Oil Leak - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

bdsdnfam · 07-26-2013, 12:36 PM

So Forum members and experts. I had to take my Camaro into the dealership this morning after discovering an oil puddle (I estimate a quarter to half a cup) on the garage floor when I pulled out.

They got me right in (GREAT dealer by the way) and within an hour had her back to me. The write up said that the cause was that the underbody was not degreased well enough after the last oil change. They also replaced the oil filter as a precautionary measure.

My concern is that the oil change was done last fall before I put it away for the winter. From last November through March...no oil noticed. And from March until now, 2000 miles later, it appears.

I know what you will say...keep and eye on it, but anyone else experience something like this? I'm looking for trends I guess. Oh yea, 13K on the car is all.

40years · 07-26-2013, 12:55 PM

Not to unusual. Had the oil changed in mine early in 2010 and a leak showed up about 1200-1500 miles later. Turned out the filter was not tightened enough.

bdsdnfam · 07-26-2013, 09:34 PM

I'm hoping that's the case! Thanks for the response 40years!

Red Jewel RS · 07-26-2013, 10:27 PM

Well, draining oil in a SS there is no place for the oil to collect and fall to the ground at a later time. Oil filter is open no frame in the way. And of course the drain plug is open as well.
Could have the filter not tight enough I guess. But the underside not clean is probably not the problem. Could be that whomever changed the oil spilled while pouring the new oil in up top.
Some here had oil leak from oil cooler and/or pan gasket. I would crawl under and see for myself. Wipe everything dry and drive the car and recheck after a couple of days.
Good luck.

PQ · 07-26-2013, 10:34 PM

Not degreased well enough? WTF? After you told them the oil change was that long ago. That much oil isn't going to just finally fall out of the freaking frame.

I'd suppose the oil filter could have vibrated loose.

Who changed the oil the previous time?

Mouse6.2 · 07-27-2013, 10:33 AM

Sounds like the oil filter was not tightened enough.

Chevrolet Customer Svc · 07-27-2013, 08:05 PM

bdsdnfam,

We hope that the cleaning and replacement of the oil filter do end up resolving your oil leak. If not, and if you decide to head back to the dealership, let us know as we're available to provide any additional support we can.

Sarah (Assisting William)
Chevrolet Customer Care

bdsdnfam · 07-27-2013, 11:14 PM

Dealer does my oil changes. But I've only had two done. It only gets driven about 5K a year so I get the oil changed before I put it to bed for the winter.

bdsdnfam · 07-27-2013, 11:16 PM

Thanks all! No oil on the floor today but I'll keep watching!

lawdog · 07-28-2013, 12:20 AM

That's too much oil on the floor from a dirty underside.
1) take the car to a self serve spray wash and clean the engine top to bottom. Wear old cloths and get under there and spray it down after you soap it up from all three sides.
2) drive it, idle it and drive it.
3) park it overnite
4) then crawl under there and take a peak at our oil cooler (driver side rear of engine next to the filter) It has a gasket on it where it mounts to the block that's been known to leak, It's a half our job for a GM good mechanic
5) check your oil pan gasket, also some issues with leaks there. That's a big job ! Subframe has to come off the car to get the oil pan off.
Had them both done on my baby by a great GM mechanic. both under warranty .

bdsdnfam · 07-30-2013, 03:35 PM

So far, so good. I backed out of the garage last night and checked the floor. Bone dry. I have a hunch it was a loose filter but I'll keep watching.

5thGenOwner · 12-18-2013, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lawdog

That's too much oil on the floor from a dirty underside.
1) take the car to a self serve spray wash and clean the engine top to bottom. Wear old cloths and get under there and spray it down after you soap it up from all three sides.
2) drive it, idle it and drive it.
3) park it overnite
4) then crawl under there and take a peak at our oil cooler (driver side rear of engine next to the filter) It has a gasket on it where it mounts to the block that's been known to leak, It's a half our job for a GM good mechanic
5) check your oil pan gasket, also some issues with leaks there. That's a big job ! Subframe has to come off the car to get the oil pan off.
Had them both done on my baby by a great GM mechanic. both under warranty .

I just took my 2010 to the dealer for an oil leak. It was coming from all of the places you mentioned... oil pan gasket, oil cooler gasket, and even from the drain plug. I didn't know these were known problems, but luckily I still have 11 months left on my warranty.

Any thoughts as to why I would get this problem on a 4yr old car that has less than 10k miles?

PQ · 12-19-2013, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5thGenOwner

I just took my 2010 to the dealer for an oil leak. It was coming from all of the places you mentioned... oil pan gasket, oil cooler gasket, and even from the drain plug. I didn't know these were known problems, but luckily I still have 11 months left on my warranty.

