Oil is leaking under van - advice?

[caseyc]

The other day I noticed oil leaking from my 1995 Ford E150 van. Should I worry about this? Or just add more oil to make up for the loss?

I don't see any visible signs of oil leaking under the hood in the engine area. But I did see a number of oil drip spots on the ground after parking for an hour. Small amounts of oil drips are coming from approximately the center of the van onto the ground. Is this a costly repair to try to fix, or am I worrying too much?

Also, is there an easy way to read the oil level on the dip stick? That dip stip is so long to pull out, and I'm finding it hard to read if it's below the full level. It appears the oil level is below the full level, but I can't be sure. I should probably go to Jiffy Lube and have them figure it out.

Suggestions on what to do anyone?

 

[Patrick46]

first...make sure your van is sitting level, and it's best if it hasn't run in maybe 20 minutes. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it off well with a paper towel, stick it back in for a count of 5, and pull it out and check it.

You can seriously damage engine seals by overfilling it with oil, if it doesn't need it. DON'T DO THIS!

If it's coming from the center of the van, it could be the rear seal on the transmission. Is the fluid red? Do you know the difference in tranny fluid over motor oil by smell?? Have you even changed the oil in the in awhile???

If this is outside your scope, then I'd say YES...definately take it to the pros. Money well spent. You don't wanna wreck your van's engine or trans by fooling around if you don't have the correct knowledge of what/why/how.

 

[caseyc]

So it might be transmission fluid? I don't know the difference. I did take a white napkin and wiped the fluid off the ground and it was dark, about the same color as motor oil. But I don't know.

Now I'm wondering if I should take it to a Ford repair dealer instead of Jiffy Lube?

 

[Van-Tramp]

First; do not go to Jiffy Lube for advice on vehicle repair, that is like going to McDonalds for advice on burgers. Bring it to a proper tech, but know that anyone you bring this too will find a "major oil leak" and bring you a very large estimate to repair. The reality may or may not be that, but they are in business to make money, not give you the cheapest/proper repair bill.

I think you will find that most 20 year old vehicles drip oil to one degree or another. Most are completely harmless, but the only way to determine that is with someone who knows what they are doing. If you bring it to a repair place, they know what they are doing of course, but they are driven only by making a profit off you, so you are getting extremely biased advice.

My 1989 van drips a few drips each day (I've never counted exactly, but I see the stain on the concrete below). It has done this for the 4 years I have owned it and I have regularly checked an added oil as needed (about a quart each month). I could bring it into a shop and spend hundreds (or more) to have the leaky seal replaced, but the slight inconvenience of checking my oil regularly is not worth that too me.

With that said, you first need to determine WHAT OIL is actually leaking.
Engine oil will come out black and usually from the drain plug (it may be as simple as tightening the plug) or oil pan gasket both of which are fairly easy and cheap repairs if you do it yourself. The more costly one is when it leaks from the rear-center of your engine (rear main seal).
Transmission oil can come out with a red tint too it and rarely a black-ish color. It will not be coming form the engine, but the transmission behind the engine (about center-length of the van). They usually leak from the from gasket at the bottom of the trans and it too is an easy/cheap fix if you do it yourself. Replace your gasket and trans-oil at the same time and get an annual maintenance item done in the process.
Your power steering hoses or pump may be the actual cause, not engine or trans oil. It too is normally a red-ish tint but comes front the front of your engine area.

So, black or red?
Front of engine, center of engine, or middle of van length-wise?
How many drips per hour or day?
How large is the pool after a day's sitting?
Is it leaking visibly faster with the engine running or stopped?

 

[Patrick46]

Now I'm wondering if I should take it to a Ford repair dealer instead of Jiffy Lube?

well...seeing that it's an older rig and not a nice late model one...I'd probably skip the high costs of a dealer's repair shop.

