Oil Leak Getting Worse

[l008com]

My truck has had a slow oil leak for a few years now. The oil pan and underneath was always covered in a flim of oil. But you'd get a drip once in a while and thats it. I put high milage oil in and it seemed to slow it down.

I tried to track down where it was coming from but I never could. I cleaned off the bottom of the engine, drive around, but I could never see what it was coming from.

Well now, over the past few months, it has sped up a lot. I'm starting to see drops in driveways i visit but don't park in overnight. My driveway is getting quite an oil slick at this point. I'm also the guy whose dip stick is 100% stuck so I can't check my oil level! I measured how much I go through between oil changed and I've been adding 8oz per month to make up for that for a couple years now. But if I'm leaking more, thats not going to cut it.

Also its winter and I have no garage so theres not a whole lot I can do about it now. But any tips how I can track this down? If its the oil pan or the rear main seal, theres probably nothing I can do (except fix that dip stick so I can actually check my oil and keep adding more and more).
But maybe its something easier like a valve cover or an oil cooler line. I've owned five difference 4.3 S10s and they all had leaky oil cooler lines. I assume thats a lot easier to fix than a rear main seal.

Any words of wisdom?

 

[budwich]

I think the option of adding a UV additive to the oil as suggested many times by Mooseman is the best approach. The HVAC guys use this technique all the time.

 

[movietvet]

IF, the truck you speak of is the one in the build thread, I have to ask: Is this oil leak truck the 08 TrailBlazer and if so, which engine is in it? 4.2, 5.3 or 6.0? Nothing slows down help for what a member asks, than no vehicle info.

 

[l008com]

It *is* the one in the build thread, and it has the 5.3, which is why I posted it here specifically in the 5.3 engine forum category.

 

[movietvet]

It *is* the one in the build thread, and it has the 5.3, which is why I posted it here specifically in the 5.3 engine forum category.

Guess what, sometimes a post is posted in a wrong place. That is why I wanted exact info. You are asking for help. I am willing to give it but if I am unsure, I will ask questions first. I hate "assuming". After 40+ years in the shops and 30+ as a service manager/advisor/writer, I learned that assuming gets me in trouble and wastes my time.

5.3 engines have "pattern failure" oil leak areas. Back of the intake, oil pressure sensor, valve covers at the back, the dreaded rear main seal that can be viewed with a borescope and the plate where the oil cooler lines attach at the engine block-especially if it is a block off plate for no oil cooler lines. That plate is pot metal and warps.

But lets say that I ASSUMED wrong and assumed you posted in the 5.3 section when in fact you have a 4.2. To avoid any and all confusion, create all the important info in your signature. That takes away all assumptions.

 

[Mooseman]

Which is why it's always good to start a post with "on my TB with the 5.3". Some have known you since you've been posting here, and some are newer who don't really know everybody. And those using their phones on the forum don't readily see the section it's posted in or signatures. And always having to navigate to profiles is a PITA, especially on a phone.

 

[DIYguy]

Depending on whether you can/want to fix the actual problem or just try to slow down the oil leak…. You could try adding AT205 to the oil but then you should run the engine or drive some miles right after. If your leak is too great, it may not be able to work.

 

[l008com]

Is that the same stuff they put in high milage motor oil?

Its so cold out right now, I'm pretty much just going to ignore the problem for the next couple of months I think. Then I'll take a closer look and see what I can find.

 

[DIYguy]

Is that the same stuff they put in high milage motor oil?

Its so cold out right now, I'm pretty much just going to ignore the problem for the next couple of months I think. Then I'll take a closer look and see what I can find.

It is a different type of additive. It is a plasticizer which is supposed to rejuvenate gaskets and seals (not supposed to swell them like some other additives). As long as the gasket is in tact, not torn, it works pretty well. I didn't find much discussion on it here but there is a long discussion here https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/atp-205-re-seal-works.256468/

It would still be good to find out where the leak was first but if it’s a place that you don’t want to fix at all, like a rear main seal then it may be worth a shot. Just be sure to follow the directions.