Oil leaks are one of the most familiar issues on Jeep Wranglers. The craziest fact about this issue is it doesn’t have any particular place and can occur in multiple locations of a car. Besides, it also causes additional problems like overheating, burnt smell, weird noise, etc.
So, how to fix the oil leak on the Jeep Wrangler? You can fix it either yourself or with mechanic help. Mainly, you need to replace the damaged gaskets, oil pan, hoses, and caps. Also, you must avoid overfilling the oil tank.
In this article, we will provide information on the precautions and preventive strategies for leaks. Thus, if you are also dealing with oil leak issues, stay with us till the end!
Table of Contents
Signs Of Oil Leak On Jeep Wrangler
You need to have a clear idea about the signs of oil leakages in your jeep. It will help you to decide when to repair the body parts or engine parts. If your car is having a leakage issue, you will encounter these issues:
Low Oil Level
A low oil level indicates that there might be a leak in the car’s oil system. When there is a leak, an amount of oil will be wasted, and the radiator will show a low level. So, when your vehicle starts to use more fluid than ever before, it means your car has a leakage.
Oil Marks Under Subframe And Engine Area
You will notice oil marks on the surface of the vehicle’s engine. Sometimes, oil can’t reach the ground, and it will compile under the subframe.
But brake fluid, transmission fluid, or engine oil, any of these could be responsible for the marks under the vehicle. You need to be sure by inspecting the color.
| Types Of Fluid | Colors |
| Brake fluid | Brown, light yellow |
| Transmission Fluid | Red |
| Coolant | Green or orange |
| Power steering fluid | Red |
| Engine Oil | Brown or black |
If you see any brown or black releases under the car, your vehicle has an oil leakage problem.
Flashing Check Engine Light
When oil will leak from the reservoir of your car, the low oil level will trigger the engine light. The check engine light will keep flashing if the fluid level drops below a certain level due to leakage.
Overheating Of Vehicle
The engine oil lubricates the moving parts of the vehicle so that they can move simultaneously without significant friction. Once the lubrication layer reduces due to leakage, those moving parts will encounter enormous friction.
This will generate a large amount of heat. As a result, the car engine will overheat.
Smoke From The Engine
When the leaked oil reaches the manifold exhaust or contacts the hot engine, it will burn off. As a result, it will produce smoke, and you can notice it is emitting under the hood of the jeep.
Burning Smell
As the leaking oil burns within contact with the hot engine, it will cause a burning smell. This burning smell will be more intense if it occurs on the leakage of the valve cover.
Noises From Engine
You will hear a noise from the engine if there is any leak. Because whenever the oil comes into contact with the hot surface, it will make a sizzling noise.
Reasons For Oil Leak On Jeep Wrangler
To understand the oil leak better, you must have clear knowledge about the reasons behind these leaks. Thus, it will be easier for you to solve the leak issue if you understand its reasoning. Here are a few reasons:
Faulty Oil Filter
Damaged, worn-out, or clogged oil filters are the major reasons for the leak. When this filter gets cracked, the oil may leak from it quite easily. Besides, when the filter becomes clogged, the oil pressure may crack the gasket, which will result in a leak.
Loose Reservoir Caps
Oil can leak easily through the loose Reservoir caps. If you don’t tighten the caps properly after draining and refilling, an oil leakage may occur.
Damaged Gaskets Of Valve Cover
Generally, this gasket provides attachment between the engine’s upper portion and valve cover. In case the gaskets become damaged, compressed oil will leak through the gaskets.
Faulty Main Seal
The rear main seal may get damaged with time due to enormous wear and tear. High temperature also deteriorates the tolerance of the main seal. Primarily, high-pressure oil travels around this area. As a result, the leak also causes significant fluid loss.
Oil Overfilling
Sometimes, you may overfill the reservoir while refilling it with oil. In this case, the oil will slip out from the reservoir and leave marks on the ground under the engine.
