Bout a month ago I noticed my oil pan was all oily and my car was driping oil whever I parked. Common sense told me it was the oil pan gasket so I replaced that and tightend all the bolts to spec.. Thought that would fix the problem but now i realize the leak wasn't comming from the gasket at all.. cuz i looked under the car today and my oil pan is STILL oily furthermore i looked around the transmission housing, axles, subframe around that area and its ALL oiled up.. .Funny thing is my oil level is pretty much the same as always.. I guess since the oil is going everywhere it's probably not my oil pan gasket.. not sure what else it could be.. I checked the oil filter and its on real snug.. did a compression check and read 190 across... any ideas where else it can be leaking from? I have a b16a2 in a 96 civic if that helps.

 

transmission seals.

 

Cam seals, cam plug, VTEC solenoid,valve cover gasket, rear main seal, axle seals, distributor o-ring. Clean your engine up and then try to isolate the source of the leak.

 

Make sure it is in fact oil. If it is, I'd say rear main seal.

 

where exactly is the rear main seal?

 

take some of that girl deordorant.. with baby powder....

clean off you engine and spray it around the edges and the outside of your motor. let it sit for a few. then turn and crank your car up

we do this . to see if we have fuel leaks and otehr problems. you ll see any leaks or sprays right away

 

Ok i cleaned off my whole engine with brake cleaner.. put my car up on stands and let it run at idle.. found where the source of the leak is.. or at least the proximities.. the oil is leaking from around where the oil filter is behind the block.. only problem is i can't tell if its leaking from the filter or what.. what else could it be if oil is dripping down around where the oil filter is down to where the intermediate shaft support bracket mounts to the block?

 

it could be just a bad gasket seal on the filter. Sometimes, the old one can stick to the block when you change the oil. If you put a new filter on with the old gasket still on, it will leak without a doubt.

 

Could be a double oil filter gasket for sure. Or a cut in the oil filter gasket. Easy to replace the oil filter and double check the leak.

 

checked the oil filter gasket and it was fine. no rips or tears and only one of them so it wasn't doubled up. Now i have a bigger problem. there is a bolt that sticks into the block right next to the oil filter... not sure what it is or what its for but i'm sure its important. i accidently ripped the wire that comes out of the bolt which attaches to the wiring harness.. any idea what this is? when i took the bolt out oil came out of it so I'm assuming this is kind of important???

 

Oil pressure sending unit.

 

does this unit HAVE to be wiredup? if i dont have it on what will happen? or is this just a sensor that isn't needed unless you never check your oil level???

 

I had this EXACT same problem about 3 weeks ago... oil dripping from behind the block. Looked exactly how it would look if the oil filter were leaking, but it wasn't the oil filter.

Check the black breather chamber on the back of the block (right next to the filter) On my motor (B18C) the PCV valve snaps into the top of it. At the bottom it has a hole where it drains oil back into the block. There's an o-ring here. Mine was split and actually sticking out a bit. Replaced it and not a drop since. In the pic below, #2 is the chamber and o-ring sold as a set, #10 is the o-ring only.




[Modified by DaiJekBok, 5:10 PM 1/12/2003]

 

ah that black box.. yeah I remember seeing it but I dont think any oil is comming out of it.. i'll check again.. going outside to refill the oil now.

 

Ok checked the black box.. wasn't it.. I checked where that ring is too.. no oil from there.. but this is what I did notice.. I think the oil is comming from a small eggshell like crack in the block right next to where the oil filter is.. now this is where I'm conffused.. if there was a crack in the block wouldnt antifreeze come out not just oil? furthermore I'm not even sure if its really a crack or its just like some sort of scratch but I just can't figure out where else the leak is comming from.. The oil pressure unit that is next to the oil filter is as tight as it can be yet the head doesn't fit snug into the hole.. is that normal? I pretty much spent all day in 20 degree weather today and go absolutely nothing fixed!!!!!

 

someone's got to have some ideas!!! you guys want me to lose sleep over this tonight???

 

If the block is in fact cracked, it would depend on the severity and location of the crack. The oil and water passages are obviously seperate.. just a matter of where the crack is to dictate what fluid would leak out.

However, it doesn't seem likely that the "crack" you're referring to is a crack. I've seen casting flash or whatever that looks like a crack but it's only superficial. Can you tell for sure that the oil is coming from there? It's not like it's s stressed part of the engine where the block would crack... but I guess anything is possible.

Does your motor have an OEM oil cooler on it, by chance?


[Modified by DaiJekBok, 11:52 PM 1/12/2003]

 

Thanks for your response. I do not have an oil cooler on my motor. I cannot know for SURE that the leak is comming from the crack nor can i know for sure that its even a crack. you're right.. that part of the block shouldnt crack since there isn't much stress on it but who the hell knows with cars right? lol.. .but I'm sure of where the oil is comming from.. just can't figure out which device is leaking.. I'm starting to think it could be my oil pressure sender unit.. but its so damn cramped up in there that I can't tell.. what I wouldn't give to get 2 hours alone with my engine out of my car!!!!!!

 

replace your oil filter
make sure you put your finger in oil and run it around the new gasket
and clean off the block.

if thats not it i dunno.

and YES that sensor is needed
just get a butt connector and some electrical tape. problem solved.

 

Do you have access to a lift at all? I only have a shitty Pep Boys hydraulic floor jack and it didn't lift the car high enough for me to slide back far enough to see where my leak was coming from. Once I put it on a friend's lift, the problem was painfully evident.

I've got big hands so I feel your pain.. it's cramped as hell back there.

 

discribe the leak, is it comming from the front of the block and dripping on to the oil pan and to the back of the block? or is it dripping on to the fron the fht motor where the b16a stamp is? It should be pretty clear to see the source of the leak.
come on man open those Korean eyes of yours

 

I tol you mang! the leak is comming from the back of the block. I'm gonna be as specific as possible. If you're under your car on your back and you're looking at the back of the block.. you see the oil filter right in the middle and to the left is the oil pressure sender unit. Right under neath that spot there is a ledge.. oil seeps from right above that and onto the ledge making a puddle of oil.. I wipe it down.. and the puddle returns.. I hope this is clear enough...