dribble of oil on the driveway
Discussion
took the car out this morning, and from a standing start till about 2 metres there is a very thin line of something, from the bottom of the car and then it stops.
looks like it might be coming from the left of the oil sump (but not the sump itself) from the positioning - although I have no idea what it is.
she drives fine - I havent done anything on her for some weeks when I did the oil change - done about a thousand miles since.
Should I be worried? she hadn't been driven for about a week or so..
looks like it might be coming from the left of the oil sump (but not the sump itself) from the positioning - although I have no idea what it is.
she drives fine - I havent done anything on her for some weeks when I did the oil change - done about a thousand miles since.
Should I be worried? she hadn't been driven for about a week or so..
its very odd, just parked up and a couple more fresh drops are on the drive but nothing major - the cars still hot so dont want to prod about too much, looking at her from the front of the car to the left,(so the drivers side)
i'll tighten up the filter when its cooled, and also check the sump nut to check if it hasnt loosned a bit. I've jacked her up on one side and there is a film of oil over the sump so it may well be from there...
Oil levels are fine overall so she has lost nothing really. Bit worried about it I have to say!
i'll tighten up the filter when its cooled, and also check the sump nut to check if it hasnt loosned a bit. I've jacked her up on one side and there is a film of oil over the sump so it may well be from there...
Oil levels are fine overall so she has lost nothing really. Bit worried about it I have to say!
Did you fit a new washer on the sump nut?
When you fitted a new filter, did you put a thin film of oil on the rubber oil-seal before screwing it on?
There aren't really many things that would leak oil on that side. Just sump-nut, oil-filter or head/cam gasket. Have you given it a sniff? Are you sure it's engine oil and not clutch fluid?
When you fitted a new filter, did you put a thin film of oil on the rubber oil-seal before screwing it on?
There aren't really many things that would leak oil on that side. Just sump-nut, oil-filter or head/cam gasket. Have you given it a sniff? Are you sure it's engine oil and not clutch fluid?
MX-5 Lazza said:
Did you fit a new washer on the sump nut?
When you fitted a new filter, did you put a thin film of oil on the rubber oil-seal before screwing it on?
There aren't really many things that would leak oil on that side. Just sump-nut, oil-filter or head/cam gasket. Have you given it a sniff? Are you sure it's engine oil and not clutch fluid?
Hi Lazza. Yep new washer on the sump nut, I primed the filter and put some oil in the oil seal before putting it back on. When you fitted a new filter, did you put a thin film of oil on the rubber oil-seal before screwing it on?
There aren't really many things that would leak oil on that side. Just sump-nut, oil-filter or head/cam gasket. Have you given it a sniff? Are you sure it's engine oil and not clutch fluid?
What does clutch fluid smell like?> I'm fairly certain its engine oil - it looks fresh and clear!
ETA: the oil filter had a tiny bit of give, say 2cms or so, so I tightened it back up..
Looking also at the gasket cover - what I thought was dirt could well be oil at the back - it may be worth replacing the gasket cover and the Cam Sensor 'O' Ring thing? its only 12 quid or so for the 2!
Edited by princeperch on Thursday 9th October 14:07
Edited by princeperch on Thursday 9th October 14:21
would someone be kind enough to confirm these are the 2 parts I need to buy
http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/product...
http://www.jimparts.co.uk/shopping_cart.php
?
From the oily marks at the back of the cover I suspect it might well be the gasket, I think the filter can be ruled out as can the sump - if the sump plug was loose I would think it would have dumped more than a couple of spots of oil over the driveway!
ta
Well I've ordered those 2 bits and a mobile mechanic I know said he'll sort it out for £20.00. He did ask whether there was a seperate half moon section for the gasket at the back or if its encorporated into the valve cover gasket - I assume from the picture that its encorporated in the kit i've brought from mx5parts.
If it only costs 40 quid all in all i'll be a happy man. Thought it was going to be a tad more expensive than that this morning!
http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/product...
http://www.jimparts.co.uk/shopping_cart.php
?
From the oily marks at the back of the cover I suspect it might well be the gasket, I think the filter can be ruled out as can the sump - if the sump plug was loose I would think it would have dumped more than a couple of spots of oil over the driveway!
ta
Well I've ordered those 2 bits and a mobile mechanic I know said he'll sort it out for £20.00. He did ask whether there was a seperate half moon section for the gasket at the back or if its encorporated into the valve cover gasket - I assume from the picture that its encorporated in the kit i've brought from mx5parts.
