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Oil leaks, Argh...

19K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  todde702  
#1 ·
Several weeks ago I noticed oil under our '08 Patriot. I looked underneath and noticed the skid plate was quite damp with oil. Upon further inspection, I saw that oil was leaking from nearly the entire top of the oil pan. I cleaned the area and took a socket to it to see if the bolts were loose. Nearly 3/4 of the bolts were loose and half of those I could hand tighten. That took care of the oil leak around the oil pan. But I have serious doubts on how sturdy the rest of the car is now...

Now, the damn oil plug is leaking. I have it tightened down as much as I'm comfortable with before stripping it.

Has anyone heard of plug going bad, or is there anyway to fix it with the next oil change?

Thanks,
Seann
 
#2 ·
I used to have a Dodge Daytona that leaked around the valve cover. It was mainly due to the rubber gasket shrinking over time. I used to have to check them and tighten them about every other oil change. It could be the same issue with the oil pan. Just a thought.
 
#3 ·
They often recommend replacing the oil drain plug seal with every oil change, but I only do it if it leaks. You should be able to get a new o-ring or nylon washer for it from the dealer pretty cheap. If you snugged up the pan bolts, they should stay tight from here on out but I'd double check them a few times just to make sure.
 
#7 ·
If you do this, make sure to use the blue loc-tite. They are small bolts and the red or green loc-tite would likely make them permanent or cause them to break when/if they need to be removed.