Every now and then I like to get up under my truck and have a look just to make sure nothing is leaking (IMO NOTHING should leak in a truck, period) So I'm crawling around and I see that the passenger side of the oil pan is wet with oil (i'm guessing). However, I can't tell if it is due to a leak or if it is from when the oil filter was last changed and possibly dripped oil on it. I'll let you be the judge

Pic 1

this picture is from the bottom of the truck looking at the passenger side of the oil pan. I have highlighted teh wet areas



Pic 2

this picture is looking directly under the oil pan up to the motor. My intent here was to show the motor above. The block is clean with no hint of oil. The oil wet area only appears around the oil pan gasket



Pic 3

This last picture is of my directly underneath the oil filter. As you can see, the wires under it are moist/wet which would indicate that the oil filter is leaking, or that during the last oil change that it spilled oil onto the wires




I should note that I had my last oil change almost 3000 miles ago. I let the dealer do it because I get free oil changes for life. I'm just wanting to get some opinions before I have to burn a day and take it to the dealers to get looked at. I'm hoping that during the last oil change, the technition got a little sloppy and dripped oil.

 

You might think about trying the old cardboard method, let her sit
overnight & check for drips. Even If the leaks happen during
operation they should still drip a little while she is resting.

I wish my rig was as clean as yours underneath.. ...good luck....HOUTEX

 

Oh yea,, make sure your oil filter is good n tight too.

 

My oil pan looks like that as well, maybe not quite that bad, but leaking a tad. It never leaves drips in the driveway, nor does it seem to get any worse, it's just there...

 

Thats not a leak in my opinion.Its a minor seepage from the bolt itself.

 

It looks like the bolt might ge seeping just a bit, if its driving you that crazy put a little oil dye in the engine. After a couple hundred miles climb under it with a black light and check it out.

 

I just changed my oil and my oil pan looks exactly the same. I have 30K on it. I thought about tightening the bolts on the pan just a touch but ran out of time. Maybe next week. I am going to keep on eye on it and if it keeps seeping then take it in before the 36K mark.

 

Mine also looks like that, not on the wires though.

 

The oil on the wires is probably just a little spillage from the filter change. If you aren't careful you will spill a little when lowering the filter. I have done it, just not very often.

 

did you check the oil pan bolts???
did you check the oil filter????
i hear that these filters must be really tight or they will back off some in a couple thousand miles, then you got a mess!

 

I agree with checking oil pan screw torque.

I have heard about the oil pan gasket "relaxing" or taking a set. Re-torque seems to fix (at least for another 30k:-)

 

Okay, I feel somewhat better now. I'll retorque the bolts clean it up and give it another 500-1000 miles to see if it comes back. I try and do everything i can to keep it from the dealers.

By the way, does anyone know the correct torque required for the bolts ?


pullin hard, I did recheck the oil filter. It wasn't just very loose, but I was able to twist it about another 1/4-1/2"

dp