How you can be confident in finding your own oil leak on your car. I was also able to score you guys 25% off at Advance Auto Parts. Use the code "HUMBLEOILLEAK" when you check out and some some $$$$!!!
Anyway you could be awesome humble and give me the part numbers for those cam adjuster seals or orings on the TSI engine you pointed out? Ive had a pesky leak on mine and that may be what it is. I've had it in the shop 3 times for oil leaks.
My Dad would have enjoyed your channel. He started as a mechanic back in 1945. And he worked all the way through till 1993 when he passed away from heart failure. He absolutely loved working on cars. He was also an avid car racer. We have a local track where he went. (Of course when he was much younger). But he would have loved to watch all of your videos. I feel like my Dad is sitting next to me as I watch them. Thank you for the content and excellent advice!
Added oil dye to my '93 Range Rover. Now my driveway can be seen from space, as well as the route I took to the shopping centre, where I parked, and back home
I hate to say "the internet" as a tool of diagnosis, but talking with a lot of other people online can give you a good insight into what you might want to check out if you are searching for a leak on your own vehicle.
Take advantage of your belly pan removal to degrease it completely as this can lead to an early indicator of oil leaks if you are removing it for inspection after every oil & filter change. Way to go humble. Another great vid.
I’ve been killing myself trying to find an oil leak on my first gen EcoBoost in my truck and I totally forgot about this stuff. So glad your video came up on my recommended videos. Thanks, bud!
Front crank seal leaks are also another common spot, and they present as oil pan gasket leaks due to how low they are and they are hidden by the crank pulley. Most of the time, it is the oil pan, but don't get fooled and spend the 2 minutes looking at that seal before settling on the oil pan. It can also save you some time if it turns out the seal is buggered because the thrust bearings are gone. Another great video
These are the leaks resolved in my car over the last year: valve covers, water pump, oil pan gasket, oil pressure sending unit (I just had this redone on 6/22/22), timing cover gaskets, power steering rack, front struts, rear drum brake cylinders (eight total leaks). There is still a small drip occurring from the oil pan drain plug. I don't think it is the drain plug itself (which appears to be fairly new) but where the oil is accumulating from wherever it's coming from. Where do I look for the front crank seal(s)? This is on a 2001 Pontiac Aztek, by the way.
My Mechanical problems have started after I take my car in to get tires or have it serviced. Got routine oil change in September, drove car less than 200 miles, and today noticed puddles of the blackest oil leak and water leaks. This was after the wrench and engine lights began coming on, after oil change. Not taking it back to Dealership, each time leave with MAJOR problems. Ugh
In my experience the black light dye is the best way to find a leak. It's fast, cheap and works like a charm. Just make sure you use the right kind of dye for the type of leak you're trying to track down. Don't use coolant leak dye to try to find an oil leak and vise versa.
Any suggestions I put the engine die in to detect oil leak, the crime-scene lit up at the front of the engine down below the radiator in the front right corner, has anyone had this happen,? I would welcome any advice,
One of the very auto guys who produce videos that are entertaining to everyone, even if the content doesn't apply to their circumstances. Gotta love the Humble Mechanic.
Great info. I was pondering an oil leak in my van. I was searching for oil pump info and coincidentally this video came up in the results page. Great timing. I'll follow the steps tomorrow to locate the oil leak.
Many techs look for an active leak while engine is hot . I like to check when cold , engine seals leak cold and expand and soften seals better when warm .
Growing up and owning many clunker, I considered an oil leak as a rust preventative. Living in Northern Michigan and rusty vehicles, I didn't bother with oil leaks on any of my vehicles unless it was on the manifold and smoking. On Chevys, it was usually the rear main oil seal that leaked. On Fords and AMC it was usually the valve covers or timing chain case cover. Transmission or power steering leaks were un- acceptable however and I always fixed those. Brake leaks are a sure way to die, so that ALWAYS got addressed immediately.
Great video, good humor during an auto video is rare, 2 neighborhood mechanics told me 2 different causes and 1 claimed he fixed it so I hope this helps me locate the real cause.
Just acquired a 1981 Mercedes S-Class with the legendary turbo diesel, long driven and neglected by the flaky previous owner. Looks like the Exxon Valdez under the hood. A horrendous amount of oil has migrated all over the place from 3-6 likely different sources. I've got some filthy work ahead!
Funny Story: Oil leaks. Ford Recall 1994 or so. Someone loaded a crate of 460V8 "counter-screw" crankshafts(They spin counter-clockwise in marine applications) into the assembly line of F-59 engines(motor home). The one and only difference was the knurling on the rear main seal area. The knurling is intended to push oil in but when they spin the wrong way, it pushes oil out. You could replace the seal 100x and it wouldn't make any difference. There were only 50 of these but I got 2 of them. Makes me laugh now. Recall: replace crankshaft. Pretty serious repair!
There is a standard for leaks Class one- oil staining or creep Class 2 -viable drops but not dripping off the surface Class 3- visibly dripping off surface
Your videos are great! I do video professionally and d.i.y. cars. You may be the opposite, but sure can't tell. Very excellent production quality, camera shots, audio levels, graphics, pacing and editing. Especially love the attention to lighting and steady camera shots/moves. The light rig under the hood behind you is fantastic and very creative. Wow. Great work! And I'm about to go diagnose my wife's oil leak now. Thanks.
Engine oil leaks come from these locations: Valve cover gasket, Oil pan gasket, VVT valve o - rings, Front end seal, Rear end seal, oil pressure switch sensors, drain plug, oil filter. Most common sources are the valve cover and oil pan gaskets drying up, getting brittle and leaky. Parts cost for both around 35 dollars or less. Difficulty medium Messy, medium.
