Oil leak in my 1993 jeep cherokee...can anyone help?

Question

i took it to walmart but they said my oil filter is leaking and there's some other cord that's apparently spitting out oil. So they won't change it. So i wne to Auto Zone and bought an oil filter and the employee was telling me to just unscrew the old oil filter...let the oil leak..then s***w the new one on..but first im going to try to wash off the engine adn stuff so i can see where everything is...anyone have any suggestions or know if i'm doing this right...i have to take this jeep on the road in a day so i need some help..anyone?

Answer 1

There's no cords that oil should be leaking from, unless the guy was referring to the air recirculation tube and the pcv valve which often blows oil into the air box.  It would help if we knew where it was leaking from, and the severity of the leak.  

Have you there been puddles under your jeep or significant oil loss between oil changes?

Answer 2

Wash your engine really well, especially behind the valve cover. Drive your Jeep for awhile and then run your hand along the back/bottom of the valve cover. If you have any fresh oil it is your valve cover leaking and running down the back of your block. IF there isnt any oil behind the valve cover and it is showing up on the bottom of your engine, it could also be your rear main seal.  The oil filter mount is known to leak around the o-rings as well.  More often than not it is the valve cover, but the others are known to leak.