nbr: car advice - oil leak

[dextersaurus]

Hi guys.

So I've got an oil leak in my car, coming from just behind the sump. Its not been too bad but when I got up this morning there was a decent patch of oil on the ground, and the underside of the sump and gearbox are covered in oil.

So, what's the best thing to do about it? Its not really a disposable car as its got low milage and still got a lot of life in it...

I'm guessing I could ask my mate (who owns a garage) to pull the engine and re-do the sump gasket? Any idea how much this would cost normally? Hell probably charge me for parts and next to no labour, but its just if worst comes to worst, and I'm needing to get its 75k service stamped in the book.

Car is a 1.6 citroen xsara vtr.

Cheers.

Dunc

[Kickstart]

Hi

Depends on the particular car (and I don't know that car). On some taking off the sump is an easy job, while on others it might be difficult as the gearbox casing is in the way.

If a simple type then you could probably do it on the drive in a couple of hours with little effort (time taken because you need to be clean, will be working on the ground and they sometimes have a hell of a lot of small bolts rather than a couple of large ones.

All the best

Keith
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[tatfan]

If it's leaking quite a bit over night, put a bucket or something similar under the car, where it drips. In the morning, pour leaked oil into engine. Therefore, no oil loss.

[mrtEE]

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[Rogerborg]

I'd value a 75K Xsara as scrap plus a bag of crisps[1], before you go ahead and spend any money on it.

[1] From a supermarket branded multipack.
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[dextersaurus]

[pits]

use a funnel system to catch the oil and then put it back in the engine
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[Poseidon]

[Shaft]

[dextersaurus]

[jimspeed]

It would be unusual for the sump gasket to leak that badly suddenly and also when parked the oil level would be below the gasket level.
If its a steel sump you may find that its rusted thru (yea sounds daft but seen loads) or ot could be being pumped out thru a leaking seal like on the oil filter, either way you need to get it cleaned up and find where its coming from as once it gets into the front suspension rubbers it will quickly kill them.
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[Robby]

Jimspeed is correct here. It's fairly unusual for a sump gasket that has never been disturbed to start leaking. They are a shaped rubber gasket usually, so substantial, and the constant exposure to warm oil stops them from drying out and cracking as rubber can.

More likely, in my experience, is a sump plug or oil filter that has worked slightly loose.

Degrease the area, check the sump plug and oil filter are screwed in, then start up and see where it's leaking from. If you fully degrease and clean the area (a ballache, I know) you can dust with talcum powder to find a leak easily.

[dextersaurus]

Cheers guys.

Gasket was just a rough guess as it seems to be in that area.

We'll get the car up on the 2 post and have a look-see underneath...

Hopefully it's something simple like the oil filter as that'll be getting changed anyway.

Cheers

Dunc