Hello guys!

The time before last that I changed the oil, the Costco tech sprayed a clear under the tranny and oil pan and transfer case, and it all became shiny again. The last time I went to change the oil, the only place with oil marks dripping was the oil pan, from a bolt up on the right side of the pan.

Meaning if I'm standing under the car, facing forward, on the passenger side, looking up, I see the leak from a bolt above.... It may be a bolt going into the engine bay, or oil pan, I don't know.

I seem to not have taken pics when the car was on the lift, but there weren't many bolts around.

The part nmbr 90040-p8a-a01 and a00 (washer) are for a bolt in a close - or same location - but they say they are a drain plug ?? I thought the drain plug was below the pan not to it's side...

Anyone had this kind of leak and/or knows what bolt i'm talking about? Also, on the parts map, it is number 16. There's a number 15 that appears to go thru it?

I need to know what to buy and replace.

Thank you!

 

Any way you can post the part map you’re referring?

 

how many thousand miles you have on the car?

 

Well this is a map:



What i bought was 16 & 17. Did install them yet. Still unsure.

The description I gave above is for anyone who knows the car from below by heart, or if anyone raises one, maybe they can tell me what or which that bolt that I describe above is.

 

About 103K.

 

I was taking another look at this diagram, the bolt sold to me at the dealer, and washer, seem to have another part going through them - if that's possible, number 15 above, called : "Bolt, Breathing".

Anyone knows the function of that? Breathing what? and could this leak engine oil?

 

I believe bolt #15 is the drain plug for the engine's coolant. It looks similar to a bleeder on a brake caliper.

 

Would it leak oil?

 

Seriously guys? No one is able to help me with this?

 

I’m gonna second what looks like coolant drain point for the block. I don’t know he 3.7 design but based on seeing other vehicles that’s what that looks like. Shouldn’t leak oil from that point directly. Are you sure is isn’t coming down from the valve covers and stopping there?

 

You sure it's not your power steering pump? I was trying to decipher what you're describing...

 

COuld very well be based on the description? I was basing my opinion on the diagram

 

Found this photo on an MDX forum, but all J-series V6s are similar in design. This view is from behind the passenger wheel looking up. The down arrow points to bolt #15 (yours might not be copper in color). Is that the same bolt you're looking at on your vehicle? If that leaks, it would leak coolant, not oil.

 

I don't see how it could leak from that breather bolt unless someone has touched it.

Could very well be a valve cover leak as mentioned above..

 

the power steering fluid looks a lot like fresh oil...
whole passenger side of engine and it wasn't obvious coming off the pump at all...
until I changed all the o-rings on it.

 

Thank you for the replies..

It's my mistake surely not to have taken a picture of it when it was up.

But I don't know if its even that breather anymore since the picture posted by ctyper does not look like what i saw.

That bolt is sticking out to the right side. remember, I'm standing below the car, a bit behind the oil pan, on the passenger side, facing forward and looking up. The bolt was above screwed in from the right side. I did not pay attention if it was going into the oil pan, or the engine bay, but if engine bay, it's not too high up above the pan. The oil runs down in a couple of lines on the side of the pan until below it. And it's not much.

The Costco guy had said this is engine oil, but he certainly could've been fooled... but I have not had to top off the PS oil, and it's been borderline on minimum for a long while.
And the previous oil change, he had sprayed a cleaner all over above and below, so as next change we could clearly see the source, and the source was that bolt.

The valve covers can be viewed from under the hood no?



I will try and get the car lifted soon hopefully this weekend, and take pictures of it, either way.

 

I think you're chasing a drip...that bolt is probably just a low point and had oil/fluid on it...not the source.
I can almost assure you...can't begin to tell you how many times I am baffled at how wind or whatever has put oil in the oddest spots...
only obvious to me once I track down the source.

What about your oil pump seal...oil filter seal...vtec solenoid gasket...

