Why is My Car Leaking Oil?

If you’ve got a car leaking oil in your driveway the frustrations can be numerous.  Besides having to check your oil regularly to avoid engine damage, you’ve got to worry about parking your car in exactly the same spot every day so you don’t contaminate more of your driveway.  Besides stains in the driveway, oil leaks are often accompanied by funny smells while you’re driving, a messy engine bay and other small problems that pop up down the road.  In this article, we’re going to answer the question “Why is my car leaking oil?” and talk about what your best solutions are so you can get back to enjoying your drive and your driveway.

Your vehicle’s engine needs oil to keep things running smoothly.  Piston rings, bearings, cams and push rods all need lubrication to continue to move freely without too much wear or creating too much heat.  Your oil pan stores oil where it can cool and lubricate your pistons and rods before it is pumped back up into the top of your engine by the oil pump.  After leaving the oil pump, your oil will move through the bearings and up to the cam and heads to keep things lubricated there.

As oil moves around your engine, it needs to be contained inside the engine.  This is done through the use of seals and gaskets.  An oil seal is used anywhere a shaft exits the engine to contain the oil inside while still allowing the shaft to spin.  A gasket is used anywhere there is a mating surface where 2 pieces of your engine are bolted together.  The gaskets and seals in your engine are designed to create a closed system where the oil stays contained inside and contamination is sealed out.

As you’ve discovered, over time oil can start to make its way past the seals and gaskets in your system.  The main reason for the seals and gaskets in your system leaking is due to the heating and cooling cycles that your engine goes through.  As things heat and cool, all the materials in your engine will expand and contract as well.  The different types of metal, along with the rubber in the gaskets and the bolts used to connect everything will cause motion between surfaces.  This motion can slowly degrade gaskets and seals causing rips tears and small passages where oil can sneak by and leak out.

Besides the heat and cool cycle in your engine, wear products that build up in your oil which are abrasive, and can wear on gaskets and seals as your engine is running.  Lastly, the seals and gaskets are designed to resist the chemicals in your engine oil, however, over time some of the detergents and solvents in the oil can cause damage.

With all of these things working to make your car leak oil, it’s not surprising that it happens.  When you’ve discovered your car leaking oil, you’ve got 2 options.  First, you can try and replace the faulty component.  In some cases, like a valve cover gasket leak, replacing the gasket is a relatively simple and therefore inexpensive job.  However, in other cases, like replacing a leaking cam seal, the job can be very complicated and costly.

Your other option is to repair the seals currently installed in your engine.  BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak, when added to your engine oil, will restore and revitalize the seals in your engine that have shrunken or changed shape.  Restoring these seals can stop oil leaks without any mechanical work on your engine saving you time and money while keeping your engine safe.

For more information about BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak, click on the banner below!

You can also find BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak at any of our partnering local auto parts stores like:

• AutoZone
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• S&E Quick Lube Distributer
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• Advantage Auto Stores
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• Consumer Auto Parts

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car_leaking_oil.jpg – By Golfcuk – Licensed by Getty Images – Original Link