If it only costs 40 quid all in all i'll be a happy man. Thought it was going to be a tad more expensive than that this morning!
Edited by princeperch on Thursday 9th October 16:28
I couldn't tell you what clutch fluid smells like but engine oil has a fairly distinctive smell...
The cam-cover gasket is just one piece. You need to add a dab of instant gasket in the corners - you'll see where I mean when you take the cam-cover off as there should be some there already. Just remove the old stuff and put a dab of new stuff on each corner.
The cam-cover gasket is just one piece. You need to add a dab of instant gasket in the corners - you'll see where I mean when you take the cam-cover off as there should be some there already. Just remove the old stuff and put a dab of new stuff on each corner.
Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Thursday 9th October 16:53
MX-5 Lazza said:
I couldn't tell you what clutch fluid smells like but engine oil has a fairly distinctive smell...
The cam-cover gasket is just one piece. You need to add a dab of instant gasket in the corners - you'll see where I mean when you take the cam-cover off as there should be some there already. Just remove the old stuff and put a dab of new stuff on each corner.
considering it would cost me nigh on a fiver to buy the instant gasket myself I thought 20 quid for someone else to do the whole job is very reasonable!The cam-cover gasket is just one piece. You need to add a dab of instant gasket in the corners - you'll see where I mean when you take the cam-cover off as there should be some there already. Just remove the old stuff and put a dab of new stuff on each corner.
Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Thursday 9th October 16:53
I just hope to christ a new cover and O ring cures it and it's nothing more serious.
Having had the chance to have a closer look it's got to be this in all probability hasn't it!
Although just ran the car up to temperature with a load of newspaper underneath and no leaks came down. Waited a bit for it to cool and settle and again no leaks....
The gasket came through the post today and am waiting for the O ring. It'll be off to my friendly mechanic to have the seals changed on Monday!
Well it looks like it could do with a new gasket but that doesn't look bad enough to cause leaks to be honest. It won't hurt to replace it though - it'll give you a chance to clean the cover up a bit too 
. I think it was more likely to have been the oil-filter not seated properly. You say you tightened it a bit so that probably fixed it. (p.s. I hope you didn't tighten it too much - it should just be lightly pinched up by hand).
. I think it was more likely to have been the oil-filter not seated properly. You say you tightened it a bit so that probably fixed it. (p.s. I hope you didn't tighten it too much - it should just be lightly pinched up by hand).
princeperch said:
Having had the chance to have a closer look it's got to be this in all probability hasn't it!
Although just ran the car up to temperature with a load of newspaper underneath and no leaks came down. Waited a bit for it to cool and settle and again no leaks....
The gasket came through the post today and am waiting for the O ring. It'll be off to my friendly mechanic to have the seals changed on Monday!
Well the gasket has been replaced today, my mechanic tells me the O ring is in good nick and doesnt need to be replaced so he left it as it was.
Fingers crossed this has sorted the leak. The sump night is tight as a ducks arse, as is the filter, the gasket has been replaced and the O ring doesnt need to be disturbed. I can't see that it can be anything else...
All told it's cost £40 odd. A tenner for the gasket and 25 for the labour (although I bunged him 30) to take out the old and in with the new.
I thought it was going to be a bit more expensive than that when I saw oil dripping from her the other day!
Fingers crossed this has sorted the leak. The sump night is tight as a ducks arse, as is the filter, the gasket has been replaced and the O ring doesnt need to be disturbed. I can't see that it can be anything else...
All told it's cost £40 odd. A tenner for the gasket and 25 for the labour (although I bunged him 30) to take out the old and in with the new.
I thought it was going to be a bit more expensive than that when I saw oil dripping from her the other day!
Edited by princeperch on Wednesday 15th October 15:47
princeperch said:
pmanson said:
That's good value!
I think i'm going to do ours so that I can take it apart and paint the cam cover!
did you manage to source an O ring? I had a bugger of a job finding one. Ended up ordering one from a Mazda garage after Jimparts let me down..I think i'm going to do ours so that I can take it apart and paint the cam cover!
pmanson said:
princeperch said:
pmanson said:
That's good value!
I think i'm going to do ours so that I can take it apart and paint the cam cover!
did you manage to source an O ring? I had a bugger of a job finding one. Ended up ordering one from a Mazda garage after Jimparts let me down..I think i'm going to do ours so that I can take it apart and paint the cam cover!
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