4 Symptoms of a Cracked Oil Pan
Are you noticing worrisome oil stains in your driveway or garage? While it may end up being a common leaking valve cover gasket, the possibility of an issue much more serious in nature does exist: a cracked oil pan!
Read on to learn the common symptoms of a cracked oil pan, whether you can continue driving, and how much it’s going to cost to repair (or replace) the oil pan.
The Purpose of an Oil Pan
An oil pan is part of an internal combustion engine, found in automotive applications. This pan serves as a catchment basin or reservoir of sorts for the lubricating oil within an engine.
The exact size/volume of an oil pan often differs from one engine to the next, and is largely dependent upon an engine’s overall oil capacity. Generally speaking, larger engines (like an 8-cylinder) have more passageways and moving parts and require more oil for adequate lubrication and cooling than smaller (ie: 4-cylinder) engines. When parked, not running, a significant portion of an engine’s lubricating oil rests within the oil pan.
Cracked Oil Pan Symptoms
Luckily, most are relatively easy to recognize.
1) Oil In Driveway/Garage
One of the most obvious symptoms of a cracked oil pan is noticeable oil stains in your driveway or garage. While these leaks are not always coming from the oil pan itself, a thorough inspection of this assembly is a fine place to start.
2) Frequently Low Oil Levels
Does it seem like you’re having to constantly top of your vehicle’s oil? If so, then you might be dealing with a cracked oil pan.
3) Abnormal Engine Noises
Rapid oil loss can result when an oil pan’s integrity is compromised. Unfortunately, if this oil loss is not noted quickly enough, a lack of oil pressure can result. In turn, you might notice abnormal engine noises, or key in on the fact that your engine sounds louder than normal.
4) Illuminated Oil Pressure Light
If enough oil escapes from a defined crack in an engine’s oil pan, a risk of oil pressure loss is presented. As a result, you may notice the illumination of a low engine oil light or oil pressure light on your vehicle’s dash.
Causes of a Cracked Oil Pan
The first, and most prevalent revolves around impact-related damage.
Even a Jeep doesn’t give you unlimited ground clearance, and even more importantly, your sedan isn’t a Jeep! Another potential, yet much rarer cause of oil pan damage is the flash cooling of a pan’s exterior when operating at extreme temperatures.
This tends to occur most commonly when an overheated engine is splashed with water, as a vehicle drives through ponding rainwater. This is yet another reason why you should never drive a vehicle with an engine that is overheating.
When It’s Not a Crack
These imperfections form during the casting process when molten material escapes through the seams of a mold or small, branch-like cracks appear during the cooling process as natural shrinkage of the metal occurs.
Both of these are typically only superficial imperfections that do not affect the structural integrity of the oil pan. However, a thorough cleaning and inspection is necessary to confirm whether you’re dealing with a minor casting defect or a legit oil pan crack.
Is It Safe to Continue Driving?
The matter of whether or not it is safe to drive with a cracked oil pan is largely dependent on the significance of the crack itself. While some cracks can be very minor, allowing little more than minor oil seepage over a prolonged period of time, others, if severe enough, can drain an engine of it’s in extremely short order.
If a leak is extremely minor, you can likely get away with driving your vehicle for a short period of time, as long as you closely monitor your engine oil level. In any event, you should plan on replacing or repairing a cracked oil pan as soon as possible.