Quote:
Originally Posted by dahicori
Here is the pic of the first leak spotted .
I called my volvo mechanic today, he is back to work! He told me it must be from a bad cork (yes, cork!) gasket which is located beneath the metal framework . I cant find the reference of that gasket on the web...if you have any idea, let me know.
Edit : I found the cork gasket.
Now about the above photo: I think it could be the pan gasket?! |
I think if your mechanic said `cork` then he was referring to a cork-type old-school low-quality
valve cover gasket (which is shit BTW. even when brand new! do not ever use those, I would suggest to not. Buy the correct type, a 1-piece RUBBER valve cover gasket)
I kind of doubt that the oil pan gasket was responsible for your low oil level levels. You had a very low level. If all of that oil left through an oil pan gasket then you would see the entire lower end covered, including the undercarriage towards the rear of the car, and it would look shiny, oily and black and would be a fresh looking, active, constant leak.
I would look and confirm a few small details:
-motor oil filter is not loose and seals right ( you can gently tighten it a little more)
-tighten valve cover in the correct sequence you can find in the greenbook, not overthightening it is important but you can tighten it a little more to achieve a better seal)
-inspect the oil pressure/level sender plug and the area around it
-wash the engine and keep it super clean so you could* see IF it was the front or rear seal (rarely leaking but not impossible to have)
-monitor the oil pan gasket once the engine is clean, in case you think it leaks
-clean, inspect and recheck daily the area around and under the vacuum pump (sometimes leaks)
-try to see, on a very clean engine, IF IF the source of the leak is from where the block meets the cylinder head (highly doubt it but on a clean engine you easily monitor everything!) Again, I would call a thorough engine wash priority number #1, also a daily check of oil level, before and after every single drive (COLD&cooled ENGINE)
Without these, you can`t be sure of anything. And, why would you even think of something more complicated before finding the actual reasons why the oil was `missing` (low oil level)
PS. changing the oil pan gasket is very easy on an engine stand but definitely it is a nightmare when done in-car, because
-you wanna make sure you do it right, the pan is held in place by a series of very different bolts that are easy to mismatch and mix up (can cause damage)
-both mating surfaces of the block
and the pan need to be very clean before you can add the gasket and that is a messy task bc of rules of gravity (oil keeps `coming` down once engine is opened)
-access is
very limited and this gasket redo is not a quick job
So bc of all of those above, I would postpone replacing this gasket.
We cant stress it enough that having a
perfectly clean engine now is your best way to diagnose. Easiest, cheapest and probably the most effective method. I don`t know if you have a real issue or not, nobody can really know. If the oil level goes low again then I wouldn`t drive the car at all until the source of leak is verified, or until the cause of the missing oil is found. We really want to hear the good news that it was just a little leak story, send us updates.
When the car drove plenty miles, if you opened the oil filler cap on a running engine, what do you experience? Is there an excessive blowby? What about pulling the dipstick out a little bit when the very warm engine is running?