Oil leak after extra oil was added to the engine

EVELKA

MEMBER
2006 FORD ESCAPE
3.0L
6 CYL
4WD
AUTOMATIC
143,000 MILES

Hi there,

recently I replaced a seal gasket in my vehicle due to what we figured out oil leak. Everything was fine until my last oil change where I was told they added extra oil for no specific reason and shortly after I noticed an oil leak, please see the attached pics. Is that related to the extra oil that was added on or is it just coincidence and the leak is coming from somewhere I cannot detect? The oil spill is on the left side of the car (looking at it from the driver's seat). I don't know the texture of it. Can you advise me what it possibly might be and if driving is dangerous or damaging to my car?
Thank you,

Ewelina

Images (Click to make bigger)

3 Replies

SQM

MECHANIC
6,383 POSTS

Hello,

If excessive oil gets added, it is possible for it to leak. Do you know how much extra oil was added?

As for the leak, it is difficult to tell from the picture where it is coming from. It could be from one of the front seals. Which could be due to excess oil.
One thing you can try is to put some dye in the oil, and then use a black light to detect the leaking spot (usually after the engine runs for a little bit you can see the dye).
Most auto parts stores will have oil dye and black light.

Here is a helpful guide that covers the typical oil leaks:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-is-leaking-oil

Let me know what you find or if you have any questions.

Thank you.