Is Your Car Engine Leaking in Maryland?

Have you noticed a liquid puddling under the front of your car? If you have, then your motor oil might be leaking. With its engine leaking, no car will go far without developing serious engine problems. The following four signs of leaking motor oil should prompt a quick visit to your nearest Kia dealer to have the leak found and fixed.

Plummeting Oil Pressure Gauge

Modern Kia vehicles have over 70 sensors throughout the vehicle and 15 to 30 sensors in the engine alone. This provides an enormous amount of valuable real-time info as you drive.

One of these sensors detects motor oil pressure and displays it on your dashboard. When all is well, your oil pressure should be between 25 and 65 pounds per square inch (PSI) while the engine’s running. If you see a sudden inexplicable drop in PSI, it’s quite likely you have a leak.

Motor Oil Pooling Under Your Car

When suspecting a leak, check under your car for signs of leaking oil. You might have already noticed a little pool of oil on the driveway when you pulled away from parking.

There are other fluids that might also cause a puddle. To check if the leaking liquid is motor oil, you can put some cardboard, newspaper, or plastic under the engine to catch the dripping liquid. Motor oil is amber when fresh, tan when older, and feels slippery and thin, rather like sunflower oil. It also has a distinctly chemical smell.

Burning Oil Smell

As motor oil leaks, it will often drip and sizzle onto heated engine parts. If this happens, you’ll probably smell burning oil in the cabin.

Overheating Engine

Another dial on your dashboard to watch is the engine temperature gauge. If motor oil leaks, it can no longer lubricate your engine properly, and the moving mechanical parts will rapidly start to overheat from all the friction. As a result, the engine temperature gauge will shoot up.

An overheating engine is also likely to start emoting knocking and ticking sounds. You’ll start losing engine power. The hood will become very hot to the touch. Steam will eventually burst from the radiator, and finally, your engine will blow a gasket or seize up. Make sure you notice and pull over long before it gets this bad.

How Your Kia Dealer in Maryland Will Look for Leaks

When you take your leaking car in for servicing, the technician will first check the oil filter and the oil pan gasket. They’ll also inspect the oil pressure-sending unit, the oil pump, the oil cooler lines, the valve cover gasket, the oil drain plug, the cylinder head gasket, and the main bearing seals. Any of these parts can cause a leak if loosened or cracked.

Have your engine inspected and any leaks repaired today at DARCARS Kia of Frederick. We have a helpful, knowledgeable team dedicated to providing a great customer experience.

Tags: Car Engine FAQs, Engine Leak Maryland
Posted in Auto Repair Frederick MD, Engine Leak, Engine Problems | No Comments »