4 Major Signs of Oil Pan Gasket Leak

4 Major Signs of Oil Pan Gasket Leak

Oil leak is hazardous if not fixed timely. Look for these signs which giveaway that there is oil pan gasket leak. Get the help of a mechanic if you notice any of these signs.

For someone who owns a vehicle, making sure that the oil level stays and remains at the appropriate level should be a top priority. With that being said, the oil pan is the only component that holds the most amount of oil. In case of oil pan gasket leak, replacement is the only option in most cases. We are here to share a list of some signs that you can look out for incase if your oil pan starts acting fishy.

1. Smoking Issues The first sign that you will get to see, when the oil pan gasket is in need of replacement is smoke emitting from the engine. The reason being that in such cases, the leaking oil drops on the exhaust manifold hence causing smoke. If kept neglected, the continuous dripping will result in the oxygen sensors or other electrical components being damaged. It could also be that the sensors and the components due to getting soaked in oil may completely stop working. Therefore, getting the gasket replaced in time will prevent any additional expensive replacements as well.

2. Engine Overheating In addition to the engine coolant, the engine oil is also responsible for keeping the engine cool.

Engine oils are supposed to provide optimum lubrication with significantly reducing friction, which otherwise would create a lot of heat and damage the engine. Therefore, if there happens to be serious leakage in the oil pan, it will cause the engine to overheat because the oil level will significantly drop. Moreover, an engine that is continuously overheating is not a good sign as if left unattended will put a huge dent in your savings for repairs.

3. Oil Puddles Under The Car If you happen to observe that there are oil drops or puddles beneath the car, then chances are that the oil pan gasket has gone bad. Since the gasket is made up of rubber, it will gradually deteriorate over time due to continuously being exposed to extreme heat. As a result, the gasket will eventually leak and you will find oil puddles under the car. Then again, if you choose to neglect the issue for long, it will lead to oil level dropping below the sufficient level and will compromise both functionality and life of your engine.

4. Lower Than Normal Oil Levels In some cases the oil dripping and leaking would be so minor that it will be almost impossible to detect. In such cases the best check is regularly checking the oil levels. If upon checking you observe that the oil level is low, you can be sure that there is something wrong. Most of the cars out there have an indication of low oil level when something is causing an issue. Therefore, if that light turns on, you can be sure that either the gasket needs replacing or some other component that is causing the leak.

Conclusion In the end, it is recommended that before you go on doing your own thing, make sure that you get your vehicle checked from a specialist. He shall let you what is actually causing the oil pan gasket leak and if something else needs to be replaced as well.