Oil Drain Plug– If the oil plug has been stripped out or was left loose, oil could be getting through it and onto the driveway.Oil Filter– If the oil filter has been damaged or wasn’t sealed properly at the last oil change, it very well could be leaking some oil.This is a list of likely places that the oil could be leaking from your car, and is presented in order from easiest to most difficult to repair. Depending on where it is leaking from, the repair can be very challenging or relatively easy. All it usually does is smoke and stink.įixing an oil leak means determining where it is coming from and repairing the issues. It’s not nearly as flammable as transmission fluid. Smoke Under the Hood– If oil is leaking from the right spot, it can leak onto the exhaust manifold(s) and it gets smokey.We’ll go into that in the next section (it’s often the valve covers). Before it lands on the driveway it will leak somewhere from your Spectra’s engine. Oil on Engine– The oil has to be getting out from somewhere.If the fluid on the garage is red in color (which is almost always the color of transmission fluid) it may be a transmission fluid leak that you are looking at.
If the power steering fluid looks low or foamy, it may be a power steering leak that you are actually looking at. Transmission fluid and power steering fluid could also have leaked. Oil Under the Car– The most obvious symptom of an oil leak is the little puddle of oil or the dots that you’ll find under your Spectra.Here are the most common oil leak symptoms: That means that it is finding its way into the combustion chamber and out of the tailpipe. If there is no oil visibly leaking from your Spectra’s engine, but the oil level is dropping, your engine is “using” oil. There is a difference between an engine using oil and and leaking oil. It can get into your ignition system and onto the spark plugs. The leak could get worse and you could run out of oil before realizing it. Allowing oil to leak for too long can cause problems. Fixing the oil leak should be considered a priority. Determining where and how your Kia Spectra’s engine is losing oil in itself is half the battle. One of the most common vehicle issues is when it is leaking oil.