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I have a completely crud covered 1966 Chevy C10 that is leaving large stains wherever it is parked. Due to years of deferred maintenance the entire engine bay seems to be caked in grime, oil, and mud. The question that entered my mind, was what is the safest way to clean the entire engine & engine bay, so as not to create more problems as I track down and repair these leaks? I have heard that getting your engine pressure washed COULD prevent it from running at all. Is this true? On the other hand, the idea of trying to hand clean the entire engine bay using only rags and brake cleaners seems like a really big job. What is the correct (best) path forward ? Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
Did you ever figure out the answer to this ? I just got a 89 Ford Ranger, and it’s like you’ve described. I really wanna clean this thing. Trying to pressure wash the underside didn’t get it off
Wow my respects bro you just save my car with all this info, i have an oil leak that has been driving me nuts and i couldn't find it after watching your video i went and pop my hood to find the oil leak coming from a missing gasket when they did my oil change last time., so far is what i have noticed and i hope thats it, if it wasn't for your video i was gonna probably get my paycheck stolen lol, thanks a lot for this video again dude you are awesome
Fantastic video, very informative. Single lady here, buy used cars and have to choose wisely then maintain on a low budget so I search lots of videos which are always useful but dragged out long videos for one solution and less informative than this/ yours so thank you.
Great video!! I took notes because I had so many mechanics look at my car and never truly fixed the problem. Oil leak and transmission leaks so I’m stuck trying to figure this out but your video has been very informative. Thank you!!
Thank you for this video. I was told by Chevy dealership that my 2010 Suburban has an oil leak. I don’t see or smell any oil burning/leaking. So I took it to another mechanic shop for a second opinion, they said it doesn’t have a leak. Who do I trust? I don’t want to believe that the Chevy mechanics would make that up just to get my money. I also don’t want to ruin my engine because I didn’t fix a leak. Any suggestions?
Friend solved it on a Golf, got a VW remanufactured engine and put it in. All new seals, 2 year warranty and cheaper than stripping the engine down and replacing every seal, new bearings, doing the head and new rings. The one he got was a leftover engine from the production line for that model, basically never used.
Have a leak in a 2005 altima... i jacked up and looked with spot light and cleaned under neath today.. . i have had many value covers leak in the past....i will look more tomorrow and add some dye,which to me seems like the best option ... i hope its not in a bad area...thanks for sharing
I am hoping you can give me some advice. I have a 2008 Ford Escape XLT 6 cyl 3.0L, I bought it used, the vehicle records showed maintenance was done regularly and it was in very good condition. Started noticing oil spots on the driveway, small & not excessive. Had approximately 115,000 miles. Got an estimate for repairs to replace Valve Cover Gasket & Rear Camshaft Seal, $750. Didn't have the money to do it & was almost a year before I had the repair done. At that point the vehicle was running rough with acceleration, some burning smell and if I had the car washed the engine would smoke a lot for a good amount of time (like it was overheating, but I think it probably was just from oil leakage). Never had any warning lights go off on the vehicle or any other issues. When repaired two weeks ago, I also had an oil change and front brakes/rotors done. The vehicle was running so much better and smoother and then I noticed it is still leaking, same amount just nice clean oil now. I took it back to the shop and now they are saying that I need to have the Engine Oil Pan & Front Timing Cover Seal and Gasket replaced with an estimate of $1600. They also took photos of the vehicle on the lift showing the engine and/or leak that are attached to my estimate. As a woman, I have no idea what I am looking at, I am probably just oblivious but I feel like I am getting ripped off. I would think that if the leak wasn't not from the initial repairs they claimed the problem was, why would they have done them or realized that was not where the leak was coming from or investigated further to find the location of the source. Please if you could give any insight, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks (ny2va2773@yahoo.com)
Female here, I believe this is common practice at some auto repair shops. Selling parts/labor to people ( especially women ) that isn’t really needed. Similar to what plumbers do. 🤷🏻♀️
At @8:53, there seems to be a slight error. If the inner seal of the camshaft adjuster (ie, the O ring) was leaking… shouldn’t the outer seal (ie, the camshaft adjuster seal) have prevented it from becoming an external leak? Sort of like a submarine, where a hatch can be shut to limit flooding to one compartment? And if so, why would it ever need to be replaced? Seems like a self limiting condition. Once the cam adjuster space is filled with oil, wouldn’t that prevent any further leaking from the O ring, because there’s no space for any more oil? Excellent video, by the way. Cheers!
Small tip about something I learned the hard way: Don’t use coolant dye to look for leaks in oil systems. Coolant dye REQUIRES water to fluoresce. I used the shop’s supply of UV dye on several cars looking for oil leaks (the bottles only said Ultraviolet Leak Detection Dye), and I was going nuts with a UV light trying to find any leaks. Absolutely nothing glowed on any car. Then later, after cleaning the oil and dirt and degreasing another engine, I hosed it off and poured the dye in. Spilled some onto the wet valve cover and then came the glow! Turns out they had bulk ordered coolant dye years ago and threw out the box that identified it.
Thanks Humble dude...Q: I have a Toyota Prado Auto 4x4 Landcruiser and am constantly filling up on engine oil as there are puddles of oil leak after a trip (long or short). The Mechanic says that its a 'leaking oil chamber.' depending upon the terminology, is it the same as 'leaking oil pan' or something else?? Appreciate the help
yep, I like how its really complete, specially pointing at a failed PCV as the top culprit. Everything needs to be replaced eventually..., the only question is: - what is next? 👍
Owning vintage British motorcycles & car has taught me that oil leaks are a good thing....they are telling you you have oil in the machine. It's when they stop leaking you need to be worried!
All of my cars had tons of oil leaks for years, always. Never happened anything bad, other than low engine oil level. Actually I'm kinda amazed if there's no leak somewhere.
