Okay. Here we go again.

Those of you who've been around a long, long time might rememeber an old thread of mine entitled "11000 and dropping oil." I started the thread to let people know that at 11,000 miles, I had discovered that my oil sending unit was leaking slowly onto the ground.

That dealer replaced the unit under warranty. No charge, fuss or hassle. Took them about and hour.

Now, at 29,960, there's a neat little puddle of oil under the same spot (passenger side, near axle). I've got an appointment made for this coming Saturday, and I'll let everyone know then if the issue is repeating itself.

It's not a frame drip, I checked for that, just so you know.

Remember people, when you change your oil, look for the sending unit. If you have someone do it for you, have them check it out. Most places already do, but its better to be safe, than pissed off.

At least the standard warranty is still good, if I have to pay a deductible on an hours work, I'd be really mad.

 

Can you explain where the sending unit is? I change my own oil, and would like to be able to check that. No leaks as of yet at 19k, but it would be nice to check to be safe and catch anything before the warranty runs out. Thanks!

 

I'm wishing I still had the pics from when I lifted the car. If anyone has a nice shot of the underside of the motor and trans (manual) please PM me and I'll see if I can point it out on the pic.

It's small, square and threaded on the end. I'll know it when I see it, but I can't really describe it.

 

I always check my car liberally when I'm doing the oil, for leaks undercarriage damage and anything else and haven't noticed anything luckily. Question about how you noticed it though besides the obvious: does it look like some sort of damage was sustained or just something gone faulty?

 

The unit itself looked like it had just come out of the box, shiny and new (the stock unit). It was leaking from the threading on its side. I'll try some crappy ACSII art...

=[[]]= Imagine that this is the sending unit. The things on each side are the threads that screw into the rest of the system.

The unit wasn't leaking from the hose, but where the threads actually attach to the box, so the inside part of the connectors, I suppose you could say.

I haven't looked at the unit myself since having the repairs, so I'm not sure if this could be some sustained damage or otherwise, but the original unit was NOT damaged as long as I'd had the car, and I bought it with 0.3 miles.

Still looking for a good under the engine shot so I can try to point out where to look. I'll have word this Saturday on the cause. I could be wrong about it being the unit again, but it's awful odd to have the same trouble in the same spot.

This time, oil only seems to form under the car if I'm running the air. Could be something wrong in a totally different system. I'll keep everyone informed.

 

Alright, it's time for the UPDATE!

Now that the cause of the problem has been found, I feel kinda dumb for blowing it out of proportion.

The oil leak was caused by the drain plug. The last time I had the oil changed (the one time I didn't go to the dealer) the shop lost the plug gasket and then installed the wrong damn plug.

Now I'm 20 bucks lighter, having secured a new plug and gasket, problem solved.

Also got two new rear controls arms out of the deal. Remember, if you have a squeaky rear suspension, get it looked at.

Yes, I will be going after the shop for the money I spent on the new plug, maybe more if I can determine how much oil leaked out and the possibility of engine wear. For those of you near me, stay AWAY from the Bolingbrook LubePros.