I have a sohc zc vtec. Couple days ago I was driving on the highway and when I came to a rest area my car was smoking from under the hood. It was white smoke. Today I finally took a good look at my motor. And on my axles there is oil and a little bit of my harness on the back side of the motor under the intake manifold has oil on it. Before I went on the highway my oil was on the second dot. After driving it for 2 days I checked it again today and it is on the first dot. I can't really figure out why it's leaking on my axles. Can anyone give me some suggestions?

 

If you can't see the spot that its leaking from, I would clean it all off as best as you can. Top off your oil and go for a little ride. When you stop, see if its still leaking and since you cleaned it before, it will be easier to see the source of the leak.

 

I'm just going to top off the oil and when I have the time I will do as you mentioned. I was just wondering if there is any common spots around that area that would leak oil.

 

if its on the back of the motor jsut under the intake manifold your prolly talkin about a oil filter, more than likely the gasket, did you get an oil change recently?

 

I did get an oil change. Like 2500 miles ago. And it never started the oil leak until couple days ago when I was on the highway. Because in town my car rarely see's more then 3,500rpm. On the freeway I was going about 4,000 - 4,500rpm, but that was constantly. It's a K&N oil filter. Does anyone else have any kind of clue of where it would commonly leak oil from?

 

hmmm, now im all outta ideas cause usually the oil filter is one of the most common places for it to leak from if its double gasketed which isnt too hard to do, id prolly clean off the engine an go get an oil change and just ask em if yuo can look under the car to see where its comin from. some shops are cool with that kinda things and some arent. good luck man.

 

the thing that gets me is that you said white smoke = coolant... be sure your headgasket isn't leaking somewhere, like in the back where you found oil..

 

check your oil pressure sensor area maybe it is leaking from th eseal or maybe your oil filter is not on tight enough??

 

It's not coolant. Because my old d15 motor had coolant burning. And I know what coolant smells like. Coolant level is at FULL on the over flow tank. There's oil all over my axles and on my rear mount. I'm also thinking it's probably from the oil pressure sensor seal or maybe the oil filter. I will jack the car up tomorrow and take a good look. Thanks for you advices.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDM_Ej &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you can't see the spot that its leaking from, I would clean it all off as best as you can. Top off your oil and go for a little ride. When you stop, see if its still leaking and since you cleaned it before, it will be easier to see the source of the leak. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Or just get engine oil dye, and then look under your car in a few days. The place with the most accumulation of dye will be where the leak is.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDM-97CX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Or just get engine oil dye, and then look under your car in a few days. The place with the most accumulation of dye will be where the leak is. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Where can this engine oil dye be found? And will it cause any kind of damage? I just swapped this motor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by D16SohcVtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Where can this engine oil dye be found? And will it cause any kind of damage? I just swapped this motor.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Most aftermarket parts stores as well as car dealerships. And no it will not cause any damage at all, it is about an ounce that you simply add to your oil.

 

get underneath your car with a flashlight and look for the leak

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 95DxSi-R2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">get underneath your car with a flashlight and look for the leak</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ok mr wizard, what happens when he gets under there and oil is everywhere? Alot of times you can't tell where the leak is. It isn't as simple as you might think.

 

Cool, I'll call around and see if I could find some dye. Yeah there is oil everywhere. All over my axles, my rear mount, and rear mount bolts. I know it's touching something hot because when I drove on the freeway. Smoke was coming from under the intake manifold area.

 

it's not that hard to pin point an oil leak, maybe because i'm a mechanic it's easier

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDM_Ej &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you can't see the spot that its leaking from, I would clean it all off as best as you can. Top off your oil and go for a little ride. When you stop, see if its still leaking and since you cleaned it before, it will be easier to see the source of the leak. </TD></TR></TABLE>
If you can't pin point, i'd do as he said

 

Ok so heres the update. I lifted my car up took a super bright flash light. The ones that can light a whole block up. And I looked around the motor and under the car. My tranny, axles, shift linkage, and a little bit of my down pipe has oil on it. Or some type of grease. I think that explains why I get the steam when I'm on the highway. It's burning off of the downpipe. Now I'm looking and I seriously don't see any kind of heavy oil buildup or any leaks from the block or the intake manifold. I noticed that my oil pan plug was leaking a bit, but it's not a major leak to where it would get over everything.

I did notice that when I was on the freeway as I went faster my steering wheel started to shake a lot. And it's never done that before. And before we stuck my axles back in. We did notice that the boots were kinda torn and wasn't looking too good.

Can bad axles throw grease everywhere if they are bad? Like get it all over you shift linkage, axles, etc?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by D16SohcVtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Can bad axles throw grease everywhere if they are bad? Like get it all over you shift linkage, axles, etc?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, that can definately cause it.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 95DxSi-R2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
it's not that hard to pin point an oil leak, maybe because i'm a mechanic it's easier</TD></TR></TABLE>
No ****? Me too, I work for Lincoln. You work at a dealership?

 

yeah, dodge dealer

you said you were a qt. low on engine oil, is that the only fluids that are low? if it's that much i'd say front or rear main.
like the guy said before, only it sounds like you need 3 cans of brake clean, spray everything that has alot of oil on it...CLEAN, wipe all the excess residue off and drive it for at most 2 miles, check for leaks again, you have got to find it by then

 

That's what I was thinking too. Maybe my axles are bad and it's throwing oil around. The wierd thing is that. When I checked my oil the first time it was at my cousins house and because of the drive way. My car was leaning to the right more. And it read on the dipstick almost down to the first dot. But when I checked it again at my house where the pavement is flat it was just a bit above the halfway mark. So i'm thinking it can't be an oil leak. Because I don't think an oil leak would shoot all under my passanger side of my car.

 

it kinda takes comin sense to do this this stuff, like i said clean it all off, drive it for a couple miles and check it, if you really want to find out whats going on with your car, then do it