Most common oil leaks

[19Cutlass94]

I know my car isnt buring any oil at all so its gotta have a leak somewhere. It just seems as if Im checking the oil and putting a quart in too often. Where would the most common oil leaks be found on a 3100? The top of the motor is dry, so its has to be somewhere towards the bottom end. Im starting to get a little concerned about it. BTW, its a '94 3100. It only has a little over 87,xxx miles and I switched from using the regular max life valvoline oil to the max life syntheic valvoline, my last oil change. I duno if that would make a difference or not.

 

Thanks.

[digitaloutsider]

The most common place is the ex-distributor oil pump drive seal o-ring. A writeup for that is in the FAQ section. I've seen valve covers leak on 3.1's a few times. Not too often on 3100's.

[94CutlassSLCoupe]

The most common place is the ex-distributor oil pump drive seal o-ring. A writeup for that is in the FAQ section. I've seen valve covers leak on 3.1's a few times. Not too often on 3100's.

 

All the 3100's with the black plastic valvecovers (especially 94's) leak like the exxon valdez...mine only has 35k on it and its blowing oil all over the head and manifold below the valve cover. The easy fix is to just swap to the aluminum ones! We did that on my sister's car (we picked up some covers at the junkyard from the core pile) along with a fresh intake gasket and it now uses no oil at all and the engine bay is spotless.

 

If its not visibly leaking but oil is just vanishing, i suspect you need new intake gaskets.

[19Cutlass94]

I have aluminum valve covers on mine.

heres like a close up pic of the engine,

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/803000-803999/803598_136_full.jpg

 

I noticed one time when I was cleaning it, to right of the valve cover, way down in there, kinda seemed a little "wet" so I duno if maybe it could be leaking from there. Last time I checked the plugs, maybe about a month or a little more ago, the backside of the engine seemed fine, but Ill check again tomorrow. I duno if you can tell anything from that picture, but it was taken not even a week ago and I havent cleaned it in a good month or so.

[Brian P]

I agree. Oil pump drive, valve cover/gaskets (even with the metal ones, there will be a leak at around 100k on the original gaskets), sometimes the oil pressure sensor leaks too.

[94CutlassSLCoupe]

Looks like from that picture that its oozing on the spark plug wires that are closer together...just like mine is.

 

If you have a bad intake gasket, it will suck oil and burn it but show nothing out the exaust...this is the exact same symptom my sister's 94 had...her's was using a quart in 300 miles on the freeway or about 700 in town.

[19Cutlass94]

it will suck oil and burn it but show nothing out the exaust

That what it seems to be doing because I could have sworn I put a quart of oil in around a month ago, I know it wasnt that long ago. But Ive even watched the car idle for a couple minutes and it never smokes at all. I dont know about getting on it on the road because I havent looked out the rear-view mirror to see if it smoke or not so I couldnt tell you there, but I never see or smell any burning oil.

 

But I do remember but I first started cleaning that engine bay, the top of the valve cover and around the black hose that goes across the valve cover (fuel line?) but right there seemed like it was I dont want to say caked on, but had a fair amount on it. Ever since I cleaned it, it hasnt been like that. Kinda like in this picture, if you can see it good enough.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/11/web/803000-803999/803598_15_full.jpg

[Canada]

The sealant on the engine of the oil gallery likes to leak. Typically the oil pan and timing cover don't leak.

 

The max for oil consumtion that is considered *normal* is 1 quart every 1k miles....per GM.

[Cueman]

My 95 cutlass seems to be leaking from the oil filter area..but I don't know if its just dripping down from somewhere else!

 

If the intake gaskets are bad you will notice coolant in the oil, right?

[19Cutlass94]

The max for oil consumtion that is considered *normal* is 1 quart every 1k miles....per GM.

Well in the 8,000 miles I drove this year, I only remember putting fuild in twice. And that was with one oil change and Im due for anouther next weekend. I dont thats too bad, but its just the "wet" spots that are bothering me.

 

But I just looked at the engine, and it seems right underneath the throttlebody and it seems the bottom of the engine (but that could be from just changin the oil and not cleaning it so Im not sure) but its those two spots where it seems a little "wet"

 

 

Just as a question, Should I wash the engine compartment (just a regular hose I assume would be fine) and get everything clean, then once thats all set, drive it and see how it is on the next oil change???

[94CutlassSLCoupe]

If the intake gaskets are bad you will notice coolant in the oil, right?

 

A lot of times it will never leak into the oil.

 

My sister's car sucked oil out of the lifer valley, causing it to burn and consume a lot of oil but never leaked coolant

 

My old blazer blew an intake gasket to the outside and just pissed almost all the coolant out.

 

Neither car ever got coolant in the oil