Most economical way to fix oil drip?

**OldSchoolYoungin** · 12-08-2007, 12:26 PM

The vehicle in question is a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, 4.0L 6-cyl.

Well, woke up this morning with a dreaded oil spot on the driveway. I let the vehicle run for about 30 mins with a piece of cardboard under it, and apparently it's not bad because it only dripped once and that was it. Oil pressure reads fine, and upon checking the oil it's not noticeably losing any, either.

I'm obviously still concerned, but honestly don't feel like taking it into a repair shop to get charged an arm and a leg. What's the most economical way to go about fixing a small oil drip? Like I said, the oil pressure is fine and it only drops a drop at a time and it's not really losing much, so not sure how quickly it needs to be repaired.

Any help is greatly appreciated,
Allen

**TOB9595** · 12-08-2007, 12:31 PM

Try to tighten the drain pan nut
If this is unsuccessful, live with it till

Next time you change your oil put a teflon washer on the drain hole bolt and tighten

Hope this helps
Tom

**dj88onmc** · 12-08-2007, 12:43 PM

First, look for the source of the leak. And be certain it is indeed,
engine oil, not transmission, power steering or other types of fluid leaking.

1. Oil drain plug...is it tight? Is the drain plug gasket or seal in
good condition?

2. Valve cover gaskets. Are the cover bolts snug? These should be
torqued slightly, as too much torque can distort the covers and also
cause engine oil leaks. Cover gasket leakage usually messes up the whole side(s) of an engine block.

3. More serious in terms of expense are crankshaft seals, as this sometimes could mean engine removal.

On the other hand, even though it's annoying, one small drop now and then isn't usually a major problem. Just be sure to monitor it. If it gets to where it becomes more frequent, or excessive, have it looked into.

Good luck!

**abramsgunner** · 12-08-2007, 03:20 PM

I own 3 Cherokee's, 2 x 2000, 1 x 1993, and a 1980 CJ-7 with a straight 6....

They all leak oil, its normal and nothing to worry about (unless of course it is a gushing leak that requires adding oil on a regular basis).

Now as far as the common leak points...

Valve cover gaskets go south and leak.. new gasket is cheap and temporary (as in.. it will leak again in a couple years).

Weaping around the oil pan gasket.. especially if it's been pulled and wasn't put back on just right.. gasket is cheap, and not too difficult to install.

Oil pressure switch.. near the oil filter.. the switch breaks inside and lets a little oil leak through the sensor.. or it leaks around where the sensor screws in... not to common, but it happens.

O-ring on oil filter adapter leaks on older models.. doubt its an issue on your '01... had to replace it on my '93

Most common though is rear main seal... if you buy the 2 - piece seal, you can replace it yourself... plenty of instruction on the net, or you can pay a mechanic about $400 to do it... it will most likely leak again in a few years.

Again, unless you're losing a noticeable amount of oil between changes.. I wouldn't worry about it. Rear main seal will eventually leak enough that you'll have to change it.. but jeeps like to mark their territory!

**Ecuador Jim** · 12-08-2007, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by dj88onmc

First, look for the source of the leak. And be certain it is indeed,
engine oil, not transmission, power steering or other types of fluid leaking.

1. Oil drain plug...is it tight? Is the drain plug gasket or seal in
good condition?

2. Valve cover gaskets. Are the cover bolts snug? These should be
torqued slightly, as too much torque can distort the covers and also
cause engine oil leaks. Cover gasket leakage usually messes up the whole side(s) of an engine block.

3. More serious in terms of expense are crankshaft seals, as this sometimes could mean engine removal.

On the other hand, even though it's annoying, one small drop now and then isn't usually a major problem. Just be sure to monitor it. If it gets to where it becomes more frequent, or excessive, have it looked into.

Good luck!

+1 on that. Oil leaks are an annoyance; up here in the pacific northwest, it's an environmental concern (oil passing into local waterways). If you aren't having to add oil frequently, you're probably okay. On the other hand, it could be justification to go car shopping (insert diabolical laughter here)

**DEmac** · 12-09-2007, 08:13 AM

Your Jeep is not leaking oil, it's marking its territory. If you don't want your Jeep marking its spot in the driveway then park on the street.

