Having an oil leak in your car can be a frustration and a hazard to you and your vehicle. The difficulty is that the first indication we usually get of an oil leak is that obvious spot on the ground. Now, before you get frustrated at the stain in the driveway or garage, remember it can tell you a lot about the type, severity and location of your leak.
How can I tell if my car has an oil leak?
Where the oil stain is, in comparison with where your vehicle is parked, is the first step in tracking down the leak. You don’t need to get out the tape measure, but do take note of where the leak is, passenger side, driver side or center, and in front of, directly under or behind your front wheels. Once you’ve noted that, go get something to quickly absorb the stain before it sinks into the concrete and becomes a permanent addition to your home. As you are cleaning up the stain, take note of the color and odor of the oil. Is it black, brown, red, green or another color? Does it smell oily, earthy or like tar? All of these things can help you more quickly identify from where your leak is coming.
If you notice the oil to be red, and the stain is around where the front of your engine is located, check out one of our blogs on power steering fluid leaks. If the stain is green or watery, check out our previous blog on coolant leaks. If the stain is red or surprisingly pungent and coming from the rear of the motor, or out near the wheels, check out our blog on transmission fluid leaks.
Most likely the stain will be golden, brown or black in color and smell oily or earthy indicating an engine oil leak. Engine oil is contained in the oil pan of your engine, the lowest point you can see when you look under your car. The oil from there is pumped through the oil filter and up to the top of the engine where it can lubricate the valves, lifters, cams and other engine components. On some cars, this same oil can be pumped through turbo chargers, oil coolers, or through other equipment. All of these components must be connected by hoses and pipes, or by passage ways and galleys. The hoses and pipes are always at a potential for leaking due to the number and type of connections used. However, there are other possible leak points in the engine itself. The engine in your vehicle is constructed of many different parts bolted or screwed together to make assembly and maintenance easier. These can include oil pans, valve covers, timing covers, cylinder heads, intake manifolds and other components. Each component is bolted together with a gasket, or a seal in between, to keep the oil in the correct passages and galleys while it is pumped throughout your engine. Over time, due to heating and cooling cycles, debris, infrequent oil changes, and vibrations, these gaskets and seals can wear out, become brittle, crack or rot away leaving a gap and a way for oil to leak.
Some of the gaskets in your engine are relatively easy to replace due to their location and how the component is attached. For example, the valve cover gasket on a 4-cylinder engine is under the valve cover at the top of your engine and usually only held on by 6 to 8 bolts. Some of the other gaskets or seals can be much more difficult to replace, like the oil pan gasket or timing cover gasket.
How can I fix an oil leak?
No matter where oil is leaking from your motor, there is one quick and easy way to solve the problem by sealing the leak. Rather than replacing a leaking gasket or seal, restore it by using BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak. BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak is specially formulated to be added to your engine oil and remain there without any risk of damaging or clogging your engine. As you drive, BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak will absorb into all of the seals and gaskets in your engine, restoring them and revitalizing them to their original shape, size and flexibility. BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak is not a petroleum distillate, so it will not destroy or harm the seals in your engine if it is left in your oil until the next oil change.
Head to your local auto parts store to pick up BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak today and stop leaving oil stains in your garage and start driving with confidence.
BlueDevil Products can be found on Amazon.com or at AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, O’Reilly Auto Parts, NAPA, and other major auto parts retailers.
45 responses to "Where is My Oil Leak?"
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can you use this on a rear differential leak.
Greg-
Yes, either the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak or the Rear Main Sealer can be used for a differential leak. You will need to add 1 ounce of BlueDevil per 1 quart of oil.
Thank You,
-BDP
Can you use this on a upper leak like if it’s coming from a hose or the top of the engine and you can’t find it.
Tracey-
Unfortunately, the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak is not designed to stop leakage coming from a hose. It is specifically designed to work with rubber seals and gaskets such as a rear main seal, oil pan gasket, valve cover seals, or any other rubber seal/gasket within the fluid oil system.
Thank You!
-BDP
Can you use this product with turbo cars?
Kyle-
Yes, the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak can be used in cars with turbos.
Thank you!
