Oil leak now?!
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 91
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Oil leak now?! Ok, so about a month ago i changed the oil in my trans am (01, 102k) (put 5 qts in) with 10w40 that my girlfriend bought (wasnt mobil1) So i used it anyways figuring a little thicker oil isnt going to hurt anything. So now i just changed the oil again (105k)(put 6 qts in) about a week ago with 10w30 High mileage Mobil 1. Typical oil change, no problems. Then i start noticing drops of oil on the garage floor, so im like ok wtf. So yesterday i crawl under it and there is semi dry/wet oil on the bottom of the tranny, and it dripped twice as i was laying under it on the lowest part of the rib on the bellhousing. So i was thinking maybe i didnt tighten something, but the drain/filter are both tight and its dry on the drivers side. Its wet on the passenger side. So i wiped everything clean to try to narrow it down where its coming from, and i cant find anything.. it almost looks like its coming out from between the black plastic piece and the bellhousing right next to the starter. I thought maybe a rear main seal but i put my fingers up into the bellhousing from the converter hole and everything is dry????
Wtf is going on, it just randomly starts leaking oil like a siv?
Wtf is going on, it just randomly starts leaking oil like a siv?
what oil did you use the first time? mobil 1 is synthetic and synthetic will often exploit worn seals. dino oil will usually not make it past seals unless they are very bad so the leak either wont be there or be less. synthetic does do this however so it can make a bad leak worse or simply expose somthing you wouldnt have noticed
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 91
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Well i know all of that, the car has never had anything but mobil 1 synthetic in it the 9 years its been in the family. I put different oil in it one time because i was going on a trip and of course told the gf to get oil and she brought back some cheaper **** and i didnt have time to take it back. Now i changed it back to mobil 1 and its leaking?
The car has NEVER leaked even the slightest drip of anything in the garage and now since the last oil change it drips like a 2" spot every time its driven.
So wtf, ive cleaned under it twice now and checked everything i can see and theres not oil coming from anything. It just hangs from 1 rib on the bellhousing, and a bellhousing bolt on the passenger side of the car. Ive taken the inspection cover off the bellhousing and felt around in there thinking it might be the rear main seal, but its completely dry, thought maybe the oil filter wasnt tight but no oil there. Looked up the sides of the block, no oil. Its honestly like its coming from nowhere?
Is there any possible way that i overfilled it somehow and its slowly leaking from somewhere till it gets back to where it wants? lol im just at a loss here..
The car has NEVER leaked even the slightest drip of anything in the garage and now since the last oil change it drips like a 2" spot every time its driven.
So wtf, ive cleaned under it twice now and checked everything i can see and theres not oil coming from anything. It just hangs from 1 rib on the bellhousing, and a bellhousing bolt on the passenger side of the car. Ive taken the inspection cover off the bellhousing and felt around in there thinking it might be the rear main seal, but its completely dry, thought maybe the oil filter wasnt tight but no oil there. Looked up the sides of the block, no oil. Its honestly like its coming from nowhere?
Is there any possible way that i overfilled it somehow and its slowly leaking from somewhere till it gets back to where it wants? lol im just at a loss here..
Sounds like the rear main seal is starting to leak. It probly had nothing to do with the oil change and is entirely coincidental. You mentioned that the car has been in the family for 9 years and has surpassed 100k miles. It isnt all that abnormal to have a rear main leak. Mine does the same thing. Im going to change my seal this winter. Hope this helps.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 91
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No its definetly oil, smells and looks like synthetic oil. And i just have a really hard time believing its the rear main seal, every one i have ever seen leak has started as a SLOW drip, there has never even been a drip of oil hanging under the car until i changed the oil and now like i said, about a 2-3" spot every time you park it.
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Staging Lane
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 63
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You should never put 6 bottles of oil in ls1. Its too much oil. The changing from 10w40 to 10w30 is no problem. The problem is previous time you put 5 bottles and now recently you put six. The car only takes five. So now you have an extral liter of oil and it has to leak out from somewhere. Anyway I am telling my experience. I did the same mistake and the oil was leaking from same place as yours. It turned out to be the oil sensor. It is located on top of the engine at the firewall. You really have to look deep behind the back of the engine (center firewall) to look at it. It leaks from there and then it drops down the back of the engine to the rear main seal location. Get a new sensor and next time only put five.
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F-Bodies take 5.5 quarts.
I would not necessarily agree with the 10-40 not posing an issue and I am not much for coincidence. I don't like the idea of just some oil viscosity not approved by GM to be added to the LS1. The 10-30 is already thick enough when it calls for a 5-30 originally...How much more thickness do you want??? Those gaskets cant take the abuse. Just my $0.02.
