Oil leak is hiding behind another part and hidden by belt splatter?

Tiny
SHORTY
  • MEMBER
  • 2012 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN
  • 3.6L
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 139,486 MILES
The van listed above is a Grand Caravan, with dual capability shifting and I have the one with the flex fuel option of e85 or gasoline.
The problem that I am having is this leak is seeping out from high up in the upper engine location, but the leak has to be behind another part and can be hidden well. My downfall after cleaning off my engine using an engine degreasing spray that I purchased at my local auto parts store. I started the engine hoping to see where the root of the leak was only to have had the oil hit the serpentine belt and it splattered oil everywhere now. So, there isn't one place to look for fresh leaking, now everything was covered in the stuff again. I have replaced many parts on this van in the hopes of finding this leak eventually. This van was my mother's van. My mother passed away in 2019. I want to keep her van in good running condition any way I can. I can't see myself ever scrapping her out and getting another vehicle just yet. However, I am limited on funds right now, so I need your knowledge and experience. I need some sort of help. My husband and I are going to be splitting up, so he refuses to help me in any way anymore. So maybe this sounds like a problem that you have seen in all your years dealing with Dodge vans, and maybe remember what possible part that the case needed and tell me what it was. Then I can start looking to get one. That is if I haven't replaced it already recently. If it isn't, then I will find a way to get the correct part and get it changed out for a good one myself. Then her van will be running once again. Her van is very important to me, and I want to make sure I repair it properly. Any other advice about keeping the van at its peak performance would be greatly appreciated as well. I will check back here often to see If I got a reply. Thanks in advance for any knowledge you could bestow to me.
Sunday, August 7th, 2022 AT 5:42 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,967 POSTS
I am sorry to hear about your mom and your spit from your husband, sometimes life can throw you some real curve balls. I can help you with the engine oil leak repair though. What I am hoping is that the oil filter cap O ring seal is leaking and dropping down onto the belt which is most common but if the oil filter container looks dry there are some O rings on the adapter that need to be replaced along with the oil pressure sensor. Here is how the unit is removed and resealed. Check out the diagrams (below). Let us know what happens and please upload pictures or videos of the problem.
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Monday, August 8th, 2022 AT 12:28 PM
Tiny
SHORTY
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All of those areas mentioned above have already been replaced in the search for this evasive oil leak. Before my van started leaking from this hidden source. There were no leaks. I was getting a code for a misfire in cylinder five. I doubt that the misfire is involved but just giving you more details that may help. I am pretty confident that the leak was caused when my serpentine belt shredded and then it slapped around in the engine compartment until I was able to get stopped. I had to pull pieces of the belt out of the pulleys and off tunes throughout the whole engine on the side of the belt. Since I have recently replaced all of that around this area already, then I don't believe it is coming from any of the o rings mentioned. The oil cooler had a leak before as well. I replaced all of the o rings, the oil filter, and the oil cooler all at the same time. It stopped the leak in the oil cooler. All of that is new already. Could the oil be coming from somewhere on the timing chain cover? A seal or connector in there that could have gone bad, or maybe even from the base of the oil filler tube itself? I'm still learning lots about the engine of this van that I didn't know before. The amount of sensors and relays along with the regular maintenance of this van has kept me in the repair manual quite often. I do appreciate your help in this matter also. I will attach more photos too.
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Thursday, August 18th, 2022 AT 2:58 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,967 POSTS
Thanks for the images, the engine looks dry up top, so the oil leak occurred after the belt replacement, correct? If so part of the belt took out the front main seal which is common when this kind of failure happens. Here is video of the job being done on a similar engine, but the process is the same. Also, I have included instructions in the diagrams below to show you how to do the job on your car.

https://youtu.be/NZIMNkLxCMA

Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what happens.

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Thursday, August 18th, 2022 AT 3:30 PM

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