Amsoil Causing Engine Oil Leak (Pablo...?)

[Turk]

Starting Day 1 of changing to the first time use of Amsoil 5w30 on a 2003 GMC Sierra, with a 5.3L engine and 78,000 miles, I now have an Engine Oil leak.

It is coming from some midpoint in the engine on the passenger side and leaks about a 3-4" Diameter spot each night.

This truck has never leaked a drop before day 1 of the Amsoil!

It has used Dino, M1 Syn, Pennzoil Platinum and M1 EP (all Synthetics for the last 3 Oil changes...) with not a drop of leaks.

Can anyone offer advise on this, including Pablo...???

Thanks...

 

[unDummy]

Is it your filter or drainplug?

Are you sure it is motor oil?

Steam clean the motor and locate the source of the leak(sender/pan or valve cover gaskets/filter/drainplug/oil cooler).....

 

[wileyE]

The oil is the last thing I'd suspect, I'd find where it's leaking 1st. One trick I've used on hard to pinpoint leaks is spray deodorant that has the white powdery stuff in it. Clean the area up best you can with rag, then coat with the white stuff. It makes it easier to see the path to the leak.

 

[Turk]

Yea, it's oil for sure. Filter (M1 EP Filter) is fine and so is the plug area. It's higher that that.

Grrrrr...

 

[OriginHacker21]

Put a few sheets of paper under your truck - try to locate where the oil drop is coming from.

If you have enough money - change the oil to something else and see if it still leaks. I find it hard to believe an oil would create a leak - though I am not enough of an engineer to say for sure that it can't.

 

[IslaVistaMan]

The fact that it leaks a three-inch puddle overnight when the engine's off leads me to think it's not the pan gasket, either. Oil should have settled below the pan's rim with the engine quiet.

Somewhere, oil is pooling and getting past a seal. Valve cover gasket, maybe?

 

[Turk]

This is really sad.

The M1 EP that was in it came out thicker than I thought, so going from that to the Amsoil, pulling a 3,000 Lb Boat & Trailer the next morning may have built up pressure and with the thinner Oil caused the leak...?

Hummm...

 

[pgun67]

It is weird that mine started leaking around the same mileage for no apparent reason. I blamed it on Jiffy Lube for overtorquing the drain plug but have changed it out since then and still leaks to lowest point of the engine, being the plug. I have managed to trace it somewhere over the starter, but can't get up high enough to find the source. Try looking there and let me know what you find. My leak got worse when I did the ARX, but the engine ran better. It used to leak and stop at about a 1/2 qt low on the dipstick, but since ARX it now leaks to almost a qt low. Not sure. I thought maybe rear main seal, but removing shiny cap on TC cover shows it bone dry in there. Maybe a loose dipstick tube? Need to verify.

 

[TooSlick]

If you've been running synlubes in this engine, then the Amsoil isn't the problem. In any event, it would be highly unlikely to cause a leak in a days time. I'd look for leakage around the oil filter or drain plug, or perhaps some spilled oil on the engine.

TS

 

[kmrcstintn]

tpitcher:

before you top off the oil to replace what leaked out, get some type of stop leak that is designed to repair minor leaks in gaskets (not the stuff that thickens up the oil to reduce blowby); CD-2 and Bar's Leak are two brands that come to mind that work on the gaskets; this should buy you some time if it is truly a gasket leak

 

[Chris Meutsch]

I would agree with Mike. My 2005 CR-V conveniently catches all the oil coming out of the filter when removing it, into the suspension. When parking it on an incline, it drips out below the filter and scares the crap out of me every time. But after 4 days it all goes away.

 

[Mike_dup1]

I think it’s a little disingenuous to blame the oil if it just started after YOU changed it. Has to be something you did that you are unaware of.

Several things to check:

• Spilled Oil on skid plate or other parts of the undercarriage from removing of the filter or draining, pools up and drips when it sits. This always occurs with our 93 Lumina and its very common on many makes. One look and you think there is a leak but the oil hits the frame draining and take days to finish dripping.
• Spilled oil installing it that you are unaware of.
• Dislodged oil filler tube from valve cover.
• Over oiled air filter, K&N etc leaching out (I have seen this happen).
• Forgot to intall the oil filler cap
• Forget to insall the dipstick

I have on 04 GMC, Amsoil and no leaks in 25,000 miles

[ May 30, 2006, 12:43 PM: Message edited by: Mike ]