For this guy, I hope its that sensor, but c'mon now. If you are going to do oil changes, then do it rite?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 91
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Corvettes take 6.4 quarts in their LS1. If that statement was true then Corvettes would be pretty low on oil...
F-Bodies take 5.5 quarts.
I would not necessarily agree with the 10-40 not posing an issue and I am not much for coincidence. I don't like the idea of just some oil viscosity not approved by GM to be added to the LS1. The 10-30 is already thick enough when it calls for a 5-30 originally...How much more thickness do you want??? Those gaskets cant take the abuse. Just my $0.02.
For this guy, I hope its that sensor, but c'mon now. If you are going to do oil changes, then do it rite?
F-Bodies take 5.5 quarts.
I would not necessarily agree with the 10-40 not posing an issue and I am not much for coincidence. I don't like the idea of just some oil viscosity not approved by GM to be added to the LS1. The 10-30 is already thick enough when it calls for a 5-30 originally...How much more thickness do you want??? Those gaskets cant take the abuse. Just my $0.02.
For this guy, I hope its that sensor, but c'mon now. If you are going to do oil changes, then do it rite?
I highly doubt using a little thicker oil would just all of the sudden "ruin all the gaskets in the engine" but what do i know because i used 10w40 oil once. :rollseyes:
Have you looked into it yet? I am just curious as to whats going on with the car.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
I believe needing an oil change and not wanting to drive another 1000+ miles without changing it to fresh oil is an emergency. I have never seen a common car that can only use ONE brand/thickness/etc oil or its trash, seriously get real.
Obviously i have looked into it and cant seem to figure out where its coming from, hence asking the question on here. If you have nothing to add or help me come to a conclusion on whats going on, refrain from posting.
Thanks.
Obviously i have looked into it and cant seem to figure out where its coming from, hence asking the question on here. If you have nothing to add or help me come to a conclusion on whats going on, refrain from posting.
Thanks.
On The Tree
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 105
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From: cape.cod mass
might be leaking down from the oil cap itself, or at least where the oil fill tube goes into the valve cover...thats happened to me. go back to 5w30. sythetic will sneak out every single little weak seal and that slight increse in viscosity might have been enough to find a leak.
they DO sell this dye that you can add too your oil, which im sure your aware of, which glows under a black light (you can rent black lights at some shops if you ask). add the dye, run the car for a few days, and shine that thing under the car to find the leak. do NOT clean all the old oil off, since when you add the dye you will immediatley be able to see exactly where it is, in this case, the more oil it leaks the easier it will be too see the glowing dye in the oil. the dye itself doesnt hurt anything. this is how we find oil leaks in aircraft engines.
they DO sell this dye that you can add too your oil, which im sure your aware of, which glows under a black light (you can rent black lights at some shops if you ask). add the dye, run the car for a few days, and shine that thing under the car to find the leak. do NOT clean all the old oil off, since when you add the dye you will immediatley be able to see exactly where it is, in this case, the more oil it leaks the easier it will be too see the glowing dye in the oil. the dye itself doesnt hurt anything. this is how we find oil leaks in aircraft engines.
Ok listen putting 6 quarts of oil in your engine is not going to blow out seals lol. I love the information on this site sometimes!
Adding engine dye will definitely help you identify some leaks but if it is the rear cover leaking it will not do anything but irritate you since it shows you nothing but a glowing blob of **** between the engine and trans.
I like many many other people on here have had a leak from the rear cover and what happens is the oil gets blown around by the flywheel so you will see it on the starter housing, rear of the oil pan, between the trans housing and if you pop off the little inspection covers it usually looks dry but dont be fooled.
Some poeple have luck with our engines and experiece zero leaks over 100k but thats very rare. If you have time drop the transmission and start replacing some gaskets and seals. If you are really bored drop the oil pan and replace that dreaded gasket as well.
Hard to diag leaks online for obvious reasons but I believe you are experiencing the rear cover leaking but good luck man.
Picture of the rear cover:
Adding engine dye will definitely help you identify some leaks but if it is the rear cover leaking it will not do anything but irritate you since it shows you nothing but a glowing blob of **** between the engine and trans.
I like many many other people on here have had a leak from the rear cover and what happens is the oil gets blown around by the flywheel so you will see it on the starter housing, rear of the oil pan, between the trans housing and if you pop off the little inspection covers it usually looks dry but dont be fooled.
Some poeple have luck with our engines and experiece zero leaks over 100k but thats very rare. If you have time drop the transmission and start replacing some gaskets and seals. If you are really bored drop the oil pan and replace that dreaded gasket as well.
Hard to diag leaks online for obvious reasons but I believe you are experiencing the rear cover leaking but good luck man.
Picture of the rear cover:
