If you spot a puddle of oil in your driveway, you may start to wonder, “Why is oil leaking from my car?” It’s disconcerting and not what you’ve come to expect from the car you use near Rockland, Plymouth, and Weymouth, Massachusetts. To soothe your mind and educate you at the same time, MINI of Rockland can explain it all.
Maybe you don’t even know that oil is leaking from your car. Whether you’ve seen a puddle or not, it’s best to learn the other signs, so you’ll know when to take your car in for service.
Your engine may smoke, or you may smell burning oil when you have a leak. The engine will smoke because the oil may be leaking onto the exhaust manifold, which may indicate that your engine is overheating. The burning oil smell may stem from oil dripping onto the hot engine parts. If you listen closely, you may even hear a sizzle when this happens.
If your car does not contain enough oil, your oil pressure light may beam from the dashboard. This will let you know that you’re losing precious oil and do not have enough to perform its usual tasks.
Many situations could cause the oil leak in your car. Some you may not be aware of, so let’s go over them for future reference.
Broken gaskets or worn-out seals may cause an oil leak in your car. These items do wear out eventually with regular usage, so make sure that you’re getting regular oil changes. A conscientious service technician can inspect the system and check if anything needs to be replaced.
Maybe when you had your most recent oil change a faulty filter was used. Or it could be that it was incorrectly replaced, so this could very well result in unexpected leaks. Or the oil drain plug wasn’t tightened enough to keep the oil contained.
A damaged oil pan could be the culprit. Maybe you hit something on the road or had a minor accident that caused the damage. If this happens, you most likely will see a major puddle in your driveway.
Make sure that you’re keeping up with regular oil changes. The debris and matter that builds up for months and miles in the oil can be very dirty and ineffective for performing its job. This could weaken the gaskets and other items.
We do not recommend driving with an oil leak because it could be dangerous if it’s severe. If you need to drive to our service center or your oil levels look pretty good, by all means, you can drive, but it’s best to make and keep a service appointment. Your car could endure permanent damage, or the car could overheat and cause a fire.
When you’re wondering, “Why is oil leaking from my car?” feel free to contact MINI of Rockland. We can resolve an oil leak and many other issues that may arise after driving every day around Rockland, Plymouth, and Weymouth, MA. Schedule service online and let us know what we can do for you!
