaft), and that picture looks just like my oil mess, oil starting from the bottom half of the alternator going down. That issue sounds like a pretty intense undertaking since it could go really wrong with that key. I have not done anything like this yet.
Thanks for your suggestion.
Last edited by codecrackerx9; 11-30-2015 at 01:22 PM.
I finished replacing my radiator and coolant reservoir, everything turned out great, thanks to DIYs on this forum
I tested the oil pressure with a mechanical tester and I was finding normal oil pressure (70-80 max and 20 idle) while my electrical sender was reporting 40s or lower. Time to get a new sender. I am going to switch to banjo bolts for the location this time, they sound much easier to deal with.
So my only issue is the leak (thank God). I did clean up more and found there was fresh oil on the cogs of the front shaft pulley (probably spraying it all around, that bastard). Is this sufficient evidence to pull apart the front shaft pulley and replace the seal? If so, how important is it to do fix this immediately? I rather wait till its warmer or I have some time off to do this. As long as I keep checking the oil level and keep it adequate, I should be fine right?
Can't confirm if that means front eccentric shaft seal or not, but if you're going to do the front main seal, you need a tool to hold things in place while the front stack is apart. Failing to do so can cause parts of the front stack to fall inside, which means engine rebuild time. Check the procedure for this before starting, it's not hard but risky.
I have read some of the other posts about replacing the front eccentric shaft seal, is the tool you suggesting keeping the clutch engaged or the tool which locks the flywheel through the opening for the starter motor? From what it sounds like, each would do the same thing if the engine is still in the car. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Yes I have read all the precautions to take when doing this. Is there a video on someone doing this? I have never failed to do a modification or repair correctly, (and I have done a lot), but none have seemed this prone to failure and have catastrophic consequences.
Is this the replacement seal: N3R1-10-507? Is there any other wear items that I would need to replace while I am in there? Such as the locktite on the thread of the pulley bolt? maybe?
11-23-2015, 11:09 PM
( use a known good mechanical gauge to check it)
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