 

Gonna lift it and take a picture.<br /><br />But if i can see any of those from under the hood, plz tell me I'll take pics of those to make sure, including valve cover.<br /><br />I just don't know where they are. On the Audi much was right there staring at you.

 

the valve covers?

they are the big things sitting right there tucked under the intake...one on rear, one up front.

 

There's 2 valve covers, 1 for the front head and 1 for the rear head. Once you take the engine cover off there's one on either side of the intake manifold.

 

I feel like maybe we're getting punked here...
ain't no way someone looking for a valve cover leak doesn't know what a valve cover looks like...

almost had us!
You're good, you!

 

Punked? Almost had you?

Easy on the stuff rockstar.

 

LOL...
just odd that someone that's mechanically inclined enough to troubleshoot would have a hard time finding the valve covers, that's all.
I don't even drink anymore...

 

Just didn't think much.. Someone, or two, mentioned valve covers, and you mentioned other things, so i was making sure where everything was and if they are visible from under the hood, including that, since I never had to take out the plastic covers on my car. knock on wood. The Audi had a tiny black thing with most the engine exposed. Not this.

When you own a reliable car like this, you forget what an engine looks like! I'm playing drums on wood at this point.

 

LMAO...
whatever works, man...
for what it's worth, I had a small weep of oil from the oil pump on my last TL...never even left drops on the driveway...just annoyed me.

 

Its #8 and #10 on the above..the gaskets that is. #3 and #7 are actual covers...theyre called cylinder head covers but same thing

 

Yea this is a small one too - no oil on the floor i think.... but i wanna know what it is.

Thanks!

I've seen oil marks lead to a bolt see from below the car as described above. Those seem to be invisible from below maybe? not sure.

But I am hoping to raise the car to change the tranny oil, or ill wait until engine oil if not, and will make sure to take pictures for you guys.

 

The best way to see if valve covers are leaking is to look at plug wells if theres oil in wells or on the plug your gaskets are leaking. Just did this job on my x5 and looked dry until I popped the appearance panels and voila...oil and with only 49k miles. Again, no drips on ground but shop spotted it along with CPS and Vanos seals leaking.

I think a pic will help these folks better diagnosis or suggest possible point(s) of origin.

EDIT: Im also with rockstar too saying leaks are tricky bastards where the oil ends up may be giving a false positive as to the origin. You might have to play detective as well a bit. Might also help if you can find a semi "clean" spot with the oil and dab on white sheet of paper might help identify fluid by color?

 

Seems to be the oil pump gasket.

Does that make sense given the oil bleed seems coming from one bolt?

 

When my oil pump seal started leaking, oil would accumulate around the oil drain plug bolt. That's the only place I could see oil drip from.

 

I suppose that's it.

I feel dumb i didn't do it with the timing belt. Gotta remove that apparently to get to it. 1500 canadians is the estimate to change a bloody gasket.

 

that's why i left it alone on mine...

 

Yea same situation. Bleed, no oil on the floor.

Think its why I'm losing half a liter every month?

 

It could be, although that's a lot. I barely lost anything over the course of my oil change interval gaps.

 

 

maybe try switching to a synthetic high mileage oil?

 

I know nothing about that. Which brands are best.

Is there a downside to putting that kind of oil? Is it only to reduce the leak of is it better for the engine overall?

Coz this oil is expensive. And I think i may have to fill it elsewhere coz Costco only puts in the manufacturer's specs, and the specs is non synthetic.

 

oh boy.

 

I stick with proven leader Mobil 1. The oil debate has been covered ad nauseum on many forums and I presume here as well but havent confirmed.

Usually all upsides with full synthetic oil with generally longer change intervals, flows better in winter, protects better at higher temps too, better engine wear protection etc. I generally use it on all my vehicles (havent converted land cruiser over yet) now as prices have dropped significantly and I can easily get at Walmart now too its a no brainer.

 

confirmed. here as well.