Oil leak...need help fast!!!

[tankerman1981]

This is long I know but any ideas would be great.


Ok well yesterday I start my car and I goto leave and it stalls out.I restart it and take off.. well no more than 1/4 mile away I look in my mirrors and there is smoke everywhere. I turn right around and put the car up and the entire drivers side front undercarriage is covered in oil. I wipe everything down and fill it back up with oil. I try to try and find the leak and I cant. I start the engine and again cant find a leak anywhere. So I drive it around the block and still no leak, no oil loss. I drive it a little farther trying to see if i can get a leak and still nothing. So i park the car and leave it overnight.

Well this morning I get up and start the car and same thing happens oil just starts leaking all over the place like a good 2 quarts right off the back. SO i put it up again.. fill it back up and the moment I start it up I see oil flowing from on top on the steering rack right under the oil filter. There like this little piece dont know what it is called but its on the steering rack but the moment i start it up it starts to leak engine oil..like flowing.
Anyways I guess I just want o know if anyone has ever heard of this and if they know how to fix it. Am I going to have to replace the whole steering gear or is it possible for anoher fix with it?
Any ideas will be great I just hate to get it towed to a shop and find out its something I couldve done real simple myself.

 

[NoviBlown92]

I'm confused on what the "steering gear" is? Our cars have a rack and pinion and that's it. Is it leaking engine oil or power steering fluid?

 

[coolguy10786]

Take a pic just so we can be sure of what you are referring to. It sounds like either the oil cooler gasket/o ring or if you recently had an oil change, it could have been double gasketed(I know thats not a word lol).

 

[tankerman1981]

well here are a few pics of the area... it looks like its valve or something.. I just didnt know there was anything on the steering that had engine oil running thru it. And to everyone..its engine oil not power steering fluid.... hopefully someone can help me

 

[03bluemach]

thats the rack .... check the power steering fluid and see if its low .. might had a bad seal ...

 

[tankerman1981]

yea power steering fluid is fine... its pouring oil out of it..engine oil.. i know cause i've had to refill the crank twice to find it.... not power steering fluid....

 

[Quadcammer]

its your oil cooler. Find the leak more specifically and then you can figure out what to fix.

 

[tankerman1981]

i found the leak... i started the engine and watched it flow out of that top piece there

 

[RickwithCobra]

thats good that u found the leak, at frist it sounded as if it were leaking out where u screw the oil ilter on, sometimes when changing oil and filter the o ring from the filter sticks on to the car and when u put the new filter on added to the already stuck o ring can cause the old one to break off causing a leak.

 

[tankerman1981]

yea that was my first thought but then again... the first time it was leaking... it sprayed all over the engine bay and i lost bout 3 1/2 quarts in a matter of 1/8 mile... then i actually found it flowing out of the rack.. just gets me cause i didnt know engine oil flowed thru there... ohh well...

 

[tankerman1981]

Oh well I guess its off to the dealership... its going to kill me if its something i couldve done myself or simple.... god hate bring my car anywhere....

 

[NoviBlown92]

Engine oil does not flow through the rack. It's leaking from somewhere else.

 

[Tabres]

its your oil cooler.

+1

 

[ksigatmsu7f02]

Engine oil does not flow through the rack. It's leaking from somewhere else.

+1...oil leaks can be tricky but they generally don't leak where they don't flow....your right in thinking it doesn't flow there....so keep investigating and you'll find it....

 

[tankerman1981]

Well I know it just didnt seem right that oil would be flowing from the rack. So I had a buddy help me out this time and well low and behold... it was the oil cooler right above that piece on the rack and of course when it leaked it filled up that piece so at first look it looked like it was coming from there... but like everyone said it just cant be possible. anyways so yea now I gota bad oil cooler and AHHHHHH.... but thanks guys for all the insight... always there when i have issues