Not sure where this oil leak is coming from

[Neven]

So I noticed a few drops of oil underneath my 03 Liberty Limited. I decided to get underneath and check it out. I just had the oil changed, so I thought it was from the change. I get underneath and the picture below is what I see. I'm not sure if that's a engine seal, or if the drip is coming from higher up and making its way down, possibly being a head gasket. I get a few drops every day, but nothing too constant and major. As I was looking online to see what it could be, I ironically found this thread on JeepForum.com (Link). The person lives in the same city as me, has an 03 Jeep Liberty with around the same miles as me. The thread was from 2 years ago, the Jeep at the time has 71k, mine has 87k now. Definitely could be the same car. That being said, I still get a few drops over night on my driveway. Hope someone can help.

Here's a picture of the leak, if you have any more requests for pictures, please ask:

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

There are a couple of possibilities...

First, the rear main seal. At first glance that seems the most obvious but these engines aren't known for leaking rear main seals. Not saying it's not possible but the rear seals usually hold up well into high miles.

Second, the front main seal. The way the oil pan lip sits under the front seal, the oil drips down onto the lip of the pan, is pushed toward the rear of the engine by air flow while driving. The oil gets to the back of the engine then drips down around the bellhousing and the structural cover (which is the drip you see in your pic.)

The drips could also be from valve cover gaskets but usually the drops land on the catalytic converter and burn away.

Crawl under the engine again and look between the harmonic balancer and the timing cover. If it's wet with oil that's where the leak originates. Keep us posted...

Bob

 

[M38 Bob]

And remember, oil don't run uphill, or into the wind. Look for the highest, most forward place you can find any trace of oil. That's what's leaking.

Bob

 

[TypeRx]

I think I have the same problem - saw it a month ago when changing oil. Seems to be more of a weep than leak, but no good regardless. Definitely check the valve cover (passenger side proximal to the coolant overflow tank. Here are some pics from mine - perhaps helpful.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CzarKJ]

Always look at the oil pressure sensor as well. That's what mine was.

 

[Neven]

There are a couple of possibilities...

First, the rear main seal. At first glance that seems the most obvious but these engines aren't known for leaking rear main seals. Not saying it's not possible but the rear seals usually hold up well into high miles.

Second, the front main seal. The way the oil pan lip sits under the front seal, the oil drips down onto the lip of the pan, is pushed toward the rear of the engine by air flow while driving. The oil gets to the back of the engine then drips down around the bellhousing and the structural cover (which is the drip you see in your pic.)

The drips could also be from valve cover gaskets but usually the drops land on the catalytic converter and burn away.

Crawl under the engine again and look between the harmonic balancer and the timing cover. If it's wet with oil that's where the leak originates. Keep us posted...

Bob

I'll look into it and get you a picture tomorrow, hopefully a bit clearer. Thanks for the quick response.

And remember, oil don't run uphill, or into the wind. Look for the highest, most forward place you can find any trace of oil. That's what's leaking.

Bob

I'll check it out and get back to you, thanks Bob.

I think I have the same problem - saw it a month ago when changing oil. Seems to be more of a weep than leak, but no good regardless. Definitely check the valve cover (passenger side proximal to the coolant overflow tank. Here are some pics from mine - perhaps helpful.

You must be registered for see images attach

Out of all your pictures the 1st and 3rd definitely look like you and I are having the same problem. I was going to go to Firestone tomorrow and have them diagnose the issue. Hopefully I can come back with a bit more information tomorrow.

 

[eastender]

Wanted to revive this thread a I'm having a similar problem. I want to remove the structural cover to get a better look and see if oil is leaking from the oil pan gasket and maybe just tighten the oil pan bolts a little. It looks straightforward to remove the bolts but I'm no mechanic. Is it straightforward as it looks? I don't want any problems getting the cover back on after. Thank you for any advice.

 

[Logan Savage]

It's not difficult to get the cover off & on .

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Wanted to revive this thread a I'm having a similar problem. I want to remove the structural cover to get a better look and see if oil is leaking from the oil pan gasket and maybe just tighten the oil pan bolts a little. It looks straightforward to remove the bolts but I'm no mechanic. Is it straightforward as it looks? I don't want any problems getting the cover back on after. Thank you for any advice.

I can almost guarantee the oil pan gasket is NOT leaking. There isn't enough pressure in the pan or the sump area to cause oil to be pushed out between the gasket and the bed plate/block. There are other areas under pressure that will leak first.

As mentioned in the earlier posts the likely sources of the leak are:

1) Oil pressure sender
2) Front main seal (NOT rear main seal even though the drips are seen at the rear of the engine) and,
3) Valve cover gaskets (not as likely since the oil drops will hit the catalytic converters and burn off before landing somewhere they could be caught and run down to the structural cover.)

As M38 Bob said above, look for the highest, most forward location for a leak. Where you see the drops is the is the last place you should look for the source of the leak.

Bob

 

[HoosierJeeper]

With the oil pressure sender, is there a separate gasket you can buy or is it a whole unit?

 

[eastender]

Thanks for the advice. I took the jeep (Liberty '03) into the dealership recently for the airbag sensor recall. On the invoice it was noted, "ENGINE OIL PAN LEAKING" "FRONT CRANK SEAL LEAKING" Estimate $676.00 + tax.
Even when the jeep is stationary in the garage with the engine running, I have never seen a drip anywhere near the front, it is always off that structural cover at the rear. I've looked around the front with a light and mirror, can't see any oil. Is it possible to get some paper towel close to the front seal (or somewhere else) to check?

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Thanks for the advice. I took the jeep (Liberty '03) into the dealership recently for the airbag sensor recall. On the invoice it was noted, "ENGINE OIL PAN LEAKING" "FRONT CRANK SEAL LEAKING" Estimate $676.00 + tax.
Even when the jeep is stationary in the garage with the engine running, I have never seen a drip anywhere near the front, it is always off that structural cover at the rear. I've looked around the front with a light and mirror, can't see any oil. Is it possible to get some paper towel close to the front seal (or somewhere else) to check?

There is a lip on top of the oil pan that catches the oil as it comes off the front main seal. It then runs downhill and backwards toward the rear of the engine until it drips off the rear lip of the pan and onto the structural cover. There's no other place for the oil to come from besides the rear main seal - and that would leak in FRONT of the structural cover.

You may be able to clean the oil off the area below the front seal and then inspect it again in a day or two.

Bob

 

[eastender]

There is a lip on top of the oil pan that catches the oil as it comes off the front main seal. It then runs downhill and backwards toward the rear of the engine until it drips off the rear lip of the pan and onto the structural cover. There's no other place for the oil to come from besides the rear main seal - and that would leak in FRONT of the structural cover.

You may be able to clean the oil off the area below the front seal and then inspect it again in a day or two.

Bob

I'll try that, thanks Bob.

 

[dude1116]

With the oil pressure sender, is there a separate gasket you can buy or is it a whole unit?

It's the whole unit. To give you an idea...mine was not leaking where the block and the sending unit met (which screws in), it was the actual sensor that was breaking away from the part that screws into the block. That was just ******* oil.

 

[tommudd]

It's the whole unit. To give you an idea...mine was not leaking where the block and the sending unit met (which screws in), it was the actual sensor that was breaking away from the part that screws into the block. That was just ******* oil.

Thats where a lot of them start leaking