Yup. That’s where I’m at currently. Got my car in the shop for unrelated repairs. I’m almost certain they will tell me I need to replace valve cover gasket that will cost up to 2k. Will probably just do like you are and keep the oil in it unless it gets real bad....
@@nomandad2000 What kind of car do you have? Valve cover jobs are typically around $200 - $300 or so. I had them done on my car last year @ 10 hours labor but my car is known for not being the easiest to work on. Still, that came out to $850 and nowhere near $2K. The mechanic also redid the intake manifold gaskets, lower intake gaskets, and some other things while he was in there without charging additional labor.
Great video. I have a 05 mazda6 3.0 litre engine that is smoking. Took it to a mechanic and replaced both left and right valve covers. It is still smoking. I pin pointed where the oil is burning off but still can't figure out where it's actually leaking from. Any directions would be great thank.
Used leak dyes back in the early 90s. Oil basically is not coming from where you see it. Like from the bolt behind the balancer that looks like it's the crank seal is leaking. And yes, foot spray with powder is an amazing tool for looking for leaks.
I have a 2-3 inch valve gasket leak I need to fix. I need to know if it can wait until after the winter is over to do it as it is already too cold to do it outdoors. The leak is located on the backside of a 99 Corolla and I don't see it can affect other parts.
Hey friend, any recommendations, I have a 2011 Siena, it has a leak in the transfer case, I already bought a new one and put it in, change the seals on the front axle and it still continues to leak oil and I have looked for it everywhere and it always comes from there and it has been disassembled already 3 You see putting everything right in its place and it always leaks. What else do you think it could be? That's just where it leaks. We've already reviewed it with my nephew and we're still finding out what it could be.
i just pressure wash the entire engine with the aapropriate cautions depending on type of car then run the car for 10 minutes, if it doesnt leak, i take it to the road and drive it a bit .once it leaks i search for the highest spot of the leak. if the leak is spread around in a circular motion maybe on a pulley then its crank or camshaft seals, or maybe driveshaft seals if the leak is gearbox oil...manual gearbox oil has a carachteristic smell to it. diesel and gasoline leaks also have a easy to trace smell. if the car doesnt leak anything i deliver it , charge the engine washing and ask the customer to come back in a week to do a visual inspection. sometimes small gasket swating leaks and small seal leaks appear and then we fix them
@@ruthiemspangenberg3363 he still inspected, diagnosed what he could and came up with nothing. That takes time regardless of the result. Not a free service.
@@josegomez6549 Sounds like some of the customers who call my work. They think the time starts when the tech gets to the house & if it does not work out in their heads as an "acceptable" hourly rate for the total time spent in their home they get indignant. Never mind all the prep, expenses/general overhead, breakdown & windshield time all factor in to a price or even a free estimate or walkthrough. Wonder if they would readily offer a discount if their boss haggled them down on their labor and *experience* as some often do when they hire / go to legit service businesses in their personal life.
@humblemechanic you are awesome and thorough even as a mechanic myself I can say you need to be a trainer or work at a tech school....many so called mechanics I've seen would be quick to say this or that and never fix the real issue....
I have used a rattle can to spray the block in white or primer grey ( once clean and dry) and then a road test. Then follow the oil run on the painted block .
Great Video and Good Learnings. Have you ever experienced oil leak between the Cylinder Head and Engine Block on a 2.0 TSI Engine? I am currently experiencing some thing of such nature. Any Clues??? I am also seeing leaks from the lower timing cover....could this probably be spreading across the Cylinder Head mating surface and giving me false assumptions. Valve Cover looks great all round.
My 2006 Hummer H3 3.5L in line 5 with 130k miles on it. Had oil pressure light coming on & off for about a month, thought it was just a bad sensor.. one day I smelt hot oil. Pulled over & had a little smoke coming from under the hood. Popped the hood & there was oil splattered all over the top left hans side of the engine. Mechanic changed the oil switch, but it didn't fix the problem. He can't find the leak.. says he thinks I need an entire engine rebuild & he doesn't have the resources to do it, but recommended a few mechanics around town. Could the valve cover gasket possibly be the case or do you have any advice or tips you might think its leaking? I dont have $5k to put in a new motor & I absolutely love my h3. Just bought it a year ago... anything helps. Great video! New subscriber! 👍
Engine degreaser, soap, detergents, jet wash, steam cleaner, white spirit (only for metal parts), brake cleaner, carburetor cleaner, gasoline, diesel, thinner... Take you pick! Make sure to NEVER use most of these strong chemicals on rubber and plastic components, unpainted metal only! Anyway my prefered cheap and fast method. Jet wash, it's fast, easy and cheap. Beside no chemicals are needed! If you don't own one, no problem. Go to the nearest station, 5 minutes and a few coins. Done! Opposite to the widely spread myths! Warm engine, not scalding hot. Is your best choice. Avoid going "crazy" on the electronic boxes, like fuses and relays, ECM, etc. No need to disconnect battery or any other component! Keep it simple (KISS). In the rare event of the car don't want to start afterwards. Just dry ignition parts, sparkplugs, coil, wires, etc. WD40 can be quite handy for this. In >35 years only once one car didn't want to start after washing! That was the time I used to vacuum the carpets and mats. LOL After 15 minutes of drying time. It all went as usual. Ence why it's nice to have a warm engine, not hot. It dry really fast! ;-)
Awesome video. Had a question, is engine degreaser or brake cleaner safe for spraying on the alternator? My oil leak has caked up alternator from the bottom.
I put cardboard under and I had a leak bought a different filter from what I usually buy I guess I didn’t get it on there straight so I ended up redoing the oil change and changed filter and oil plug thought it was fixed I still gotta leak I’m gonna take the undercarriage cover off get my leak detector light I got at harbor freight last year and figure this out cause I been doing the oil changes on all my cars for 5 yrs no issues until now on this 2010 Hyundai Tucson I’ve had the car since 2011 it’s a good car so I wanna fix it I’ll put it on the ramps and do your steps what did you use to clean up again brake spray?
