Engine oil is the lifeblood of your engine. It lubricates all of the moving parts and keeps them working efficiently. Your car consumes oil as it operates, so it’s important to keep an eye on your oil level. An engine leaking oil is serious, as a lack of oil can cause catastrophic damage to your engine. As your Mazda dealer, we’d like you to know some of the reasons that it’s leaking.
Oil Pan Gasket
The oil pan gasket fits underneath your engine, and it creates a seal between the oil pan and the underside of your engine. This seal prevents oil from leaking out of the pan as it circulates through your engine. This seal is checked as part of your Mazda service schedule to ensure that it’s in good working condition. If it’s not checked regularly, over time, this seal can get damaged, and oil can leak out.
Timing Chain Cover and Gasket
The timing chain in your car synchronizes the turning of the crankshaft and the camshaft. This synchronization is essential, as it ensures that your valves open and closes at the correct times about the position of the pistons. The four steps for combustion require a smooth operation of pistons and valves. Incorrect timing can cause misfires or even damage to your engine, catalytic converter, or exhaust system.
The timing chain is lubricated with oil and protected by a strong cover. The gasket fits into the cover and ensures that the oil stays inside the cover. This gasket can wear, and if it does oil can leak out. The cover itself can also suffer damage. In both cases, an oil leak will cause damage to the chain and cause difficulty with combustion.
Front and Rear Crankshaft Seals
The crankshaft sticks out slightly to the front and back of your engine. It provides mounting positions for the flexplate that connects your engine to your transmission, and the harmonic balancer that reduces engine vibrations. The crankshaft has a seal at the front and the back to prevent oil from escaping the engine. If either of these seals cracks or wears out, the engine oil will leak out of the crankshaft.
Valve Cover Gasket
The valve cover sits on top of your engine, and it protects the cylinder head from damage. The valve cover gasket fits between the valve cover and the cylinder head to ensure a perfect fit and prevent oil from leaking out. As with any gasket, it can wear over time, and oil will seep out. We check this gasket as part of your regular service schedule.
There are several other places that oil can leak from, including cracks in any part of the engine or connections between sections. Any oil leak is potentially serious, as a lack of oil can easily lead to your engine overheating. If you see an oil leak, or you suspect you have one, call us ASAP at Flood Mazda.
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