dukie564

No problem with questions. You turn the key to "on" - which is right before the crank position that turns the starter.

Rustie

I might be able to get my hands on a pressure washer.... but then that would wash away any oil. There's no way I can drive in this town, with all the slush and snow, and not put all the dirt right back on =(

dukie564

right...the idea is TO wash away the old oil. Then you can see where new oil is coming from. Dirt won't affect the results

Rustie

Another silly question then.

How will a photo now, with an oily dirty engine, be any different than a photo after washing it then re covering it with dirt and oil?

Dan_in_WA

A picture is worth a thousand words... And lots of people on here with more experience than I might recogize the problem right away.

Since oil's on top of the engine, I'd like to throw a couple of bucks on it being the valve cover gasket.

I really doubt your mechanic would knowingly give you a false diagnosis - especially since he wasn't trying to sell you an expensive repair.

But it's kind of like going to the doctor. A general auto mechanic knows cars and trucks in general - a vacuum leak has the same characteristics on a Ford as it does a Honda. Got an oil leak? If it's dripping from the bottom of the oil pan, well, lots of brands of cars have had problems with rear main seals.

But is that a trouble spot on a Jeep? Maybe you should see a specialist.

The problems that are quirks of the breed a general mechanic might miss, but the dealership, (as in a specialist) may have a few Technical Service Bulletins on the issue. A forum full of passionate gearheads could fit the definition of specialist(s), too.

Could you climb into the engine compartment for a look around?

Spunkmeyer

'Cause it will be fresh oil that can theoretically be traced to the current source of the leak, rather than possibly be due to something else in the past that has since been fixed (but not cleaned off well.)

dukie564

Oil moves around when you drive or due to gravity, and ends up thickening up away from where it originated. You need to find where it is originating from, so you need to eliminate the old oil.

Dan_in_WA

No need to feel silly at all. We all had to start somewhere... personally I started out with nothing more than some excellent swear words I'd picked up from Grandad when helping him in his shop when I was little...

The silly ones are the ones that spout off their "knowledge" and brag about their mad skillz, which are usually the Wal-mart hubcaps they spent the weekend installing.

Rustie

My manager at my office here used to be a mechanic.. I just ran this whole thread by him, and he agrees that even though it could possibly be something else, it's most likely the rear seal.

I feel like I'm going to do all these terrifying things like crawling into an engine compartment and/or crawling underneath a billion pound Jeep, just to find that that's where it really is.


I wonder if it's possible to convince anyone to take a picture of the areas I should look at? I'm going to be doing this all on my own, without the net to fall back on (no internet where I live..out in the woods) So if I had pictures, or diagrams, I might have a better chance of finding what I'm looking for.


....too much to ask?

dukie564

Rear main seal:


Oil filter adapter:

Rustie

Oh man there's no way i'll be able to get my head in to see that...

Spunkmeyer

The first picture is of underneath the Jeep on the passenger side, behind the front tire. The left side is towards the rear and the right is towards the front. The knurled "****" that you see close to the middle of the pic is the drain bolt for the oil pan (yours may look slightly different but will be in the same place.

You should be able to crawl under and reach it w/o even having to jack up the car. There's good clearance under there, even on a stock rig.

JustCuz

Something else I recommend checking is the oil filter itself. Make sure its tight. As embarrassing as it is for me to admit, my Ranger had a bad oil leak that my mechanic friend initially diagnosed as a rear main seal. I was doing the same, adding oil as she needs it deal. Then I did an oil change and found that the walmart that did my last oil change just hand tightened the filter and it backed off some over time. Its worth a check anyway.

Rustie

I wish I could bring you all home with me.



*sigh.

lol.

I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to take some photos..maybe Saturday. It's dark from 4pm-9am here, and I work 8-5 M-F. I doubt I'll get a chance to wash the engine first. Will that be a big issue?

xPlover24x

youre supposed to hand tighten it