Ok, so....I have an 07 Ford Fusion SE, 2.3L Z series vehicle. There is no check engine light illuminated, however, when I press down on the gas pedal to accelerate, there is a very noticeable ticking/tapping sound that seems to be coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. At time it sound like it is coming from underneath the car, but other times is seems like the noise is coming from the side or top of the engine. There is a build up of oil around the pulleys and is as far up as the power steering pump. I reckon that I will clean it, take if for a drive and find the source of the leak, but what about the tapping/ticking sound?
My motorbike's engine is leaking oil slowly somewhere onto the left crank case, I was recommended by a bike mechanic to clean everything up with brake cleaner then cover all the splits and gaskets with talcum powder then turn the engine on, it should push away the powder if there is a leak. Gonna give it a try soon.
Hi I have question, normally if there is no engine oil I gotta change my engine oil every 5000km but since I have engine oil leak that I need to.top.up every 2 weeks, could I extend my engine oil change from every 5000km to every 7000km?
How do you go about cleaning an engine bay of a past oil leak? It's a hassle in some of my cars, I use a Zeps industrial degreaser and nylon brushes, but I think some of this stuff is too caked on to come off. Any advice on getting the underside as clean as possible?
I use an engine cleaner spray wand to hose it down with the degreaser, let it dwell. Then i bought this nifty thing for power washing driveways, and modified it so it sprays up at an angle. run that under there and the caked on stuff falls off.
I have a small oil leak which comes from the plastic tower where the oil cap is screwed on. The tower is attached to the valve cover, with two clips. What kind of sealant or gasket maker can I use to seal the leak, if the gasket is okay?
Hi, You didn't mention FIRE oil leaks if bad enough it can happen. if the leak is in the right location as well. like chevy cruze most oil leaks are near the very hot catlitic converter. Be safe.
At the risk of sounding silly, can engine oil dye be used to help reading the dipstick? I just bought a 2010 Toyota RAV4 and the Mobil 0-20 is so thin I'm not really sure of the level, so would this help it show up better on the dipstick?
Not oil related but I got an 01 Audi. I replaced the turbo and now i have an over boosting issue. It flays well past 20psi then cuts to 15 and holds. Any thoughts on this one?
How you can be confident in finding your own oil leak on your car. I was also able to score you guys 25% off at Advance Auto Parts. Use the code "HUMBLEOILLEAK" when you check out and some some $$$$!!!
Awesomeness my fav auto zone .. but I make a change for 25%off
Ones n South Carolina iffy .adv.
Anyway you could be awesome humble and give me the part numbers for those cam adjuster seals or orings on the TSI engine you pointed out? Ive had a pesky leak on mine and that may be what it is. I've had it in the shop 3 times for oil leaks.
Thanks, been using this for years now excellent stuff....
2010 VW CC, p2015, any experience with this code? Word is I may be looking at new intake manifold?
My Dad would have enjoyed your channel. He started as a mechanic back in 1945. And he worked all the way through till 1993 when he passed away from heart failure. He absolutely loved working on cars. He was also an avid car racer. We have a local track where he went. (Of course when he was much younger). But he would have loved to watch all of your videos. I feel like my Dad is sitting next to me as I watch them. Thank you for the content and excellent advice!
My condolences!
Great video. I added some dye to my NB miata's engine oil after watching this, and now the entire car is glowing
That’s sounds a lot like my Chevy Beretta
Nice paint job hack!! 👌 🤣
My BMW glows in the dark now.
Does oil leaks still dangerous and needs to be worked on even if you often tops it with oil.
Was that a question, statement or a stroke?
Added oil dye to my '93 Range Rover. Now my driveway can be seen from space, as well as the route I took to the shopping centre, where I parked, and back home
if it does not leak it is broken.
😂😂😂😂that’s to funny!!
I just put a small cup under the engine and the oil that leaks out I just simply pour back to the engine the next morning.
Recycling!!
Awesome
This is beyond science.
Instructions followed...cup flew away in the wind.
Wow thanks I never thought off that!!
I hate to say "the internet" as a tool of diagnosis, but talking with a lot of other people online can give you a good insight into what you might want to check out if you are searching for a leak on your own vehicle.
Take advantage of your belly pan removal to degrease it completely as this can lead to an early indicator of oil leaks if you are removing it for inspection after every oil & filter change. Way to go humble. Another great vid.
I’ve been killing myself trying to find an oil leak on my first gen EcoBoost in my truck and I totally forgot about this stuff. So glad your video came up on my recommended videos. Thanks, bud!
Eco techs are the end of me. They will never stop leaking oil lol
Front crank seal leaks are also another common spot, and they present as oil pan gasket leaks due to how low they are and they are hidden by the crank pulley. Most of the time, it is the oil pan, but don't get fooled and spend the 2 minutes looking at that seal before settling on the oil pan. It can also save you some time if it turns out the seal is buggered because the thrust bearings are gone. Another great video
These are the leaks resolved in my car over the last year: valve covers, water pump, oil pan gasket, oil pressure sending unit (I just had this redone on 6/22/22), timing cover gaskets, power steering rack, front struts, rear drum brake cylinders (eight total leaks). There is still a small drip occurring from the oil pan drain plug. I don't think it is the drain plug itself (which appears to be fairly new) but where the oil is accumulating from wherever it's coming from. Where do I look for the front crank seal(s)? This is on a 2001 Pontiac Aztek, by the way.
It's so hard to find a good and honest mechanic! Uggh!!!
