Is Your Engine Oil Leaking? How to Tell By Levi Quinn At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Trying to prevent things from going wrong with your car is not easy work. It is often, however, difficult to avoid, given that some cars are produced with a fault pretty much inbuilt. Not deliberately, of course, but we have all heard from owners of certain kinds of car that a certain thing is always going wrong with theirs and other ones that they know of. Some cars are prone to clutch problems; some have spongy brakes, some lack a bit of consistency in the steering department. One problem that can be more annoying than almost any other is a leaking oil reservoir in your engine. It affects the running of the car, and finding the leak can be a messy job in itself.

As often as not, your first warning that you have an engine oil leak is when it gets trailed into your house or your front porch as a series of grimy footprints. These footprints can be either large and human, or small and feline or canine. Essentially, it is a visual clue to the fact that your engine is dripping oil and there must be a leak somewhere. After you have cleaned your shoes (or dog, or cat), it is important to get out to the car and have a look at it, so as to find the source of the leak and see if you can fix it yourself, or whether it may need a trip to the body shop.

There are a number of products on the market which help you identify an oil leak. One of these is good, simple white printer paper. By placing this under your car, starting the engine and leaving it to run for a few moments, you will be able to collect a sample of exactly whatever is dripping out of your car engine. Should the substance be thick, oily and black then you have got engine oil leaking and you need to investigate further. This is where the products you will need become a little bit more technical. They include a trace dye that you mix with water and add to the engine. Under UV light this dye will show up as a yellow-green color that cannot be mistaken for anything else.

If you put some paper under your engine and let the engine run for a while, then the drips will appear in this color under UV light. You can then trace the leak to its source and identify where exactly your problem is. This may take quite a bit of detective work, but an oil leak can be very problematic and can lead to very expensive repairs if not fixed quickly and properly. If you recognize the problem and are sure of how it can be fixed, and equally sure you can do it yourself, then go ahead. If you have your doubts then get a friend to look at it, before taking it to a garage if necessary. This could save you a lot of money and hardship in the meantime.

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