Is there an easy way to stop my car from leaking oil? This is an excellent question. The simple answer is a resounding “NO”. Over the years, there have been many motor oil additives that claimed to recondition worn seals and to seal leaking gaskets, but those additives were and are the “snake oils” of the 20th and 21st century. The same goes for power steering fluid additives. Some of them even work for a brief period but to trust them is to court disaster. A couple of years ago, a friend brought her Plymouth Sundance to me because of oil puddles on her garage floor. From the way she described the puddles to me, I deduced that both the front and rear oil seals were leaking and a visual inspection proved my deduction correct. I told her that the seals needed to be replaced and I told her how much it would cost her to have he job done. Well, instead of having the problem corrected properly, she went on line and found a goop that claimed to rejuvenate those old leaky seals, making them good as new. It even came with a no questions asked money back guarantee if she was not one hundred percent satisfied with the results. She bought it. A few weeks later, late one night on a very desolate road, the front seal let go completely, the oil spewed out under pressure and within a matter of minutes, her car’s engine froze up. She had no idea of what was happening because the idiot light malfunctioned.
The company cheerfully refunded her $3.50 but she was stuck with the cost of a reconditioned short block engine. The fine print stated that the company was not liable for any damages caused by the use of their product.
Is there an easy way to stop my car from leaking oil? The first thing that you need to do is to ascertain what is leaking. Where is the oil coming from? Is it coming from your car’s engine, or is it coming from your car’s automatic transmission or power steering system? You need to get your car up on jack stands (Never crawl under a car supported by a jack as it can and will slip, letting the car fall on you), crawl under it and determine what kind of leak you have and where it is coming from.
Some problems, like a leaking transmission fluid lines, power steering lines, or a gasket are relatively easy to fix for any moderately skilled shade tree mechanic with a decent set of mechanic‘s hand tools. On the other hand, if the source of the leak appears to be engine seals, a power steering cylinder, or power steering pump, you will probably want to take your car to an expert mechanic who has the proper tools and equipment to do the job correctly.
If your car has been leaking oil for a while and everything on the engine and underside is pretty gunked up, it will be easier to determine the source of the leak(s) if you get the engine and undercarriage steam cleaned first. The car will also be easier to work on because your tools will be less likely to slip and a slip wrench leads to busted knuckles.
Whatever you do, do not take the easy way out by using an additive because in the end it will cost you even more money.