My Mechanical problems have started after I take my car in to get tires or have it serviced. Got routine oil change in September, drove car less than 200 miles, and today noticed puddles of the blackest oil leak and water leaks. This was after the wrench and engine lights began coming on, after oil change. Not taking it back to Dealership, each time leave with MAJOR problems. Ugh
In my experience the black light dye is the best way to find a leak. It's fast, cheap and works like a charm. Just make sure you use the right kind of dye for the type of leak you're trying to track down. Don't use coolant leak dye to try to find an oil leak and vise versa.
Any suggestions I put the engine die in to detect oil leak, the crime-scene lit up at the front of the engine down below the radiator in the front right corner, has anyone had this happen,? I would welcome any advice,
Thank you for your service, I wrenched for years and I always hated diagnosing/repairing oil leaks.
One of the very auto guys who produce videos that are entertaining to everyone, even if the content doesn't apply to their circumstances. Gotta love the Humble Mechanic.
Great info. I was pondering an oil leak in my van. I was searching for oil pump info and coincidentally this video came up in the results page. Great timing. I'll follow the steps tomorrow to locate the oil leak.
Many techs look for an active leak while engine is hot .
I like to check when cold , engine seals leak cold and expand and soften seals better when warm .
I was dreading watching 12 minutes but i knew i had to. After watching the 12 minutes didnt waste any time. All valuable knowledge. Great job.
Growing up and owning many clunker, I considered an oil leak as a rust preventative. Living in Northern Michigan and rusty vehicles, I didn't bother with oil leaks on any of my vehicles unless it was on the manifold and smoking. On Chevys, it was usually the rear main oil seal that leaked. On Fords and AMC it was usually the valve covers or timing chain case cover. Transmission or power steering leaks were un- acceptable however and I always fixed those. Brake leaks are a sure way to die, so that ALWAYS got addressed immediately.
Nice!
Great video, good humor during an auto video is rare, 2 neighborhood mechanics told me 2 different causes and 1 claimed he fixed it so I hope this helps me locate the real cause.
Just acquired a 1981 Mercedes S-Class with the legendary turbo diesel, long driven and neglected by the flaky previous owner. Looks like the Exxon Valdez under the hood. A horrendous amount of oil has migrated all over the place from 3-6 likely different sources. I've got some filthy work ahead!
Funny Story: Oil leaks. Ford Recall 1994 or so. Someone loaded a crate of 460V8 "counter-screw" crankshafts(They spin counter-clockwise in marine applications) into the assembly line of F-59 engines(motor home). The one and only difference was the knurling on the rear main seal area. The knurling is intended to push oil in but when they spin the wrong way, it pushes oil out. You could replace the seal 100x and it wouldn't make any difference. There were only 50 of these but I got 2 of them. Makes me laugh now. Recall: replace crankshaft. Pretty serious repair!
Sounds like you have same luck as me. Bet that made for some crappy vacations!
I have used baby powder to help me find oil leaks for forty years, works good and it's cheap.
The price is the BEST LOL
There is a standard for leaks
Class one- oil staining or creep
Class 2 -viable drops but not dripping off the surface
Class 3- visibly dripping off surface
Class 4 Land Rover
@@nothanks3462 Haha! True that....
class 5: BMW
@@fakiirification haha all bmws leak oil if they dont that means it has no oil in the engine
Your videos are great! I do video professionally and d.i.y. cars. You may be the opposite, but sure can't tell. Very excellent production quality, camera shots, audio levels, graphics, pacing and editing. Especially love the attention to lighting and steady camera shots/moves. The light rig under the hood behind you is fantastic and very creative. Wow. Great work! And I'm about to go diagnose my wife's oil leak now. Thanks.
Literally just did the valve cover on my Miata last night. Pretty crazy how much oil can leak from there.
Yep!! So much oil hahha
7:05 I didn't expect that 😂
Engine oil leaks come from these locations: Valve cover gasket, Oil pan gasket, VVT valve o - rings, Front end seal, Rear end seal, oil pressure switch sensors, drain plug, oil filter.
Most common sources are the valve cover and oil pan gaskets drying up, getting brittle and leaky.
Parts cost for both around 35 dollars or less.
Difficulty medium
Messy, medium.
Thanks for all of this information!
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I have a completely crud covered 1966 Chevy C10 that is leaving large stains wherever it is parked. Due to years of deferred maintenance the entire engine bay seems to be caked in grime, oil, and mud.
The question that entered my mind, was what is the safest way to clean the entire engine & engine bay, so as not to create more problems as I track down and repair these leaks?
I have heard that getting your engine pressure washed COULD prevent it from running at all. Is this true?
On the other hand, the idea of trying to hand clean the entire engine bay using only rags and brake cleaners seems like a really big job.
What is the correct (best) path forward ?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
Did you ever figure out the answer to this ? I just got a 89 Ford Ranger, and it’s like you’ve described. I really wanna clean this thing. Trying to pressure wash the underside didn’t get it off
@@EliB0217 Unfortunately, no. If anyone does have the answer, I'm still looking..!
Keep electrical components dry.
Only clean cold engines. (Avoid warpage)
Degrease from underside
Pressure spray downward
Wow my respects bro you just save my car with all this info, i have an oil leak that has been driving me nuts and i couldn't find it after watching your video i went and pop my hood to find the oil leak coming from a missing gasket when they did my oil change last time., so far is what i have noticed and i hope thats it, if it wasn't for your video i was gonna probably get my paycheck stolen lol, thanks a lot for this video again dude you are awesome
Fantastic video, very informative. Single lady here, buy used cars and have to choose wisely then maintain on a low budget so I search lots of videos which are always useful but dragged out long videos for one solution and less informative than this/ yours so thank you.
Great video!! I took notes because I had so many mechanics look at my car and never truly fixed the problem. Oil leak and transmission leaks so I’m stuck trying to figure this out but your video has been very informative. Thank you!!
