I just did my second oil change with Mobil-1 synthetic. While I had the car on a lift, I noticed what appeared to be an oil leak around a seal on the bottom, passenger-side of the engine. None of the oil appeared to be fresh and I haven't noticed any burning smell, loss of power, etc. I'm pretty sure they put in about 1/3 qt too much when they changed the oil last time (the first oil change). COuld the seal be going out?

 

I could be just residue left over from the previous oil change. Most dealer mechanics are not too tidy when they do an oil change. Is the Filter near the residue?

 

The filter is underneath it on the bottom of pan/ engine. My mechanic thought it seemed to be far enough away that spilled oil shouldn't have gotten that far. No real problems so far from it, I just don't want a seal to go bad down the road. The only other issue I found was that the trasn fluid was not reading ont he dipstick when cold but was halfway up the operating range when hot, so I'm not too concerned there.

 

Hey Mike

As a medic I guess you can say "It's OK, I'm a doctor".. well, it's OK, I'm actually R&D director for a seal company (someone's got to do it). We even make oil pan gaskets, though not for Honda. It's not likely that your seal has 'gone bad' this early, rubber is attacked by a combination of stress, fluid chemistry, temperature and, most importantly, time. To be failing through degreadation you'd have had to have seen some really extreme conditions. I'd suggest two likely causes:

- first (as above), a spill. Oil doesn't evaporate, it hangs around and drips to the lowest point it can find. Clean off the drips and look again in a few days, if they have reappeared, then you may have a problem.

- second, misassembly. A perfectly good gasket can leak if it isn't installed correctly or is damaged on assembly. If this is the case you should be able to find the source by following the oil trail back upstream from the point where the drips collect. If you wipe the this clean and it reoccurs, then you need to go back to the dealer.


Colin

 

Thanks, Colin. That makes me feel a bit better!

 

I noticed some "seepage" at the CVT case when I was in there to do my first oil change. I wiped everything clean, so I'm anxious to see what's there at the second change (in another 4,000 miles). Hoping it's DRY.