Weird smell and oil on dipstick is low

TEE MYSTER

MEMBER
2003 HONDA CIVIC
4 CYL
MANUAL
128,000 MILES

Front of car smells of a strong odor and I can’t really describe. Maybe burning oil? I checked under the hood and didn’t see anything unusual. However, I did check the oil level and it was low on the dipstick. So then I checked underneath the car and saw a slight wet spot underneath the engine or whatever the part is called. Either way, I think oil is leaking and I’m not sure where it’s coming from, or why it’s happening. Overall, I don’t know what the problem is. I also don’t know where to begin, with a problem like this. I just desperately want know what the problem is so I can get it fixed while it’s still the holidays.

4 Replies

SCGRANTURISMO

MECHANIC
4,897 POSTS

Hello,

First and foremost, keep adding oil and make sure that it is up to the full mark on the dipstick. Every rotating part internally in your vehicle's engine rides on a thin layer of oil and that is the only thing that keeps these parts. some moving at 6,000 rotations a minute [100 rotations a second] from doing so metal on metal and destroying your engine. The only way to determine where the oil is leaking from is to get underneath of your vehicle and follow the splash to where it is coming from. The usual culprits on the bottom of an engine are the oil pan gasket, and the front and rear main oil seals which go around the engine's crankshaft. Here is a link below explaining how to properly jack up and support a vehicle for inspection below:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/jack-up-and-lift-your-car-safely

Please go through this guide and find out where the oil is leaking from, taking a few pics or a short video of it and uploading here, if possible, and get back to us with the information. We can go from there.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros

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Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 AT 7:26 PM

TEE MYSTER

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Thanks for the quick response, Alex. I looked under the hood and this is where I noticed the spot of the leak.

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Thursday, December 12th, 2019 AT 1:56 AM

TEE MYSTER

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Here is a better image.

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Thursday, December 12th, 2019 AT 1:56 AM

SCGRANTURISMO

MECHANIC
4,897 POSTS

Hello again,

Okay, so that's not a terribly hard gasket to get to, it's the oil pan gasket, which is one of the more common gaskets to fail, so no worries there. In the diagrams down below I have included the instructions for the removal and installation of your vehicle's oil pan. The instructions don't have a pre-made gasket, and call for the use of liquid gasket. I recommend that you use a product made by Permatex called "The Right Stuff". It's a little more expensive, but worth it. Please go through these guides and get back to us with how everything turns out.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros

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