Thank you for this video. I was told by Chevy dealership that my 2010 Suburban has an oil leak. I don’t see or smell any oil burning/leaking. So I took it to another mechanic shop for a second opinion, they said it doesn’t have a leak. Who do I trust? I don’t want to believe that the Chevy mechanics would make that up just to get my money. I also don’t want to ruin my engine because I didn’t fix a leak. Any suggestions?
Check your oil often. If it's low, you probably a leak.
Friend solved it on a Golf, got a VW remanufactured engine and put it in. All new seals, 2 year warranty and cheaper than stripping the engine down and replacing every seal, new bearings, doing the head and new rings. The one he got was a leftover engine from the production line for that model, basically never used.
Have a leak in a 2005 altima... i jacked up and looked with spot light and cleaned under neath today.. . i have had many value covers leak in the past....i will look more tomorrow and add some dye,which to me seems like the best option ... i hope its not in a bad area...thanks for sharing
Production quality recently has been nuts! Keep it up, man!
Thank you. Always trying to get better for you guys
What under hood light is that? I love how it goes on 3 sides! Where can I get one?
I am hoping you can give me some advice. I have a 2008 Ford Escape XLT 6 cyl 3.0L, I bought it used, the vehicle records showed maintenance was done regularly and it was in very good condition. Started noticing oil spots on the driveway, small & not excessive. Had approximately 115,000 miles. Got an estimate for repairs to replace Valve Cover Gasket & Rear Camshaft Seal, $750. Didn't have the money to do it & was almost a year before I had the repair done. At that point the vehicle was running rough with acceleration, some burning smell and if I had the car washed the engine would smoke a lot for a good amount of time (like it was overheating, but I think it probably was just from oil leakage). Never had any warning lights go off on the vehicle or any other issues. When repaired two weeks ago, I also had an oil change and front brakes/rotors done. The vehicle was running so much better and smoother and then I noticed it is still leaking, same amount just nice clean oil now. I took it back to the shop and now they are saying that I need to have the Engine Oil Pan & Front Timing Cover Seal and Gasket replaced with an estimate of $1600. They also took photos of the vehicle on the lift showing the engine and/or leak that are attached to my estimate. As a woman, I have no idea what I am looking at, I am probably just oblivious but I feel like I am getting ripped off. I would think that if the leak wasn't not from the initial repairs they claimed the problem was, why would they have done them or realized that was not where the leak was coming from or investigated further to find the location of the source. Please if you could give any insight, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks (ny2va2773@yahoo.com)
Female here, I believe this is common practice at some auto repair shops. Selling parts/labor to people ( especially women ) that isn’t really needed. Similar to what plumbers do. 🤷🏻♀️
The powder in beard was epic
Hahah thanks
That’s not a leak, that’s New England rust prevention 😂
HHahhahahhahahaha
Yeah, and it WORKS!
It’s almost stupid at just how accurate this is... just sayin
So true 🤣😂🤣😂
Self-oiling underbody.
Fantastic tips, and confirmed my theory of what's leaking on my wife's Nissan Micra. I will be returning for more great tips, thank you!
At @8:53, there seems to be a slight error. If the inner seal of the camshaft adjuster (ie, the O ring) was leaking… shouldn’t the outer seal (ie, the camshaft adjuster seal) have prevented it from becoming an external leak?
Sort of like a submarine, where a hatch can be shut to limit flooding to one compartment?
And if so, why would it ever need to be replaced? Seems like a self limiting condition. Once the cam adjuster space is filled with oil, wouldn’t that prevent any further leaking from the O ring, because there’s no space for any more oil?
Excellent video, by the way. Cheers!
Small tip about something I learned the hard way:
Don’t use coolant dye to look for leaks in oil systems. Coolant dye REQUIRES water to fluoresce.
I used the shop’s supply of UV dye on several cars looking for oil leaks (the bottles only said Ultraviolet Leak Detection Dye), and I was going nuts with a UV light trying to find any leaks. Absolutely nothing glowed on any car.
Then later, after cleaning the oil and dirt and degreasing another engine, I hosed it off and poured the dye in. Spilled some onto the wet valve cover and then came the glow! Turns out they had bulk ordered coolant dye years ago and threw out the box that identified it.
Fucking yikes 😂
I'll keep this in mind for future reference, appreciate the wisdom.
My #1 .. your light set up is phenomenal ... Hail VW..🤯
Thanks Humble dude...Q: I have a Toyota Prado Auto 4x4 Landcruiser and am constantly filling up on engine oil as there are puddles of oil leak after a trip (long or short). The Mechanic says that its a 'leaking oil chamber.' depending upon the terminology, is it the same as 'leaking oil pan' or something else?? Appreciate the help
yes, the PCV refresh should be part of any gasket or oil leak job.
Being a VW tech means you have to be good at this! Love your channel.
Hahah thank you
nop, it means he has to be good at fixing EVERYTHING A through Z
🤗
Hey man a specialist is charging me 1,300 for a main oil seal leak should I do it ?
This must have taken alot of time to produce, great job as always👍👍👍
yep, I like how its really complete, specially pointing at a failed PCV as the top culprit.
Everything needs to be replaced eventually..., the only question is:
- what is next?
👍
BMW Owners: YES mine leaks there there and there lol
BMWs, it's only a problem if it doesn't leak.. then it's out of oil.
Spielberg eat your heart out at those intro special effects!
Owning vintage British motorcycles & car has taught me that oil leaks are a good thing....they are telling you you have oil in the machine. It's when they stop leaking you need to be worried!
All of my cars had tons of oil leaks for years, always. Never happened anything bad, other than low engine oil level. Actually I'm kinda amazed if there's no leak somewhere.
Yup. That’s where I’m at currently. Got my car in the shop for unrelated repairs. I’m almost certain they will tell me I need to replace valve cover gasket that will cost up to 2k. Will probably just do like you are and keep the oil in it unless it gets real bad....
