How to Find an Oil Leak?

How to Find an Oil Leak

It’s easy to shrug off an oil stain in your driveway as a minor cosmetic blemish, but what starts out as a little “automotive incontinence” can quickly lead to bigger problems, including (gasp!) irreversible damage to your engine. But how do you know what type of fluid is leaking from your car and what do you do about it? Read on to learn why you should take the time to identify your leak, especially one related to your engine oil, and get tips for what to do when your drips become more than just droplets!

Why should I bother identifying an oil leak?

A teaspoon of oil helps the pistons go down. Yup. Engine oil lubricates the pistons in your engine, ensuring that they glide smoothly within their housing. Without proper lubrication, the pistons will grind against other parts of the engine, generating enormous amounts of heat, i.e. friction. If your engine runs out of oil (because of a leak) the heat generated by the un-lubricated pistons can cause the pieces of your engine to grind together and seize up, causing your engine to stall. Taking a few minutes to identify the source of your leak could mean the difference between something as major as a damaged engine, or something as minor as an empty reservoir of windshield wiper fluid.

How do I find my oil leak?

Step 1: Investigate the leak. Is it even oil?

If you notice spotting in your parking place, it’s time to do some investigating. First, lay down newspaper or a white plastic plate and try to catch some of the drips. Engine oil is an amber color, feels thin and slippery, and has a strong chemical odor, which is what you should look for if you suspect an oil leak.

However, older engine oil can be dark brown to black, with a gritty or gunky texture. (Please note, this is not the ideal state for your oil. Clean engine oil is crucial to the health of your car. Dirty oil is a sure sign that you need to schedule an oil change.)

If the fluid is green, bright orange, or pink and feels sticky, then you may have an antifreeze leak. Not sticky but still one of these colors? Then it’s probably windshield washer fluid, which isn’t a major deal unless you plan on driving through a Saharan dust storm sometime soon. Clear or yellowish fluid?brake Fluid

Pro Tip: While antifreeze is extremely toxic, it has a sweet smell and taste that makes it attractive to many pets. If you suspect an antifreeze leak, do Felix and Fido a favor and get it fixed ASAP. Hose down the driveway or garage floor too!

Step 2: Check your fluid levels, across the board

Next, start checking various fluid levels. Check your oil level by inspecting the dipstick (it often has a red or orange plastic tab on it, under the hood). If you have low oil and you’re pretty sure you’re seeing engine oil drips on your driveway (Remember: look for amber fluid that’s slippery and smells like chemicals), then a leak is likely. If the oil looked more reddish, check the power steering reservoir. Does that fluid need to be topped off?
Step 3: Track down the source

Discovering the source of an oil leak takes a bit of detective work that’s probably best left up to the professionals. However, common sources of leaking engine oil are a damaged oil pan, an old oil filter, or a worn out gasket somewhere on the engine. If you feel like getting a little dirty and donning a trench coat and Sherlock Holmes-esque cap, here are a few tips for tracking down the source of the oil leak:
Turn the engine off and shine a bright light into the engine area. Is oil pretty much everywhere? Could be a slow leak related to the engine’s gaskets.
Now turn the engine on. If oil starts wildly spraying like a little kid with a hose on the Fourth of July, then oil is probably seeping past a worn crankshaft or seal. This type of leak will only be apparent when the engine is running though, writes Popular Mechanics.

Step 4: Visit the oil experts

Luckily, a full service oil change from Firestone Complete Auto Care includes a 19-point inspection (to look for any leaking components) an oil filter change, and a top off on all your car’s vital fluids. Yup, even windshield wiper fluid. Regular, full-service oil changes from Firestone Complete Auto Care are one of the best ways to stay on top of your car’s fluid and engine health. Find your nearest Firestone Complete Auto Care location today and schedule your full-service oil change or oil repair service today! Our ASE-certified technicians may not wear trench coats or caps like Sherlock Holmes, but you can bet they’re super sleuths when it comes to oil leaks and repairs.

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How to Change Oil Filter in a Car?

                                How to Change Oil Filter in a Car?

1. Remove Oil Filter

 Now that you have everything you need and the car is jacked up enough for you to crawl under it you need to try to loosen the oil filter by hand.

Don't put the drain pan under the car yet. It is big and bulky and just gets in the way. You will most likely need to try different positions in order to get the best torque (twisting force) on the oil filter. Be sure to wear work gloves when you are trying to loosen the filter. These types of gloves will give you extra grip on the filter and they will protect your hands from used oil.

If you cannot get it to loosen then you will need to use a strap wrench. If there isn't enough room for that then you have to resort to oil filter pliers - This is a special tool that will adjust to the diameter of your oil filter and and create a vice-like grip. These work great to loosen very tight oil filters.

2. Drain Oil Filter

After you break it loose, be sure to put the oil drain pan under it before you loosen it any more. After you get the oil drain pan under the oil filter then you can go ahead and loosen it the rest of the way. It is important to have gloves on and to be in a position in which the oil won't run all the way down your arm.

As soon as you get the oil filter off, just take it and put it face down in the drain pan. Look at the mounting surface where the oil filter attaches to the engine. Be sure that the gasket from the old filter is not stuck to it and if it is then remove it. It's also a good idea to clean this surface.

After you move the drain pan out from under the car you will need to tip the oil filter up on its side so all of the oil can drain out. Let the filter drain for 24 hours, then you can throw it in your household trash.

3. Lubricate Oil Filter Gasket

Unpack your new oil filter and use some fresh motor oil to lubricate the gasket on the new oil filter. This will help to ensure a tight and leak-free fit on the engine. If the filter sits straight up and down on the engine, it's a good idea to pre-fill the filter with motor oil too.

The reason for this is because when you first start the engine after the oil filter change there will be virtually no lubrication because the oil pump will have to fill the filter with oil first. If it is already full then you will get lubrication to your engine much sooner.

4. Change Oil Filter

So far you have removed the oil filter, checked that the oil filter sealing surface on the engine is clean and oiled the oil filter gasket on the new one. Now it's time to get yourself into position to put the new filter back on.

At this stage of replacing an oil filter, it is crucial that you keep the top of the oil filter covered as much as possible while lifting it into position. You can do a lot of damage to the engine if dirt or other debris gets into the oil filter.

Once you get it into position start turning it to tighten. Be sure to not put too much pressure on it while you are getting it started. If you put too much pressure on it while turning it you can end up getting it cross-threaded and that would ruin your whole day. This can be an expensive fix.

Just be sure to start it gently. You should be able to feel it start threading on. As soon as it starts threading on I spin it fairly fast. The reason for this is so that I can watch it spin and when it suddenly stops I know that the oil filter gasket has contacted the engine block. This is an important thing to know because you only need to turn it 3/4 of a turn after the initial contact with the engine block.

This step for changing oil filters isn't exact science. If the filter is a little too tight it's not a big deal, but you don't want it to be too loose.

How Does an Alternator Work?

An alternator's main purpose is to maintain the battery. Basically what happens is that it uses the engine power to create electricity and sends it over to the battery to keep it fully charged. Engine power is sent to the alternator via the engine drive belt, aka serpentine belt. This is why it is so important to keep the belt tight and replace it when needed.

When you are driving your car with all the lights on, the windshield wipers on and the radio blasting it uses a lot of electrical power. If all you had was a battery all of this electricity usage would drain the battery in a matter of minutes (sometimes more like an hour depending on how good your battery is). To prevent this from happening and to keep our battery fully charged, we use an alternator.