Oil Spot Under Car

[swexlin]

I had the car out for a nice 35 mile drive today - another beautiful fall day. Parked the car about 11 am. I always check under the car before and after a drive, inspect tires, etc. Garage floor dry after the drive.

Nine hours later, I have to go out to the garage for something. Don't know what made me check (perhaps its the OCD), but now, there is a half-dollar-sized spot of oil, on the passenger side, just to the right of center, and about as far back as the center of the tire. WTF? What could have made that spot in 9 hours? So, with the flashlight, I'm looking underneath. No active drip that I can see. Open the hood, and again, nothing that I can see, everything appears drive. There is a little oil on the passenger valve cover, but that might be a drip from the last time I checked the oil (which wasn't today, but the way.)

Shining the light down from the topside, again, everything looks dry, can't see where it would be coming from. I'm thinking the oil cooler lines, but why would it have started like that all of a sudden? This car, at 11, 500 miles, has never had a drop of anything leak from it. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow.

[Steve M]

My guess since it is on the passenger side is the oil cooler lines. Mine leaked on my '08 with about that mileage on them, although I remember the spot on the floor being a little smaller than what you described. Looks like they carried the shitty oil cooler line design on to the Gen 5s, so it's not a matter of if, but when.

Another thing to check is the top of the oil filter (should be able to tell from the top pretty easily, more easily if you remove the air box). It's probably dry, but it could also be a source of your problem.

[swexlin]

Steve, not from the filter, first thing I checked. Well, car is under warranty, guess I'll have to make an appointment for my Viper tech to take a look at.
I know the lines tend to seep. I can't see an active drip. Very odd.

[Steve M]

Steve, not from the filter, first thing I checked. Well, car is under warranty, guess I'll have to make an appointment for my Viper tech to take a look at.
I know the lines tend to seep. I can't see an active drip. Very odd.

From what I've gathered, the oil cooler lines don't fail catastrophically...they just start weeping, and eventually enough collects that some drips on the floor.

[Voice of Reason]

Check your front shocks. I've had both fronts replaced on mine and when they leaked they both left a giant pool of oil on the floor.

Ironically the only other shocks I've had leak were on my Grand Cherokee. Those also left giant stains on my floor. I now have more oil stains in my garage from leaking Dodge shocks than from engine oil leaks.

[swexlin]

I'll check that today. I don't have a lift, so it's so damn hard to see where it might be coming from. I'll try to shine the light on the right shock as well.

[swexlin]

Update, here is a picture. It isn't the shock. For perspective, that is the right front tire in the photo, and that spot is a little bigger than a half-dollar, smudged by my finger a couple times. Pretty sure it's a cooler line. Shining the light from the top of the engine, all the lines look pretty dry, except for one kind of straight down at the bottom where where the dipstick is, seems to be a tiny amount there.

Again, no active drip now, nor was there any when I shut off the car yesterday. That took a few hours.

OilSpot112016.jpg

[Steve M]

When mine went bad, both were leaking on the block side.

[sharmut]

Dealer confirmed source of my leak was at the engine block side as well and replaced both upper, lower hoses. Next time it leaks, will likely go aftermarket and be done with it.

[swexlin]

I texted with my tech yesterday, and he confirmed STILL an issue, and has been since 94. I'm going to call this morning and make an appointment to take the car in next week get them fixed.

[jaxtk]

I texted with my tech yesterday, and he confirmed STILL an issue, and has been since 94. I'm going to call this morning and make an appointment to take the car in next week get them fixed.

It is not the hoses that leak, it is the fittings in the block. Only need to replace them and not the hoses.

[ViperGeorge]

My guess since it is on the passenger side is the oil cooler lines. Mine leaked on my '08 with about that mileage on them, although I remember the spot on the floor being a little smaller than what you described. Looks like they carried the shitty oil cooler line design on to the Gen 5s, so it's not a matter of if, but when.

Another thing to check is the top of the oil filter (should be able to tell from the top pretty easily, more easily if you remove the air box). It's probably dry, but it could also be a source of your problem.

This is my bet too. My 14 GTS just had its lines replaced.

[swexlin]

My tech ordered them in this morning, car goes in next Tuesday for surgery! Not back-ordered, plenty in stock. Reading over on the Hellcat forums, guess what...their lines are leaking too. Probably the same part in those cars as well.

[Steve M]

Replacing them with the OEM lines should be viewed as a temporary fix...under warranty it makes sense, but out of warranty aftermarket is the way to go. It's just something you'll have to keep an eye on.

[swexlin]

That's what my tech said, he's says he's replaced many of these over the years, and couple years later, they leak again.
As long as the car is under warranty, I'll do it this way. If it happens out of warranty, then I'll seek a better solution.

Considering it's an annoyance issue more than an urgent issue, this way works for me for now.

[Steve M]

Considering it's an annoyance issue more than an urgent issue, this way works for me for now.

Don't blame you, and would probably do the same if it was mine. I remember doing the install many years ago, and while I was laying on my back cussing at the engine, I remember thinking you couldn't pay me enough to do it again.

[Rocket]

Might actually be the exact opposite of what you say. It appeared to me that is was the crimped portion of the line entering the fitting that was leaking. As a matter of fact - if you wanted the easiest/fastest way to fix this - you would buy the lines (which come with the fittings attached that screw into the block), remove the line from the fitting via the quick-connect spring and just replace the lines.

I chose to replace the entire assembly with the Viper Specialty lines so that it was fixed once and for all. And yes - replacing the lines are a real PIA!

Pics of the leak: The oil will saturate the oil cooler line and protective coating and will often drip onto the AC line that runs under the oil pan. In the first pic - that is the ac line that the oil is dripping from. 2nd pic is of the lines where they enter the block:

It is not the hoses that leak, it is the fittings in the block. Only need to replace them and not the hoses.

[swexlin]

My AC line is dry, there is no active drip anywhere I can see. The frame itself is directly above the drip spot.

[Martin]

I wonder if your tech would be willing to install aftermarket lines for you. Labor time should be the same, and it saves FCA the price of the parts.

[swexlin]

I wonder if your tech would be willing to install aftermarket lines for you. Labor time should be the same, and it saves FCA the price of the parts.

I'm under warranty. Once the car is of warranty (if I still own it) then I'll explore that option. And remember, I'm assuming it's the lines. Who knows, once he gets the car on the lift, could be something else.

[ViperSRT]

Is it possible if during an oil change the mechanic tipped the filter and got oil inside the frame? Had that happen in a Gen 1 and it was a long time before it stopped dripping.

[speedtactics]

My 14 GTS both hoses leaking and replaced at 9500 miles.

[swexlin]

Is it possible if during an oil change the mechanic tipped the filter and got oil inside the frame? Had that happen in a Gen 1 and it was a long time before it stopped dripping.

Possible I guess sure.

[Jack B]

Possible I guess sure.

The first time I changed oil on the G5, I spun the filter off and oil gushed on to the frame. Now, I break the filter a let it drain. I believe that some times the oil lines release all their oil, other times they do not.

[swexlin]

Update, it was the oil lines - I picked up the car this morning. Jeff showed me the old lines - you could see where one had been seeping where it entered the block, and around a crimp.

He verified what you guys said - they WILL leak again. He's been doing this since the Gen 1 days.