How To Fix Oil Leak On Jeep Wrangler?
Now, you know the signs and reasons for the oil leak on the jeep wrangler. Thus, it will be easier for you to fix this issue yourself. Here are a few methods of fixing the oil leak:
Ask For Professional Help
If you can’t figure out where to start the repair process, you should ask for professional help. You may have to pay extra labor costs, but your vehicle will be in safe hands.
Besides, if you can’t use the repairing tools properly, you may damage the engine of your car more. Also, locating the exact leak point is tough. Hence, you better call for professional help.
Change The Stud Of Oil Pan
If you find the stud has any damage, you have to repair the damage. When it’s unrepairable, you better shift to a new stud of the oil pan.
Tightening All The Reservoir Caps
Check if the caps are loose or not. If you find it loose, you should tighten the attachment. If you tighten all the bolts and caps, the oil will not be leaking from those points.
Attaching Oil Leak Stop
This is an additive for your car to stop the oil from leaking. These additives flow with the oil, and when it reaches sufficient temperature, it melts. Melting of these additives can create a seal on the leak.
Fix The Valve Cover Gasket
Damaged and worn-out gasket valves will leak the oil, and the engine will also be covered with the oil. That’s why you better repair or replace that old gasket valve cover to stop the leak.
Fix The Oil Gasket Pan
A damaged oil gasket pan plays a vital role in oil leakage. So, if you detect any damage or fault in the oil gasket pan, you have to replace that.
Precautions While Fixing Oil Leak On Jeep Wrangler
In the above section, we learned how easy it is to fix an oil leakage on a jeep wrangler. Nevertheless, you have to be cautious about some factors through the fixing procedures. Those precautions are:
- Avoid over-tightening the bolts because there is a limit of pattern and torque for tightening the bolts.
- Please ensure the bolts don’t fall inside the cylinder when you remove them.
- In case of changing the oil filler, buy new oil for your vehicle. That is because this replacement requires draining out of used oil.
- Before applying the additives, make sure you clean the engine of your vehicle.
Preventive Methods Of Oil Leak On Jeep Wrangler
You can follow some preventive ways to avoid the oil leak problem of your vehicle. The maintenance for this will require less money than that of repairing after the leak. Those prevention methods are:
- Keep the oil filter and engine bay clean always.
- Don’t overfill the oil reservoir. Otherwise, it will generate high pressure, which eventually will create leaks.
- Check if the connections of clamps and hoses are loose or not. If loose, tighten them to block the probability of leakage.
- Inspect the gaskets, caps, and seals often for any kind of damage. Replace those shortly once you find any fault in them.
- If you notice any slight indication of oil leakage, fix that momentarily.
- Most importantly, never use any oil except the recommended one by the manufacturers. Otherwise, it will cause leakage and will damage the engine.
FAQs
This is the FAQ section where we will answer several most-asked questions about oil leaks.
Is It Safe To Drive Jeep Wranglers With an oil leakage?
No. It’s risky if you keep driving the Jeep with leakage. Firstly, the engine oil is flammable, and the leaking may cause a fire accident. Also, the lack of oil due to the leakage may damage the car’s engine significantly.
Is Fixing Oil Leak On Jeep Wranglers Costly?
Yes. The cost will depend on the severity of the oil leaks. Generally, the expense will range between $100 to $2000, depending on the leak. Sometimes, the labor cost becomes more than the faulty parts of the jeep.
Conclusion
Oil leaks are significant problems in most vehicles, and the Jeep Wrangler is also not an exception. You will encounter many issues if there is any leak. Once you are sure of that, you need to identify the location of the leaks. These leaks can occur anywhere, and that’s why it’s the most crucial part.
In this article, we talked about why it is essential to fix an oil leak on a Jeep Wrangler. To avoid further damage to the engine, you better resolve this issue by following the methods mentioned earlier.
Also, you can easily prevent this oil leak issue by following some preventive techniques and regular maintenance.