@@nomandad2000 Small drips can look like a lot of oil, especially over wet pavement. I feel like if it isn't broken, let it be.
@@nomandad2000 What kind of car do you have? Valve cover jobs are typically around $200 - $300 or so. I had them done on my car last year @ 10 hours labor but my car is known for not being the easiest to work on. Still, that came out to $850 and nowhere near $2K. The mechanic also redid the intake manifold gaskets, lower intake gaskets, and some other things while he was in there without charging additional labor.
I have an E46 bmw. I ride with bottles of motor oil, ATF (for power steering) and coolant in the trunk. LOL
I tolerate zero leaks. No leaks anywhere in my life. Best way is to spot them early.
I feel like there's a good joke here, but I'm gonna leave it alone.
Can your purchase that bottle of dye for oil leaks at Auto Zone?
Great video. I have a 05 mazda6 3.0 litre engine that is smoking. Took it to a mechanic and replaced both left and right valve covers. It is still smoking. I pin pointed where the oil is burning off but still can't figure out where it's actually leaking from. Any directions would be great thank.
Used leak dyes back in the early 90s. Oil basically is not coming from where you see it. Like from the bolt behind the balancer that looks like it's the crank seal is leaking. And yes, foot spray with powder is an amazing tool for looking for leaks.
EXCELLENT points, don't think you missed anything
Great tips! I need to change my Civic's valve cover gasket soon, fortunately not a big deal.
Ùí
Wow! This guy knows what he's talking about!
I have a 2-3 inch valve gasket leak I need to fix. I need to know if it can wait until after the winter is over to do it as it is already too cold to do it outdoors. The leak is located on the backside of a 99 Corolla and I don't see it can affect other parts.
Hey friend, any recommendations, I have a 2011 Siena, it has a leak in the transfer case, I already bought a new one and put it in, change the seals on the front axle and it still continues to leak oil and I have looked for it everywhere and it always comes from there and it has been disassembled already 3 You see putting everything right in its place and it always leaks. What else do you think it could be? That's just where it leaks. We've already reviewed it with my nephew and we're still finding out what it could be.
i just pressure wash the entire engine with the aapropriate cautions depending on type of car then run the car for 10 minutes, if it doesnt leak, i take it to the road and drive it a bit .once it leaks i search for the highest spot of the leak. if the leak is spread around in a circular motion maybe on a pulley then its crank or camshaft seals, or maybe driveshaft seals if the leak is gearbox oil...manual gearbox oil has a carachteristic smell to it. diesel and gasoline leaks also have a easy to trace smell. if the car doesnt leak anything i deliver it , charge the engine washing and ask the customer to come back in a week to do a visual inspection. sometimes small gasket swating leaks and small seal leaks appear and then we fix them
How do you charge for engine wash?
@@ruthiemspangenberg3363 he still inspected, diagnosed what he could and came up with nothing. That takes time regardless of the result. Not a free service.
I wouldn’t pressure wash an engine. Easy way to get a check engine light. Messing up sensors will cost ya.
@@PunjabiKush i do it almost everyday here in the workshop, common sense is great tool you know, if we use it we usually dont mess up
@@josegomez6549 Sounds like some of the customers who call my work. They think the time starts when the tech gets to the house & if it does not work out in their heads as an "acceptable" hourly rate for the total time spent in their home they get indignant.
Never mind all the prep, expenses/general overhead, breakdown & windshield time all factor in to a price or even a free estimate or walkthrough.
Wonder if they would readily offer a discount if their boss haggled them down on their labor and *experience* as some often do when they hire / go to legit service businesses in their personal life.
@humblemechanic you are awesome and thorough even as a mechanic myself I can say you need to be a trainer or work at a tech school....many so called mechanics I've seen would be quick to say this or that and never fix the real issue....
word
I have used a rattle can to spray the block in white or primer grey ( once clean and dry) and then a road test. Then follow the oil run on the painted block .
Will A/C dye work just as good for checking engine oil leaks? I got a crap load of that stuff.
Cornstarch...works nice .
Great Video and Good Learnings. Have you ever experienced oil leak between the Cylinder Head and Engine Block on a 2.0 TSI Engine? I am currently experiencing some thing of such nature. Any Clues??? I am also seeing leaks from the lower timing cover....could this probably be spreading across the Cylinder Head mating surface and giving me false assumptions. Valve Cover looks great all round.
Never. It’s always somewhere higher in what I’ve seen. It totally could be on yours. But rule out everything else!
I used powdered foot spray. It could find a leak dye couldnt. But yea, dye was the way to go.
When you tell the lads you're only having a few drinks tonight *fast forward an hour* 7:05
😂🤣
I too bake a cake after a few drinks
My 2006 Hummer H3 3.5L in line 5 with 130k miles on it.
Had oil pressure light coming on & off for about a month, thought it was just a bad sensor.. one day I smelt hot oil. Pulled over & had a little smoke coming from under the hood. Popped the hood & there was oil splattered all over the top left hans side of the engine. Mechanic changed the oil switch, but it didn't fix the problem. He can't find the leak.. says he thinks I need an entire engine rebuild & he doesn't have the resources to do it, but recommended a few mechanics around town. Could the valve cover gasket possibly be the case or do you have any advice or tips you might think its leaking? I dont have $5k to put in a new motor & I absolutely love my h3. Just bought it a year ago... anything helps. Great video! New subscriber! 👍
Wow! Very informative! TY!
What's the best way to clean the oil/gunk from the engine?
Engine degreaser, soap, detergents, jet wash, steam cleaner, white spirit (only for metal parts), brake cleaner, carburetor cleaner, gasoline, diesel, thinner... Take you pick!
Make sure to NEVER use most of these strong chemicals on rubber and plastic components, unpainted metal only!
