small oil leak teaspoon size
#1
09-06-2017, 09:21 PM
small oil leak teaspoon size
hi,
i will make this short
i drive out an indoor underground garage.
once in a while i hear a scrape
under the car without a hydraulic jack, there's no damage to the driveshaft, nothing in other words is dangling, etc.
upon parking the car and leaving my spot i notice brownish teaspoon-size drops that is probably motor oil
*note I had an oil leak repaired 2 years ago and a repair shop charged me $430
a Camaro 4th gen's autoparts when doing an oil leak repair is labor intensive
is that so for small oil leaks like the one mine seems to be?
would a small oil leak cost me $430 again? or a lot cheaper?
(it may be that a small leak or large leak, the parts have to get access to and it's a LOT of labor intensive work and thus pricey at any shop)
also, i feel bad...is driving up a 30 degree incline upon leaving underground parking like the one at Long Beach Tower in the original Gone in 60 Seconds film, and hearing a scrape...does that mean that over time I have caused another leak?
*I kind of wanted some closure that I had nothing to do with this yet another oil leak problem--you don't think so do you?
ok thanks for any constructive help u can provide me, members.
i will make this short
i drive out an indoor underground garage.
once in a while i hear a scrape
under the car without a hydraulic jack, there's no damage to the driveshaft, nothing in other words is dangling, etc.
upon parking the car and leaving my spot i notice brownish teaspoon-size drops that is probably motor oil
*note I had an oil leak repaired 2 years ago and a repair shop charged me $430
a Camaro 4th gen's autoparts when doing an oil leak repair is labor intensive
is that so for small oil leaks like the one mine seems to be?
would a small oil leak cost me $430 again? or a lot cheaper?
(it may be that a small leak or large leak, the parts have to get access to and it's a LOT of labor intensive work and thus pricey at any shop)
also, i feel bad...is driving up a 30 degree incline upon leaving underground parking like the one at Long Beach Tower in the original Gone in 60 Seconds film, and hearing a scrape...does that mean that over time I have caused another leak?
*I kind of wanted some closure that I had nothing to do with this yet another oil leak problem--you don't think so do you?
ok thanks for any constructive help u can provide me, members.
#3
09-07-2017, 10:04 AM
Thanks for your input, Craby.
*Yes 30 degree incline upwards I sometimes hear a scrape.
sometimes, I don't.
I may have to drive one smooth flow up the grade? I don't know.
Just to add a tad of entertainment & lighten up this problem
If you look at a youtube video of "Gone in 60 Seconds," 1974.
The auto thief, Mr. Pace, drives out of the world famous Long Beach International Towers at a 30 deg. angle near the end of the film in a yellow Ford Mustang he called "Eleanor."
That's what I have to do each time I exit my garage, it's that same angle.
If I drove more slowly up the grade or faster I may avoid that scrape, I really don't know the physics of like I'd imagine having a better Arc? or curvature?
Mind you I'm driving out an underground indoor parking lot of an apt. complex at 2 mi. per hour max or less, so I would think that @ that low speed, it can't be too much damage in 1 yr and 8 mos. since my last oil leak repair.
4th Gen is a low to the ground vehicle and thus can scrape on pot holes speed bumps etc., so we all know to be careful when it comes to high grade terrain....
I know you all are DIY, but as an interesting note to those who use auto shops here on this forum or when they are too busy to do DIY, go to a trusty auto shop and a mechanic they've got a good long loyal relationship with....
Would it be a good idea to take it to the same auto shop that did the oil leak and charged me $430?
I mean I went without an oil leak for 2 years (actually 1 year and 8 months)
He may charge me a lot less than $430?
It may have been he didn't even do a good enough job the 1st time around?
...or and here's the zinger....1 year & 8 mos. of driving 6,000 miles a year in my Camaro (that's what I drive a year only 2 motor oil changes a year!)....after a $430 oil leak means the mechanic who did the $430 oil leak did NOT do a good enough job and depreciation / wear and tear can't account for this new oil leak you have today.
Thanks, and keep the faith
we're can-do people! I have a healthy "Arnie Cunningham-Christine" obsession with keeping my Camaro healthy
*Yes 30 degree incline upwards I sometimes hear a scrape.
sometimes, I don't.
