Why is my engine covered in oil?

Question

Hi, I'm back with more questions about my car..argh! Its loosing oil and when I look at my engine the bottom part of it is now covered in oil. The car is starting to splutter and not work very well. What do you think it is and how much to fix (£'s)? I'm getting cheesed off with this car now as it's costing me sooo much money all the time to fix (its an N-reg 1.1 sx fiat punto) but currently I have not got the option to get another. Thanks in advance for your help, Casey xx

Answer 1

if the sump gasket has gone, it will cover the sump in oil. The oil seal at the end of the crankshaft could have failed.

I know it isnt what you want to hear, but the fiat punto is the worst car in the world. I am surprised you havent had a camshaft go on you yet.....but maybe the spluttering is a sign of that!

Answer 2

Hopefully it's something simple and your oil filter is damaged or loose,this would be cheap and easy to remedy.However if it is not the oil filter then it is likely to be far more costly to put right.

Answer 3

Leave the keys in it overnight and leave a tank of fuel on the back seat. hopefully they will set fire to it. as now it will cost you just as much to scrap as to fix it...

Answer 4

it sort of depends on how forward on the engine theoil is and how high on the engine it is. if its only on the bottom its possibly the oil pan gasket a fairly simple fix depending on how difficult the mfg made it unnecessarily by leaving no room to complete the repair that simply consists of draining the oil removing the pan with somewhere between 8 and about 12 screws around the perimeter dropping the pan scrapping the old gasket out applying gasket sealer and sticking the gasket to it then reinstalling the pan and tightening ti very snugly but not twisting the screws till you cut the gasket and restart the leak. sometimes the screws have simply become loose with passage of time and can be tightened to stop the leak. if the oil is all the way front to back of the pan but not all the way up to the block its most likely a front main seal a more difficult and more expensive repair, but if you are skilled mechanically you can use a stiff wire like a clothesline wire to push the top half of old gasket around the crankshaft and out, while the bottom half can simply be pulled out directly from the bottom , both after removing the pan, and the front main bearing, and loosing the other main bearings to allow the crankshaft to lower slightly to allow the top half of the seal some room to come out. if the oil is also up higher on the block, it is most likely from a loose rocker arm cover or bad rocker arm cover gasket on the top a miuch easire and less expensive repair tho the same as the oil pan gasket is much smaller and very easy to access by comparison. simply because its on top. perhspse one fo the most time consumming repairs is if its the seal on the timming cahin/belt /gear cover, on the front end, theres litterally a lot of pullies belts wheels gears alternators ac compressors fans water pumps and other c**p in the way to remove before doinbg a simple gasket replacement. in this location. likewise if the oil is only all the way at the rear and on the bottom its likely to be the rear main seal, and just about as difficult as the one on the timming cover on the front. maybe moreso, because it may require removal of the transmission. this is all based on the general make up of the average gasoline engines used in cars, but specific engines have different quirks and constructions that may lead to other leaks and solutions. but in 50 + years of repairing oil leaks on cars this is a synopsys of what ive seen most.

Answer 5

sorry time to take the car to a garage and get it repaired or scrapped.

You could be asking for a price range of £100+ to get it repaired and that is just for the labour.

Answer 6

Oil leaks can be a difficult to find, my advice would be to take the car to your local jet wash. Keep the engine running when you jet wash it.

The usual places for an oil leak are 1) Rocker cover gasket 2) Sump plug 3) Oil filter gasket 4) split crank ventilation pipe.

Ja.

Answer 7

make sure the PCV valve is not clogged It can cause the crank case to over pressurize and force oil out...

Answer 8

Phone a mobile mechanic and get a free estimate

Answer 9

Perhaps its a rocker cover gasket leak. What sort of car are you talking about?

Answer 10

blast it off with a jetwashand see if you can see where its comming from...those can leak from the rocker gasket...bout £6 for a new one.

Answer 11

is the oil cap on