**Walravine** · 12-09-2007, 02:18 PM

I'm a past Jeep owner and I say Ditto on what others have said. I would add however that replacing the oil pan gasket is not a particularly enjoyable job if your rig is a 4WD, which requires you to drop the front suspension (and pull the pitman arm from the saginaw box) in order to remove the pan--and you will have to remove the pan to fully clean the old seal from the pan and block. This of course is a prerequisite if you need to replace the rear main seal. As for the rear main seal--again, as others have said, it will ultimately leak and it is probably the most laborious oil drip repair because of what you have to do to get to it. Fortunately, you won't have to remove the engine. If your leak is from the RMS, just live with it until the thing becomes a veritable fountain of oil. For more info on this, I recommend you visit http://www.naxja.org/.

**OldSchoolYoungin** · 12-09-2007, 02:29 PM

I really appreciate all the information and consolation. I did some more research and Jeeps "marking their territory" always came up

Again, thanks everyone.

**mulepackin** · 12-09-2007, 03:10 PM

Make sure your oil filter is snug. Particularly if you use a Jiffy lube type place to change your oil. I had a fuel filter leak, I assumed the worst but turned out it was the filter housing. Otherwise this is not a huge problem at this stage.

**BroJohn** · 12-09-2007, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by OldSchoolYoungin

The vehicle in question is a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, 4.0L 6-cyl.

...SNIP!!

Any help is greatly appreciated,
Allen

The obvious --Trade it in for a new car.

HTH.

-- John Gehman

**AACJ** · 12-09-2007, 04:34 PM

My experience is that if it's NOT your drain plug and one of the seals, take it to a good mechanic and have him fix it. It will be less expensive in the long run to fix it now rather than wait till it blows (the seal) and your engine needs replacing.

**OldSchoolYoungin** · 12-09-2007, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by BroJohn

The obvious --Trade it in for a new car.

HTH.

-- John Gehman

Would if I could, but she's served me very well so far.

**AACJ** · 12-09-2007, 05:08 PM

Is the car paid off too? I'm always suprised that some people love to be perpetually in debt with a car payment. Once their current car is paid off, it's time to trade it in and buy a brand new one, including another payment.

**OldSchoolYoungin** · 12-09-2007, 05:14 PM

Yes, it's paid for. I won't be car shopping for a long time, but just saying if I had plenty of disposable income it might have been an option. I'm not one to look forward to putting myself in debt just to get from place to place. And there's no way I'd get rid of it just due to an oil leak.

**scorpion** · 12-09-2007, 05:30 PM

7 year old car that you like and is paid for and it's leaking a drop or two? I'd keep a sharp eye on the oil level - if it doesn't get any worse I wouldn't even worry about it. Do your scheduled maintenance and scoff at the suckers making new car payments!

**DEmac** · 12-09-2007, 06:33 PM

My eleven year old car leaks/burns nearly a quart every 3,000 miles. It's only been doing this for about the last 50,000 miles though. Hasn't blown up yet.

**Walravine** · 12-09-2007, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by OldSchoolYoungin

The vehicle in question is a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, 4.0L 6-cyl.

Allen, how many miles do you have on it? The 4.0L engine is a well-designed mill and can run forever even though they tend to drip and give the impression that they aren't durable. A bit of trivia: your 4.0 is the descendant of the inline 6 cylinder that Rambler designed way back in 1963!

**OldSchoolYoungin** · 12-09-2007, 07:15 PM

She's on 116K. I'm perfectly aware of how durable the Jasper engines are

. One of the main reasons I bought it.

**Roman414** · 12-09-2007, 07:18 PM

That's what you get for buying American crap. Swap it in on a Toyota. Just kidding...I had a Harley motorcycle long ago...It dripped oil from day one. Every other Harley owner I talked to told me, "Harleys do that. You just live with it." I don't know abut Cherokees...

**rickw** · 12-09-2007, 07:26 PM

I have a 2001 Grand. I've recently noted Power Steering fluid on my drive way. It seems to have coated one of the rods under the main unit. If I were to steam wash the bar, the problem would probably go away for a while.

Check the pan and valve cover for tightness. Verify it is motor oil. Clean underside of engine. Drip may be more from an accumulation than actual drip.