I'd do a search in 'YELP' or on 'Angies List' for an auto repair shop in your area, that has good customer rating and high satisfaction.
I prefer 'Joe Mechanic' shops over dealerships, because I can ask him questions and advice about my rig and he'll give me honest, quality advice. (be patient with his time schedule as he may be pretty busy.)
His rates will likely be HALF of what a factory dealer repair shop will charge you, and this (seriously) isn't a huge job to someone who knows what they're doing. It's likely just a seal replacement, and it'd probably be a good idea to have your fluids changed out at the same time anyway...(if you like this rig)

It's nice to have a local mechanic shop that you can trust to do a good job for you, and who's not gonna do unnecessary repairs or replace stuff that ain't really broken.

Good luck and let us know what ya find out.

 

[Patrick46]

Nothin' against Caseyc...but if reading a dipstick properly is an issue, then I'd leave any and ALL repairs to the people who know what they're doing. Ya don't wanna start wrenching on stuff if you're not sure of what you're doing is even right. This is how things can go from bad to worse!!!

have someone else check this out for you. no problemo

 

[caseyc]

Thanks for the input. Wow, so many variables!

I'll try to answer your questions...

So, black or red?
I'd say black for sure, didn't see any red color on the white napkin.

Front of engine, center of engine, or middle of van length-wise?
Leak only coming from one position, which is approx directly center of van, a bit behind the front wheels. Length-wise, it's pretty much nearly the center. Width-wise, leaks are coming from behind the front tires/wheels.

How many drips per hour or day?
After parked for less than 2 hours, I noticed several drip spots (5 to 7) on the ground spaced within approx a 12 inch diameter area.

How large is the pool after a day's sitting?
I only just noticed this yesterday, so haven't seen what it's like after an entire day sitting. But it's not large, maybe half an once worth of drips after a couple hours parked.

Is it leaking visibly faster with the engine running or stopped?
I only checked with the engine stopped, not running, so I can't say.

Should I still go to Jiffy Lube to get an oil change, in case it's leaking oil? I'm pretty sure the oil is low after checking the long-@ss dip stick a number of times. From what I can tell, the level is below the full line.

Assuming if Jiffy Lube can even provide me an accurate report on what's leaking, I would never get anything repaired there. I'd either take it to my personal mechanic that I trust, or go to the Ford dealer.

I don't know if this is related, but I recently noticed the transmission to be a little sluggish going from a stopped position to drive, especially going up a hill. I don't know if this is from the excess weight of the vehicle, or maybe from whatever fluid is leaking out underneath van?

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Knowing how that van is overloaded, I'd strain if I were that drivetrain too.

If what you're seeing in black drips, I'd say you're due for an oil change. If its tranny fluid you're way past service on that. If tranny fluid smells burnt or looks brownish its needs complete service.

To start with, I'd go to a DYI carwash and spray off the underside from both sides and even wipe off the area to get rid of any oily stuff. This will make it easier to see just where its coming from.
Go get the oil changed and have the guy show you how to read the stick (oil and tranny) properly. Keep an eye on the stick every few days and the drips...find where its coming from and how much per day.
As VT noted, it may not be worth screwing with if you keep your levels up to par.

Since you're urban based, you might consider getting a small storage to get some of that weight off your rig. A 150 is a scant 1/2 ton and I'd say you're pushing well past that. Personally, I wouldn't have anything less than a 250 (3/4 ton) for a campervan, but prefer the 1 ton we have.

---

I had the all seals replaced in my 96 Ford van and it was a pretty hefty ticket.
Seems like it was around $800, as I remember.


`

 

[caseyc]

Yes, truth be told, that freakin' 5 feet long dip stick is hard to read, even pulling it out is a challenge, haha! So I better leave this to the professionals!

By the way, yes, in fact, I will be offloading those large cargo boxes to a friend's garage. I am actually worried the extra weight is straining the entire vehicle. Will be doing this project next week.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Not matter if the dipstick is long...gotta know how to read the damn thing. If you're gonna live in a motor box ya gotta know a few of the basics.
Might be time for you to enroll in a class at the community college, my friend

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Casey,

You mentioned that the fluid seemed to be under the full mark.

