I recently purchased a used Ford F-150 4x4 (186,000 km) which has just started leaking oil. I looked underneath and the oil is trickling down and around the starter unit, very slow but steady.
I know that buying a used vehicle is always a risk but I needed a another truck for work. As far as I could tell, it was in real nice shape with a sturdy bed and hardly any rust so I jumped on it.
My heart is sinking now! The dealership has a partial guarantee where they pay 50/50 on parts and labour for up to 30 days (not much of a guarantee, but better than nothing).
I still qualify for this guarantee. My question is: what do you think the problem is? How serious and how much money am I going to have to shell out?
Shaking in my boots,

-Mike

 

Probably valve cover gasket.

 

you need to take a good look at the cause. Sometimes it is a oil pan gasket and all you need to do is snug up the bolts 1/2 to 1 turn and squeeze down on the old gasket. Could also be a valve cover.. and same plan, just tighten the bolts a turn.

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. Turns out it was coolant leaking, not oil. The guy at the shop tightened up some stuff (bolts? clamps? I dunno for sure) and took it for a drive to test for leaks. So far, no leaks.
I hope to God that that solves the problem. Generally speaking, is it better to have a coolant leak than an oil leak? I guess that would depend entirely on the particulars of the situation. Anyway, I was pretty relieved when he said it was coolant and not oil. I should have known from the viscosity!
For now, I am pretty relieved. Out of the fire, yet again.


Cheers,

-Mike

 

Good. Keep your eye on your hoses and stuff. Happy trucken.

 

Thanks Papa! Now to convince my roommate Mike that it was coolant and not oil because he was SURE it was an oil leak. He said if it was coolant the stains on the driveway asphalt would have evaporated by now (being water-soluble.....or something like that).
Also, he was assuming the coolant would have been green, not the dark colour it was. I collected some of the fluid in a container and it was watery, like coolant, not thick like oil. But the darker colour? Makes me suspicious.
Put my doubts to rest: coolant isn't necessarily green in colour, is it? Could oil have somehow gotten into the coolant system, turning it an oil colour? And would the coolant be completely evaporated, like he said?
I just want to be sure. Used vehicles are a gamble and I don't feel like sinking any more money into it, obviously.
Thanks,

-Mike

 

antifreeze does not evaporate. It sets on the ground, wet, just like oil. Antifreeze can get old and rusty color looking. It can also have some of the old style barls leak sealer that was an oily brown pellet design. Look into the overflow tank and see what it looks like. Might be time to flush and refill.

 

Steve: That's what I thought. Thanks for the reassurance. I'm going to check the overflow tank tomorrow and I'll consider a flush.

Cheers,

-Mike