-BDP
Hi,
I have a dodge neon 2005 sxt model with a 2.0 regular engine. I was going to do a tune up by replacing all 4 spark plugs, however upon inspection of the spark plugs I found some oil on the bottom of the number 2 spark plug tube ; i also noticed that the “metalic” tube-like portion came off a bit and actually seemed to be pushed upwards like if it was escaping up or something. I tried to push it downward with a 21mm socked and a piece of wood and hammer to where it seems level, cleaned up and so forth. HOwever it seems there is still comming some little bit of oil in that spark plug tube area. It doesnt seemt to be coming from the valve cover gasket on top but rather from the bottom as it only “wets” the bottom of the spark plug boot with oil but there is no traces of oil on the upper ruber of the boot. So my question is , do you think the stop leak product could be a solution in this case?? Thanks
Carlos,
Thanks for your question about your Dodge Neon and the oil leak. Based on your description of the leak, it is difficult to tell where the oil is coming from. Without knowing the leak location, it is difficult to tell if BlueDevil Oil Stop leak will stop your leak. It is possible that there is another small seal on the outside of the spark plug tube that has been damaged or shifted by the tube moving around. It might be worth removing your valve cover and that spark plug tube to see if there is a gasket or o-ring there that is damaged.
Thanks again for your question!
-BD Auto Pro
My daughter bought a 2003 Toyota Solaris . She notice a few oil leaks spots size of a quarter. Also we can smell oil burning and little smoke coming from the hood.will Blue Devil work for this oil leak?
Erica-
Yes, we recommend adding 1 bottle of BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak to stop your oil loss. You should start seeing results after about 100 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have a 98 Chevy Malibu the engine was rebuilt and has 160k on it there is oil on the side of my engine but never gets on the ground I noticed it after driving one night and smelling burning oil what could cause this?
Stephanie-
Thank you for asking about your Chevy Malibu. It seems you may not be too sure where the leak is coming from. Based on your description, we recommend using the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak, found here: http://store.gobdp.com/oil-stop-leak-49499/ . The Oil Stop Leak is a universal application and would treat leaks coming from the oil pan gasket, valve cover seal, rear main seal, etc. You should expect to see results after about 100-200 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have a 2005 dodge neon sxt 2.0. There is oil all over bottom part of engine. But when I put in oil I can never find a leak. Would this product help?
Josh-
Thank you for asking about your Dodge Neon. Based on your description, we recommend using the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak. The Oil Stop Leak is a universal application and would treat leaking oil pan gaskets, valve cover seal, rear main seal, etc.
Thank you!
-BDP
Josh-
Please give us a call at 888-863-0426 so that we may discuss your vehicle in more detail. We would like to have a better idea as to where the leak seems to be originating from before recommending one of our products.
Thank you!
-BDP
Car failed emissions and excessive smoke on Nct test. Got erg valve changed and various other things but still failed. Car burning up oil but not leaking onto ground. If it was getting into engine would the oil leak seal work on sealing any leaks.
Marie-
The BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak is intended for the rubber seals/gaskets in the system, such as the oil pan gasket, valve cover seal, rear main seal, etc. As long as you are not losing oil too quickly, and the leak is coming from one of the rubber seals or gaskets, you would be a good candidate for the product.
Thank you!
-BDP
Hi I have a citreon relay lwb van that is leaking quite heavily would your product work
Barry-
Thank you for asking about your Citreon Relay. The BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak is intended for leaks that are seeping or lightly dripping from the system. Unfortunately, if you are losing oil too quickly, you would be losing the product just as quickly, and would not be able to keep it in the system long enough in order to get the benefit of using it.
Hope this helps!
-BDP
I have a 2008 Dodge Durango that I’m faithful with as far as getting oil changes. I noticed an oil leak and took it to my family mechanic, hoping it wouldn’t be anything major. Although he couldn’t see where the oil is actually leaking from he said two things to me. First, the top of the engine is dry, so no leak from there, two he did notice that the oil is leaking to a spacer that separates the engine and the transmission. From the sounds of things does this sound like a leak I can try BlueDevil on?
Dawn-
Thank you for asking about your Dodge Durango. Based on your description, we recommend using the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak. The Oil Stop Leak is a universal application and would treat a leaking oil pan gasket, valve cover seal, rear main seal, etc. You should expect to see results after about 100-200 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
Hi,
I have a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. Got oil changed about 3 weeks ago (500 miles) it lost 1.1 quarts over that period. Took it back to oil place and they topped it back off and said they didn’t see any leaks underneath. I’ve noticed some white smoke a couple of times coming from the exhaust very briefly. Should I try this product?
Jeff-
Thank you for asking about your Hyundai Sonata. If you are noticing a loss of oil, it would be appropriate to try the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak. You should expect to see results after about 100-200 miles of driving. White smoke coming from the exhaust could either be water or condensation, and would not have anything to do with oil loss. Feel free to contact our technical support line at 888-863-0426 with any other questions.