You should understand that all dipsticks - engine oil, transmission, even the one in the power steering cap - have both a FULL and an ADD OIL or ADD FLUID mark.

Anywhere between the FULL and ADD mark is fine. You don't add fluid until it's down to or below the ADD mark. Too much fluid is not a good thing - it can actually cause seals to start leaking.

On the oil stick, the ADD mark usually means add a quart. On the tranny stick, it usually means to add a pint.

Regards
John

 

[caseyc]

Thanks for the input! I think for now, I will go to Jiffy Lube and simply have them change the oil. I normally don't trust Jiffey Lube for anything, but this same place has changed the oil in my van two times without screwing up anything. I would not trust them to actually repair anything though. Hopefully, they can at least tell me what kind of fluid is leaking, and I can then go to a *real* mechanic for repairs.

 

[Zil]

Please do not go to Jiffy Lube. Every small town, neighborhood, city has a decent mechanic who will be more than glad to service your fluids, check for leaks, and show you how to check the dip sticks. More than one, you know. Ask around the coffee gangs hanging out and you will find a mechanic.

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Add on; Your leak could have been caused by Jiffy. It would not be unusual.

 

[Patrick46]

Yes, truth be told, that freakin' 5 feet long dip stick is hard to read, even pulling it out is a challenge, haha!

I hate to say this too, but now that you're living in a van, this is a pathetic excuse. (nor is it a funny one)

Learn how to read it and how to correctly handle it, and it's not a big deal.

This is your home now, and you don't want your home locked up in a shop getting rebuilt, and you don't wanna blow your engine out in the middle of nowhere, just because you were too lazy to check your oil, do ya???


I'm not even gonna ask about the condition of your brakes.

 

[PeacefulSoul]

I have found that using a piece of cardboard under the leak will usually tell me what color it is and help identify how much is dripping and where its coming from. Use a white piece. I agree with Zil - unless you personally have a friend at JiffyLube, a local guy would appreciate your money and usually give you much better information.
Also, consider going to your local library and finding a mechanical book on your van. Familiarize yourself with the layout of the engine and systems. Understand the terminology. It will help you identify people that are trying to take you for a ride on service bills. You might even find that some things are pretty easy to fix yourself and will give you a great feeling for having done it yourself!!

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Casey there are two dipsticks in there, one is for your transmission usually the very long one is the transmission, the shorter one is your engine oil. Jiffy lube, any mechanical shop or a knowledgeable friend can check this for you and tell you which is which and teach you how to read it, if you can dial a phone you check your oil.

 

[PastTense]

Casey: have you checked all your fluid levels: oil, transmission, power steering?

---

Sometimes oil pan leaks can be fixed by gently tightening down the bolts.

 

[caseyc]

Oh ****! There was no reading at all on the transmission oil dip stick! The transmission oil was practically all gone! I'm at Jiffy Lube now and the guys showed me the dip stick which was dry. They completely filled the transmission fluid, plus an oil change. It turns out there is no motor oil leak at all, only the transmission fluid. I'm going to fix this leaking problem soon, but I hope there is no permanent damage to the transmission as a result of the leaking. Dang, that was my scare for the day!!

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Jiffy Lube checked all the other fluids which are okay. It was only the transmission fluid that was very low from the leaking. I walked across the street to the Chevron repair where I've had work done before and the mechanic told me it's a minor repair for the transmission fluid leak and should only cost around $200 to fix the leak.

 

[Bandit2]

Glad to see you found the leak before you had major problems .
Personally , I love those " Fast Oil Change " places , even though I would never use one of them , like the previous owner of our 2000 Dodge Maxi-Van did and We are Now driving with a " BRAND NEW MOPAR 5.9 with 26,000 mi. on it , compliment's of XXXXX XXXX .
Bob

 

[caseyc]

I tried going to the Ford dealer for a drop in visit, but that shop was so damn busy that they couldn't see me until later this week. Geez. I'm glad the Jiffy Lube was able to determine the leak. I will go to the Chevron repair that I trust to get the leak fixed soon.