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03 Oil Leak!!!

36K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  europyia 
#1 ·
My wives 03 AWD element has developed a significant oil leak from the "front" of the engine, seems to be under the oil filter and possibly from the front cover. I've been searching but can't pinpoint it, lots of oil.. So changed the filter to make sure there is only one gasket etc.. I have lots of experience with Nissans and SHO's but this little engine is a mystery to me and I can't seem to find a manual for it. Any thought's would be helpful, TSB's, front seal, valve cover, oil pump??? Thanks.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Look at the valve cover (while riding the wind carries oil), combining gearbox and engine, steering cables, plug the oil pan. etc..Maybe you have a leak from the steering gear.
Perhaps more accurately describe where in the oil stain under the car? ;-)

By the way ........ Welcome to the fans Honda Element. I greet you from Warsaw
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies. It's not from an oil change as it was noticed right before another oil change and I'm always careful to clean up well afterwards.. The spot on the driveway is under the passenger side right under where the oil filter would be and a little to the "front' of the engine and there is oil being thrown in to the wheel well and is covering the CV boot. I asked her if she drove it any differently lately and once she almost got hit by someone and floored it for a few seconds and she hadn't done that before. Also this E has only 50k on it if that makes any difference. Thanks again.
 
#5 ·
I'm just going to go for it, I've lost a quart in 2 weeks. So my question is for you guys that have done this: Have you gone in from the top or from the wheel well? And any thoughts on what else to change on the way to the crank seal? I've also been unable to find a Haynes or Chilton manual for torque specs etc.. Is one available? Thanks.
 
#6 ·
No - to the best of my knowledge a Haynes or Chiltons type manual is not available for the E. The official service manual is available from several vendors, including HandA:
http://www.handa-accessories.com/elementmaint.html

Best $72 you'll spend on your E - it's a 3-volume set and covers everything imaginable on the car.

As for your oil leak, have you tried cleaning the engine thoroughly with engine cleaner and then watching closely to hopefully get a better idea where the leak(s) are? I know oil leaks can be tricky to track down but if you're losing a quart in two weeks, that's a fairly substantial oil leak and seems like it might reveal itself on a clean engine. I've never had much luck just blindly replacing seals and gaskets trying to solve a mystery oil leak, which at least in the case of my older pre-E cars always ended up being a valve cover gasket, oil filter seal, and/or something like an oil pressure sending unit...even though the mess always made it look like something much more sinister.
 
#9 ·
Update! I think I've narrowed it down to the electrical fitting just above the oil filter, the one with the blue rubber covering. I don't have a manual yet so I'm wondering what it is, oil pressure sensor or ??. Could I really have lost 2 quarts through this fitting? Any thoughts would be appreciated, Thanks.
 
#10 ·
I'm not sure what that specific fitting is but I've certainly had cars in my past with temperature or oil pressure sending units that leaked enough oil to make a major mess and cause me to have to watch oil levels until I narrowed it down and fixed it...so certainly not out of the question that this could be the cause of your problem. Is it loose? Might want to put a wrench on it and see how snug it is. I'd probably take it off and put a bit of sealant on the threads and then tighten back up. Once you do this, clean everything again and then keep an eye on everything.
 
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