Hey all, just purchased my first camaro few months ago and got it relatively cheap. When I bought it no leaks were present, but realized after the car starts cooling down it leaks a few drops every time, but not a lot. One mechanic said oil pan had a leak (but wouldnt that be a constant drip?), but I was thinking head gasket? It runs fine until it starts heating up, then the idling goes from 750 rpm down to 550 rpm. I'm new to typical engine problems so any ideas?

P.S.- My wipers only work on high as well, so would that be a wiper motor issue or the switch?

Thanks!

 

550 is about normal for a warmed up engine with a auto trans. idle a little higher when cold. leak could be oil pan, valve covers, intake manifold. head gasket doesnt ussually leak oil to the outside of the motor.

 

Alright well thanks for clearing up the rpm thing, other cars I've driven always idle'd at 750 so I was just wondering. And if it was the oil pan wouldnt it be a steady leak?

 

No, not unless you have a hole lower in the pan, or if it's coming from the drain plug.
If the oil pan is leaking around a gasket or seal, oil will get squeezed out while the engine is running. Then it runs off and drips on the ground. That would also mean that you would have a constant slow drip-drip-drip as you drive. Then when you park it, a few more drips fall. At rest, the oil isn't up that high to be against the gasket, which is why the drips would stop (assuming that's where your leak is).

 

Clean the engine compartment, then you will have a better idea where its comming from.

 

Ok I'll see how big the hole is and maybe I can temporarily plug it for now. I know replacing the oil pan is a big pain since the motor has to be removed, and I don't have the knowledge/time/money to have that done. Thanks guys.

Now any info on the wiper situation?

 

I would clean under the hood, and watch for fresh oil. It could be anything, valve covers on these cars leak sometimes, oil pan gaskets occasionally fail, the rear main also could be the culprit. It's hard to tell if the leak is old since the oil is going to be just about everywhere.

Can't offer any help on the wipers, say for basic diagnostics, check the relays, fuses, etc., maybe tap the wires to see if you loose continuity when you flip the switch to the position where they stop functioning. Could be a variety of things wrong, hard to guess via internet.

 

wipers could be the switch or the motor or bad wire. wiper motor is a pita to change but not difficult. the switch is easy, the only thing is they dont make the 93 switch. u can get a 94-96 (or 7 not sure could go to 99) and they work but the color of the letters are white not yellow. have u had any other problems with any of the other things on the blinker switch. when mine went in the last 93 i had, the cruise control button quit working. i have not heard of a wiper switch going on here yet so i would say its not a regular thing to go. had the wiper motor in the first 93 go so i got to get up under there and change it. wasnt the motor on it though it was the cuircut board that went and it would not park the wipers down. they worked other than not going down after turning them off. i changed the whole unit though, figured the motor would soon follow and go bad.

 

depending on where the oil leak is at and u want to temporaraly fix it, pick up a tube of RTV, its a silicone gasket maker. The red stuff is for high temp uses...just a temporary fix until you can replace the entire gasket, if thats where its coming from...

 

Everything else on the switch works, so maybe it is the circuit board, since it sounds like the problem you had. It works on high, but if i turn it one click it stops where ever it is, unless i fully turn it off. The circuit board a hard/expensive fix?