I may have to drive one smooth flow up the grade? I don't know.
Just to add a tad of entertainment & lighten up this problem
If you look at a youtube video of "Gone in 60 Seconds," 1974.
The auto thief, Mr. Pace, drives out of the world famous Long Beach International Towers at a 30 deg. angle near the end of the film in a yellow Ford Mustang he called "Eleanor."
That's what I have to do each time I exit my garage, it's that same angle.
If I drove more slowly up the grade or faster I may avoid that scrape, I really don't know the physics of like I'd imagine having a better Arc? or curvature?
Mind you I'm driving out an underground indoor parking lot of an apt. complex at 2 mi. per hour max or less, so I would think that @ that low speed, it can't be too much damage in 1 yr and 8 mos. since my last oil leak repair.
4th Gen is a low to the ground vehicle and thus can scrape on pot holes speed bumps etc., so we all know to be careful when it comes to high grade terrain....
I know you all are DIY, but as an interesting note to those who use auto shops here on this forum or when they are too busy to do DIY, go to a trusty auto shop and a mechanic they've got a good long loyal relationship with....
Would it be a good idea to take it to the same auto shop that did the oil leak and charged me $430?
I mean I went without an oil leak for 2 years (actually 1 year and 8 months)
He may charge me a lot less than $430?
It may have been he didn't even do a good enough job the 1st time around?
...or and here's the zinger....1 year & 8 mos. of driving 6,000 miles a year in my Camaro (that's what I drive a year only 2 motor oil changes a year!)....after a $430 oil leak means the mechanic who did the $430 oil leak did NOT do a good enough job and depreciation / wear and tear can't account for this new oil leak you have today.
Thanks, and keep the faith
we're can-do people! I have a healthy "Arnie Cunningham-Christine" obsession with keeping my Camaro healthy
#4
09-07-2017, 02:15 PM
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Tokeland, Washington
Posts: 21,753
i hit the air dam in the front sometimes going over bigger grades. also hit the tunnel brace thats behind the trans mount. i can say that my oil pan and trans pan plugs are a pain to get a good seal on, wonder if that could be it.
#5
09-07-2017, 02:43 PM
his hourly labor is $95
I don't plan on spending more than $540 which includes parts, taxes, and labor.
"a pain to get a good seal on" (meaning a "good seal" was probably not applied the 1st time.)
he probably quit early just cos it was a pain
w/o naming names of shops, the front desk dude who is also one of the mechanics always wears lots of clothes and sniffles in 70 deg fahr year round so. cal weather....so...im thinking both young and immature and lazy and also a functioning crystal meth user
no slight on him...but lots of ppl sadly use this junk to stay up long hours and work on cars.
they are often hot and cold and if they sniffle, it's usually cos they sniff that glass
the older guy which is his neighbor / competiton is probably who i should go to
#7
09-07-2017, 03:16 PM
..also when i spoke with a staff member letting him know how much business i gave him including the $430 oil leak fix and a couple of yelp dot com reviews...he couldnt give me a range, an average cost... he also said he didnt need to dye to find the leak, he could eyeball it. so this guy i definitely should pass up.... his hourly rates are $10 cheaper just because he probably takes short cuts. i mean i chose him since his shop had great reviews...but now i guess he was upset seeing me at his neighbor or competition. i will go to his neighbor, his neighbor has an older staff of techs and he charges more so my 2nd go to repair shop dude will not take short cuts.
#8
09-07-2017, 03:21 PM
anyone else want to weigh in? i don't think this should cost more than $540 including labor and taxes even at $95 an hour labor.... there should be a max for this type of job if there's no a median or average. i mean lets say we make adjustments for it taking longer...it should still not cost more than $550 at most quality repair shops, right?
#9
09-07-2017, 08:27 PM
There is nothing to weigh in on. The reason NO ONE, your shop included, can tell you a price is because there is no way to know. If the oil leak is from a oil plug it may just need a new seal, That's a $3 dollar seal and if you do an oil change at the same time there should be NO labor. If the engine block is crack and oil is pushing its way out then its a 3k repair. So there is your quote, Somewhere between $3 and $3000.
