Why Is My Car Leaking Oil? 

There are various reasons why your car could be leaking oil but the key is to pinpoint the issue your specific car has so that you can get the problem corrected.

Reasons Why Your Car’s Engine Is Leaking Oil

-Blown Head Gasket

-link blown head gasket article

The head gasket in your engine is designed to provide a seal between your engine block and cylinder heads.  But over time that gasket can become brittle and crack when this happens depending on where the crack is located, it can allow engine oil to leak outside of the engine block and down the side of the engine.  These sorts of leaks can be confused with a leaking oil pan gasket because typically there will be oil all over the side of the engine.

-Leaking Oil Drain Plug

-Leaky Oil Pan Gasket

One reason why your car could be leaking oil is that your oil pan gasket has failed and is no longer keeping a proper seal.  The oil pan on most cars will be secured using bolts but it will have a rubber gasket or sealant that keeps oil from leaking out of the oil pan and onto the underside of the vehicle.  Over time that rubber gasket or sealant can break down and allow engine oil to leak outside of the oil pan and down the side of the oil pan. The way to get this sort of leak corrected is by removing the oil pan and then putting on a new gasket or rubber sealant so that it will no longer leak.

-Turbo leaks

If your car comes equipped with a turbo then there is a chance that the oil leak that you’ve spotted is coming from the turbo system.  Engine oil is cycled throughout the turbo to cool off the turbo and keep the internals lubricated. But over time the systems connecting the turbo to the engine oil pumps can become brittle and crack.  This allows engine oil to spill out of the oil lines and onto the ground or the underside of the car. To get this sort of problem corrected the oil lines feeding oil to the turbos will need to be adjusted or replaced so that the leaks no longer occur.

-Engine oil cooler leaks

Engine oil coolers can also be the source of oil leaks in a car.  While oil coolers are not all that common some cars (typically sports cars) will have them installed.  The purpose of an oil cooler is to provide additional cooling to the engine oil and that’s why they are usually found on high-performance engines that may see track use.  But these external oil coolers are not exempt from leaking oil and can allow engine oil to leak from them as they get older. The fix for this sort of issue is usually to replace the engine oil cooler or replace the lines feeding oil to the cooler.

What Are The Symptoms of an Engine That is Leaking Oil?

-Engine Oil On Ground After Parked

The most obvious sign that your car is leaking oil is oil spots on the ground underneath your engine after the car has been parked for a bit.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the oil spots underneath their car are caused by an oil leaking from the engine.  The real problem is figuring out where the oil leak is coming from so that you can get the problem fixed.

-Low Engine Oil Levels

Most people know that allowing their engine oil levels get too low can lead to damage to the engine.  That’s why you should check the engine oil levels of your car somewhat frequently (every other fuel up) to make sure that they don’t get too low to allow damage to occur.

One of the main signs that your car is leaking oil is that your oil levels keep getting low between oil changes and your oil keeps needing to be topped off.  A leak from the oil drain pan bolt or the head gasket of your engine can allow engine oil to slowly leak onto the underside of your vehicle or on the ground underneath your car.  If your engine oil needs to keep being topped off between oil changes it would be a good idea to inspect the underside of your car for oil leaks.

-link or queue up low engine oil damage engine article

-Engine Oil On Underside of Car

Another obvious sign that your car is leaking oil is oil spots on the underside of the car.  If you suspect that your car is leaking oil but don’t see oil spots on the ground after you’ve parked the vehicle then inspect the underside of the car near the engine bay.

Usually, an oil leak can be spotted quickly but sometimes it’s not that easy to pinpoint what is causing the oil leak.

The oil leak may be occurring near the top of the engine and leaking down the engine, giving the appearance that the oil leak is actually occurring from a seal near the bottom of the engine.

Is It Really Engine Oil Leaking?

You’d also want to make sure that the liquid you see underneath your car is actually engine oil.  Engine oil should be brown in color. If the fluid that you are noticing is green or blue in color then it’s likely engine coolant and not oil.  If the fluid is red in color then the fluid you see is transmission fluid.

Is It Bad If My Car Needs Oil Added In Between Oil Changes?

In most engines, it’s normal for them to burn a bit of oil in between oil changes.  Most vehicle manufacturers will say that a quart of oil may need to be added to the engine in between oil changes to keep the oil at the proper levels inside the engine.  Some manufacturers have even said that 1 quart of oil may need to be added to the engine every 1,000 miles. While other car manufacturers say that engine oil may need to be added every 2,000-3,000 miles.  So it really depends on who manufactured the engine and if that level of oil consumption is high for them.

Is It Bad To Drive A Car That Leaks Oil?

The answer is it depends on your current situation. Oil leaks can cause rubber hoses to degrade prematurely if engine oil is allowed to leak onto them long enough.  If you have a small oil leak then it’s probably not that big of a deal as long as that oil isn’t leaking directly onto the exhaust of your car, as if that’s the case you are risking a fire causing your car to go up in flames.

Engine oil can catch fire as it heats up on the hot exhaust of your car.

What Happens If You Don’t Get The Leaking Oil Problem Fixed?

Allowing your car to continuously leak oil usually isn’t that big of a deal as long as your engine doesn’t catch fire.  The only real cause for concern is engine oil that is leaking on exhaust pipes as oil can get hot enough to catch fire.

This is a common problem with Ferrari’s and why so many of them have caught fire, engine oil can leak down onto the hot exhaust of the engine catching the engine bay on fire.  Usually, this results in the entire car catching fire because the fire isn’t able to be put out fast enough that it spreads to the rest of the car.