My mechanic says the rear wicker main seal on my car is failing, and the description sounds exactly like this, as I've had all the lower oil pan / filter housing stuff renewed and theres no blowback from a leak farther ahead. Its quite a job as you apparantly need to pull the engine to do it properly, I just add oil as needed not worth the shop $$$ rate to do it.

Your car may have the two-part oil pan to in which case there is another gasket farther up but it can be hard to see. Maybe some dye and a blacklight will help?

 

If the bolts are wet, but not above them, then you have a fixable problem. Read the Great palm on this subject, as some of the sump(as opposed to sandwich plate bolts) go through the oil up into the engine above. Oil them can migrate down the bolts. The solution is to seal the bolt holes, as TGP explains.

 

 

Hi,

Hope it is something simple as Greg suggests.

Another thought if it is a 6 cylinder car. Check just below the oil filter where either the feed / return pipes to the oil cooler or a metal "u bend" will be present. I had a leak from the latter which dripped down onto the outer lip of the sump and then moved backwards giving the sort of leak pattern you describe. If so then this is another simple fix and I can send you details of how to do it.

Good luck,
LeeP

 

 

brinny,

I am afraid I have similar issue as you have: small but consistent oil consumption and oil leak underneath, with oil spots/droplets mostly visible on bolts near and just before the gearbox. I also see signs that hot oil gets on RHS catalytic converter (during driving).

I initially also thought about changing oil pan gasket. I could still decide to follow through on it, probably when I change oil next time.

However, and unfortunately, I am afraid that the real culprit is the main back seal, as VancouverXJ6 suggested...

Keep us posted on what you do and whether it fixes the leak.

 

I would be surprised; but it is very easy to check. Just unbolt the black tin shield and you can see and touch the rear of the engine. If it is a crank seal, there will be oil there - but I would bet there is none. Read Palm on this problem and its fix.

 

Drain it out into a clean container, Brinny, and do the fix!

 

 

 

It is in the space between the bottom rear of the engine and the gearbox, effectively it covers the open bottom of the gearbox bellhousing/engine join. You cannot miss it! The black thing between the silver and the green in this photo.

 

 

 

What a sensible place to place an oil filter! The six, like so many other cars, have it mounted to the side of the engine where it vomits oil all over the engine every time it is replaced.