There are dozens of places for oil to leak, Just because you fixed one almost 2 years ago has almost no effect on knowing what is leaking now. Heck after 2 year it could be the same thing you fixed last time. When I was a mechanic all I did was warranty work. In a lot of cases I was fixing cars with less then 1000 miles on them. Anything man made can be defective and fail.
As the car ages the engine wears, the rings seal the combustion cambers are a major wear point. As these ring wear more combustion gases get into the motor. At some point it will start to build pressure inside the motor. At that point the motor will leak oil and there is no way to fix it. I am not say you are there but if you are driving a 25 year old car you can go nuts chasing down every oil leaks. With a few exceptions oil leaks do not hurt anything as long as you don't ever let the car get below the 1 quart mark on the dip stick.
In the early 80's GM started painting their engines Black, before that they had a famous chevy orange. GM did not hide the reason they changed the color, with the new extended warranties (3 years 36,000 miles) GM wanted the oil leaks harder to see.
There are dozens of places for oil to leak, Just because you fixed one almost 2 years ago has almost no effect on knowing what is leaking now. Heck after 2 year it could be the same thing you fixed last time. When I was a mechanic all I did was warranty work. In a lot of cases I was fixing cars with less then 1000 miles on them. Anything man made can be defective and fail.
As the car ages the engine wears, the rings seal the combustion cambers are a major wear point. As these ring wear more combustion gases get into the motor. At some point it will start to build pressure inside the motor. At that point the motor will leak oil and there is no way to fix it. I am not say you are there but if you are driving a 25 year old car you can go nuts chasing down every oil leaks. With a few exceptions oil leaks do not hurt anything as long as you don't ever let the car get below the 1 quart mark on the dip stick.
In the early 80's GM started painting their engines Black, before that they had a famous chevy orange. GM did not hide the reason they changed the color, with the new extended warranties (3 years 36,000 miles) GM wanted the oil leaks harder to see.
Last edited by Gorn; 09-07-2017 at 08:29 PM.
#10
09-07-2017, 09:51 PM
There is nothing to weigh in on. The reason NO ONE, your shop included, can tell you a price is because there is no way to know. If the oil leak is from a oil plug it may just need a new seal, That's a $3 dollar seal and if you do an oil change at the same time there should be NO labor. If the engine block is crack and oil is pushing its way out then its a 3k repair. So there is your quote, Somewhere between $3 and $3000.
There are dozens of places for oil to leak, Just because you fixed one almost 2 years ago has almost no effect on knowing what is leaking now. Heck after 2 year it could be the same thing you fixed last time. When I was a mechanic all I did was warranty work. In a lot of cases I was fixing cars with less then 1000 miles on them. Anything man made can be defective and fail.
As the car ages the engine wears, the rings seal the combustion cambers are a major wear point. As these ring wear more combustion gases get into the motor. At some point it will start to build pressure inside the motor. At that point the motor will leak oil and there is no way to fix it. I am not say you are there but if you are driving a 25 year old car you can go nuts chasing down every oil leaks. With a few exceptions oil leaks do not hurt anything as long as you don't ever let the car get below the 1 quart mark on the dip stick.
In the early 80's GM started painting their engines Black, before that they had a famous chevy orange. GM did not hide the reason they changed the color, with the new extended warranties (3 years 36,000 miles) GM wanted the oil leaks harder to see.
There are dozens of places for oil to leak, Just because you fixed one almost 2 years ago has almost no effect on knowing what is leaking now. Heck after 2 year it could be the same thing you fixed last time. When I was a mechanic all I did was warranty work. In a lot of cases I was fixing cars with less then 1000 miles on them. Anything man made can be defective and fail.
As the car ages the engine wears, the rings seal the combustion cambers are a major wear point. As these ring wear more combustion gases get into the motor. At some point it will start to build pressure inside the motor. At that point the motor will leak oil and there is no way to fix it. I am not say you are there but if you are driving a 25 year old car you can go nuts chasing down every oil leaks. With a few exceptions oil leaks do not hurt anything as long as you don't ever let the car get below the 1 quart mark on the dip stick.
In the early 80's GM started painting their engines Black, before that they had a famous chevy orange. GM did not hide the reason they changed the color, with the new extended warranties (3 years 36,000 miles) GM wanted the oil leaks harder to see.
