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I and am sure anyone who lived back in the days would remember everywhere that cars would stop or even slow down in a regular bases would be covered with many many oil drips and build up to a large oil stain. So parking strips along the curb side, parking lots, and traffic lanes leading up to stop lights or elsewhere where traffic jams are common the ground between the lanes are soaked with dripped oil where the cars engine is. Pictures from back then will show a black strip in between lanes on the white concrete The oil also makes a hazardous situation when it rains. This was the case well into the 1990s.
Though when the 2000s rolled around I observed that the oil stains on the ground to have mostly disappeared and became a thing of the past on the above places I mentioned with very little if any oil drips on the ground. In other words the ugly black patch disappeared and from the fronts of parking spaces. I believe it’s due to advancement in quality of cars and phrasing out of older cars.Though in the 2010s to the recent it appears oil slicks situation are back and parking spaces/strips and lanes in front of Stoplights are again soaked in oil patch stains. I wonder Is it due to the deteriorating quality of car manufacturing these days. Has quality of engine gaskets gone down after all this outsourcing these days? I am guessing quality of auto manfacturing reached the peak in the early 2000s but gone downhill ever since parts manufacturing were widely outsourced?
Anyone agree?
Oil stains arnt just ugly but it’s both an environmental hazard and a safety hazard in different ways. Ie making the road very slippery particularly when it rains, and oil leaks within the engine compartment also pose a fire hazard.
I agree that years ago cars used to leave some oil stains on the ground, but can't say that the new cars still do. If you see oil spots it could mean they are left by old cars or their owners didn't care about timely maintenance.
Vehicle has a whole host of fluids that could be leaking, including engine oil, transmission oil, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, differential oil, etc. Many of these fluids look the same to the untrained eye.
In most oil leak cases there is nothing serious going on, other than a sloppy oil change job - an oil filter not tightened quite enough.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
I agree that years ago cars used to leave some oil stains on the ground, but can't say that the new cars still do. If you see oil spots it could mean they are left by old cars or their owners didn't care about timely maintenance.
Vehicle has a whole host of fluids that could be leaking, including engine oil, transmission oil, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, differential oil, etc. Many of these fluids look the same to the untrained eye.
In most oil leak cases there is nothing serious going on, other than a sloppy oil change job - an oil filter not tightened quite enough.
Leaks from an untightened oil filter do happen, but often, it’s the drips from the oil change that were not cleaned off completely. Oil filters and drain plugs today tend to be located in positions that are more difficult to reach, and spills land on frame, suspension parts, or rock guards and will drip for a few days after the oil change.
Leaks from an untightened oil filter do happen, but often, it’s the drips from the oil change that were not cleaned off completely. Oil filters and drain plugs today tend to be located in positions that are more difficult to reach, and spills land on frame, suspension parts, or rock guards and will drip for a few days after the oil change.
Most cars today have those removable undercarriage shields as well, and many times they’ll get a puddle of oil on them after an oil change. That’s one reason I change my oil myself.
I blame rushed fluid changes. I've seen this when I've been lazy and had my wife take her car to the dealer for an oil change. The filter is in an awkward spot and oil just gets everywhere. They dealer just spins on the new filter and sends the vehicle on it's way and it proceeds to drop oil for a few days in my driveway. It's been bad enough I've often gone under the car with engine degreaser and a hose to clean it off. When I change the oil myself on my personal car and/or her car, I take the time to wipe everything down and make sure it's clean before I wrap up the job. An extra 10-15 mins no dealer or quick lube shop will take.
Also, a lot of car makes have one-time use plastic or copper crush washer for the oil drain plug. I rarely see anyone replace these, and over time they contribute to leakage issues...usually slow drips or spots.
I despise oil leaks. In about 15 years of doing my own service on my own vehicle I've never had an issue with an oil leak.
The average age of all the cars on the road is now at 11 years old. Oldest average it's been ever. That means that there are a LOT of old cars on the road that are probably not perfectly maintained in like new condition. So yeah, you're going to see leaks and drips out on the roadways.
I used to annually crawl under my car and check the tightness of the bolts to make sure that all were tight so no oil would leak out.
Engines get hot and then cold so thermal expansion cycles and vibration can loosen bolts and then oil being so viscous leaks through the cracks.
Yes, it would be nice if someone would invent a material that could act as a proper gasket to absorb these material fluctuations.
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