Anyway my prefered cheap and fast method. Jet wash, it's fast, easy and cheap. Beside no chemicals are needed! If you don't own one, no problem. Go to the nearest station, 5 minutes and a few coins. Done!
Opposite to the widely spread myths! Warm engine, not scalding hot. Is your best choice. Avoid going "crazy" on the electronic boxes, like fuses and relays, ECM, etc. No need to disconnect battery or any other component! Keep it simple (KISS).
In the rare event of the car don't want to start afterwards. Just dry ignition parts, sparkplugs, coil, wires, etc. WD40 can be quite handy for this. In >35 years only once one car didn't want to start after washing! That was the time I used to vacuum the carpets and mats. LOL
After 15 minutes of drying time. It all went as usual. Ence why it's nice to have a warm engine, not hot. It dry really fast! ;-)
Great advice
I didn’t have an oil leak i just really enjoy my engine •_• so lets not shine a black light in there
Does the engine make noise in the event of a complete oil leak? Thank you
Awesome video. Had a question, is engine degreaser or brake cleaner safe for spraying on the alternator? My oil leak has caked up alternator from the bottom.
I put cardboard under and I had a leak bought a different filter from what I usually buy I guess I didn’t get it on there straight so I ended up redoing the oil change and changed filter and oil plug thought it was fixed I still gotta leak I’m gonna take the undercarriage cover off get my leak detector light I got at harbor freight last year and figure this out cause I been doing the oil changes on all my cars for 5 yrs no issues until now on this 2010 Hyundai Tucson I’ve had the car since 2011 it’s a good car so I wanna fix it I’ll put it on the ramps and do your steps what did you use to clean up again brake spray?
Great video, and channel. This is valuable information. The way social media should be used!
Ever caught that glorious beard in any moving parts?
Nope thankfully
Lol, many shops require to tie up long hair, I wonder when they'll ask to tie up all the exposed long hair. Wonder how tied up long beard looks like
Fastboatster, usually people will braid it. Its the most efficient
@@HumbleMechanic No offense, but you really would look better with it trimmed up some, then some more....lol
Not beard, but a black girl in my high school auto class lost 2 braids to an alternator pulley. 😫
"Unintended thermal reaction"....👍👍👍
Ok, so....I have an 07 Ford Fusion SE, 2.3L Z series vehicle. There is no check engine light illuminated, however, when I press down on the gas pedal to accelerate, there is a very noticeable ticking/tapping sound that seems to be coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. At time it sound like it is coming from underneath the car, but other times is seems like the noise is coming from the side or top of the engine. There is a build up of oil around the pulleys and is as far up as the power steering pump. I reckon that I will clean it, take if for a drive and find the source of the leak, but what about the tapping/ticking sound?
Well, time to find the leaks coming from my Miata's engine!
same :(
Thank you for your detailed explanation, great videos!
If I use dawn dish soap to clean the oil build up off the engine an transmission that should hurt any thing ?
Where did you get those big white led lights
Love your talk. Will be using your ideas 👍
My motorbike's engine is leaking oil slowly somewhere onto the left crank case, I was recommended by a bike mechanic to clean everything up with brake cleaner then cover all the splits and gaskets with talcum powder then turn the engine on, it should push away the powder if there is a leak. Gonna give it a try soon.
Hi I have question, normally if there is no engine oil I gotta change my engine oil every 5000km but since I have engine oil leak that I need to.top.up every 2 weeks, could I extend my engine oil change from every 5000km to every 7000km?
Awesome vid!!!! 😁👍🏻 Question, did you empty the entire bottle of dye into the crankcase??
How do you go about cleaning an engine bay of a past oil leak? It's a hassle in some of my cars, I use a Zeps industrial degreaser and nylon brushes, but I think some of this stuff is too caked on to come off. Any advice on getting the underside as clean as possible?
might need something more aggressive like carburetor cleaner, or brake cleaner
I use an engine cleaner spray wand to hose it down with the degreaser, let it dwell. Then i bought this nifty thing for power washing driveways, and modified it so it sprays up at an angle. run that under there and the caked on stuff falls off.
What about Seapage instead of a leak? And the other question is doesn't break cleaner effect electrical wiring electrical components or dry out hoses
Appreciate your videos 👌🏽 i'm in the field and see all this all the time. Yet find it entertaining to watch
Thank you so much!!!
@@HumbleMechanic no, thank you for the content 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽
"If it's leaking oil, that means it's got oil" shitbox quotes haha. Another great video bro!
Profesional DIY video No.1
I have a small oil leak which comes from the plastic tower where the oil cap is screwed on. The tower is attached to the valve cover, with two clips. What kind of sealant or gasket maker can I use to seal the leak, if the gasket is okay?
This was great! I never knew about powder or fluorescent glows to check oil leaks. Thanks!
What is the name of that inner camshaft seal on that ea888.3 ?? I think that is leaking for me after changing my valve cover gasket.
Where can I buy that same OEM tools UV Light i cant find it anywhere
Hi, You didn't mention FIRE oil leaks if bad enough it can happen. if the leak is in the right location as well. like chevy cruze most oil leaks are near the very hot catlitic converter.
Be safe.
I have learned that just change a PCV valve at an early mileage like 50,000 miles to prevent top or bottom gasket leaks
I have a 50+ year old British car. This video made me chuckle.
Trent Kreitler the leaks let you know there is still oil in the engine.
At the risk of sounding silly, can engine oil dye be used to help reading the dipstick?
I just bought a 2010 Toyota RAV4 and the Mobil 0-20 is so thin I'm not really sure of the level, so would this
help it show up better on the dipstick?
Yes just clean very well dipstivk after every check
Not oil related but I got an 01 Audi. I replaced the turbo and now i have an over boosting issue. It flays well past 20psi then cuts to 15 and holds. Any thoughts on this one?