RAFFIE55

Hello, I was laying under the car and took off the plastic sheild. Cleaned it up really good!!. Drove it for a week and got back under it and noticed oil around the lower oil pan gasket. Mainly towards the back and closer to the passenger side. Checked the oil level ring; that looked dry. First indication is the lower oil pan needs to be resealed. Also, (this is the weird part) If I look up and one of the exhaust bolts looks wet with oil. A week ago I cleaned it off as well. Where or how could it be oily. I don't see anything dripping down from a valve cover gasket. Anyone have any Ideas. Could it be something I'm missing?

desired_speeds

It may be your transmission connector, get it checked out asap!

ESTJ

I had three oil leaks:

1. Oil Pressure Port - Front drivers side of engine block, easy fix, remove the cover (DON'T DROP THE SCREWS, better yet cover the area below so when you do you will be able to retreive them) apply light coating of Blue RTV to existing seal both sides and to the outer edges of housing. This happens a lot on this engine. Bad design on the part of the Germs. Even after a couple of redesigns it stinks. The RTV on the housing is the fix.

2. Passenger's side breather housing on top of valve cover. Tedious fix but easy, remove all existing black sealant (the hard part) apply Blue RTV and replace.

3. Replace the oil drain plug crush washer with each oil change and make sure you put it on correctly, there is a very slight concave to the washer due to the way it is punched, the bottom should be next to the oil pan for best practice.

RAFFIE55

Thanks. I don't think it's anything from the front. I replaced all that stuff in the front a while back. Drain plug looks OK. not wet. It's more like lower oil pan and something from up higher. One of the lower exhaust bolts looks wet with oil and could be dripping down.

Also, I don't think its the transmission line. It appears to be dry too.

Any other thoughts????

ob1kenobi

engine mount perhaps.

desired_speeds

just unclip the transmission harness and look at the plug, you'll know for sure if its leaking.

RAFFIE55

I'll give it a try. Just not sure where the harness is? Is it the horizontal line going next to the oil pan?

ESTJ

Any other thoughts????[/quote]

Remove the air intake housing and take a good look at both breather covers and valve cover gaskets. Breather covers will be a slight oil leak, valve covers can be much worse. The passenger breather has a weird shape and can leak from the lower left side as you are standing from the passenger's side.

Mpassion

Have you checked your power steering hoses, look dry, fluid full?

Aarhuser

Have this same 'mystery' oil leak. The dealer said it was the oil pressure port. Still have not replaced mine, but now that i have read this, i will just put RTV on it. How do I get to it, is it behind the underbody shield?

Aarhuser

Also did replace passenger side valve cover gasket...that was very easy on the 99 E55, don't let a shop do it!

AMS Performance

if the oil is leaking between the engine & transmission then its your rear main seal. The only way to fix this is take out the transmission (not cheap). If you can live with it by running thicker oil then try that.

RAFFIE55

Just wondering if you replace valve cover gaskets; do you have to drain the oil first? Or can you just take them off oil should be down in the pan right?