Thank you!
-BDP
I am a 2001 Toyota Camry. I have an oil leak on the passenger side next to the tire. Can you tell me what might be leaking?
LM-
Thank you for asking about your Toyota Camry. Being that you are unsure where your oil leak is coming from, we recommend using the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leakhttp://store.gobdp.com/oil-stop-leak-49499/ . The Oil Stop Leak is a universal application and would treat leaking oil pan gaskets, valve cover seal, rear main seal, etc. Feel free to contact our technical support line at 888-863-0426 with any other questions.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have a suspected oil leak on the top of my engine of my Kia Sportage 2010, all wheel drive, petrol, manual.
What type leak do I have?
Sarah-
Thank you for asking about your Kia Sportage. An oil leak from the top of the engine could quite possibly be a valve cover gasket leak. We recommend using the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak (http://store.gobdp.com/oil-stop-leak-49499/). Typically, you should expect to see results after about 100-200 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
In my honda passport, there is oil leak coming from the one of the hose and it makes the engine oil short. What can I do
Adefolaju-
Thank you for asking about your Honda Passport. Is the leak coming from one of the hoses or one of the rubber O-rings? If it is coming from one of the O-rings, we recommend using BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak (http://store.gobdp.com/oil-stop-leak-49499/) to help stop your oil loss. If it is indeed coming from one of the hoses, a replacement hose would be needed.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have 2001 toyota camry, i noticed oil leaks on two spotson the ground and I had the top valve gasket changed but I still notice oil leaks and burning smell. What can i do?
Buddie-
We recommend adding 1 bottle of BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak (http://store.gobdp.com/oil-stop-leak-49499/) to stop your oil loss. You can expect to start seeing results after approximately 100 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have an ’04 Honda Accord. My oil drain plug was leaking very small amounts of oil. After replacing The drain plug I still noticed very small drops of oil in my drive way. I can’t find where the leak is coming from. will blue devil work on my car ?
Michael-
Thank you for asking about your Honda Accord. Based on your description, we do recommend using the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak (http://store.gobdp.com/oil-stop-leak-49499/). You should expect to see results after about 100-200 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
Hello,
I have a 2002 Ford Escape and I have a small oil leak. I have had a new oil pan and gasket put on along with both new valve cover gaskets. I can seem to find the leak. I had two different mechanics work on my car. The last one I went to said that the leak looks like it’s coming from my oil pan gasket but it’s little small drops smaller than a dime drop. Not even enough to make a puddle. What do you recommend?
Cory-
Thank you for asking about your Ford Escape. Based on your description, we recommend using the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak. BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak is more concentrated and is the universal application that will work for various leaks such as oil pan leaks, rear main leaks, valve cover gasket leaks, etc. If you are not 100% sure where the vehicle is leaking or there seem to be multiple leaks then we recommend using BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have an 04 Yukon 5.3l and thought that I was having a rear main seal leak so I got your rear main sealer . Upon further investigation the leak seems to be coming from the front passenger side of the engine. Will the rear main sealer also help with this leak over the next 100 or so miles. I have driven about 50 to 75 so far and it is definitely still leaking. Should I try this oil stop leak now or wait until the next oil change ?
Ryan-
Thank you for asking about your Yukon. Based on your description, the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak is what you would want to use for the leak you have described. The BlueDevil Rear Main Sealer is specifically formulated for the rear main seal. Add the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak on your next oil change, and you should expect to see results after approximately 100-200 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
I have a 1997 Ford F-150 with an oil leak coming from the front middle of my motor. Can you tell me what this is caused from and how to fix it
Opal-
Thank you for asking about your Ford F-150. We recommend using the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak to stop your oil leak. You should expect to start seeing results after approximately 100-200 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
Can you use this on an axle leak
Gerald-
Yes, the BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak would be able to seal a leaking axle seal. Feel free to contact our technical support line at 888-863-0426 with any other questions.
Thank you!
-BDP
I bought a Vauxhall corsa 57 plate last month and come to notice the oil was empty, topped up and almost empty again a few days later. I have now come to notice it looks as if it is only leaking whilst driving
Would this product work?
Thanks
Kim-
We recommend applying 1 bottle of BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak (part #49499) to stop your oil loss. You can expect to start seeing results after approximately 100 miles of driving.
Thank you!
-BDP
Can i use it if my gasket is replaced with gasket maker?
Paulo-
The BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak would only have an effect on rubber seals/gaskets. It would not work on silicone or any other type of material. Replacing the leaking gasket may be your best option.
Thank you!
-BDP