Any thoughts as to why I would get this problem on a 4yr old car that has less than 10k miles?

Rear seal was an issue on earlier builds. Maybe it just got bad enough to flow more.

Thank goodness for warranty. I lost mine quite early.

bluBlud · 02-24-2014, 05:12 PM

Are the oil gaskets still an issue? My '13 has been sitting in the garage since mid-November. I was looking underneath just to see if I needed more mothballs and noticed a few drops of oil on the tarp roughly in-line with the cats along the car and centered across. I have the Good Year tires that like to crack when they're cold so I can't get underneath the car just yet. I did put some cardboard in the same spot and it's clean so far. We've had some strange temperature swings this winter, the car has literally been dripping with condensation a couple of times, so I hoping its nothing but am concerned. The car only has about 3200 miles and I hate the though of bringing it to the dealer to get torn apart again :(

07-26-2013, 12:36 PM	#1
bdsdnfam NoJoken Drives: Synergy Green SS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Rosemount, MN Posts: 195 View My Garage	Oil Leak So Forum members and experts. I had to take my Camaro into the dealership this morning after discovering an oil puddle (I estimate a quarter to half a cup) on the garage floor when I pulled out. They got me right in (GREAT dealer by the way) and within an hour had her back to me. The write up said that the cause was that the underbody was not degreased well enough after the last oil change. They also replaced the oil filter as a precautionary measure. My concern is that the oil change was done last fall before I put it away for the winter. From last November through March...no oil noticed. And from March until now, 2000 miles later, it appears. I know what you will say...keep and eye on it, but anyone else experience something like this? I'm looking for trends I guess. Oh yea, 13K on the car is all.

07-26-2013, 12:55 PM	#2
40years Drives: 2016 CAMARO 1SS Hyper Blue Met. Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Tucson, Arizona Posts: 1,593	Not to unusual. Had the oil changed in mine early in 2010 and a leak showed up about 1200-1500 miles later. Turned out the filter was not tightened enough. __________________ proud member "club elite" # 89

07-26-2013, 10:34 PM	#5
PQ Booooosted. Drives: 2010 Supercharged SS Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 36,716 View My Garage	Not degreased well enough? WTF? After you told them the oil change was that long ago. That much oil isn't going to just finally fall out of the freaking frame. I'd suppose the oil filter could have vibrated loose. Who changed the oil the previous time? __________________

07-27-2013, 08:05 PM	#7
Chevrolet Customer Svc Drives: GM Vehicles Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 9,328	bdsdnfam, We hope that the cleaning and replacement of the oil filter do end up resolving your oil leak. If not, and if you decide to head back to the dealership, let us know as we're available to provide any additional support we can. Sarah (Assisting William) Chevrolet Customer Care __________________ For information on the GM Privacy Statement, please visit http://www.gm.com/privacy-statement.html

07-30-2013, 03:35 PM	#11
bdsdnfam NoJoken Drives: Synergy Green SS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Rosemount, MN Posts: 195 View My Garage	Oil Leak Update So far, so good. I backed out of the garage last night and checked the floor. Bone dry. I have a hunch it was a loose filter but I'll keep watching.

07-26-2013, 09:34 PM	#3
bdsdnfam NoJoken Drives: Synergy Green SS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Rosemount, MN Posts: 195 View My Garage	I'm hoping that's the case! Thanks for the response 40years!

07-26-2013, 10:27 PM	#4
Red Jewel RS Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Billings, MT Posts: 891 View My Garage	Well, draining oil in a SS there is no place for the oil to collect and fall to the ground at a later time. Oil filter is open no frame in the way. And of course the drain plug is open as well. Could have the filter not tight enough I guess. But the underside not clean is probably not the problem. Could be that whomever changed the oil spilled while pouring the new oil in up top. Some here had oil leak from oil cooler and/or pan gasket. I would crawl under and see for myself. Wipe everything dry and drive the car and recheck after a couple of days. Good luck.

07-27-2013, 10:33 AM	#6
Mouse6.2 Drives: 2013 2SS/RS M6 NPP Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 340	Sounds like the oil filter was not tightened enough.

07-27-2013, 11:14 PM	#8
bdsdnfam NoJoken Drives: Synergy Green SS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Rosemount, MN Posts: 195 View My Garage	Dealer does my oil changes. But I've only had two done. It only gets driven about 5K a year so I get the oil changed before I put it to bed for the winter.

07-27-2013, 11:16 PM	#9
bdsdnfam NoJoken Drives: Synergy Green SS Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Rosemount, MN Posts: 195 View My Garage	Thanks all! No oil on the floor today but I'll keep watching!

07-28-2013, 12:20 AM	#10
lawdog Drives: 2010 SSII w RS & Sunroof Yellow Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: West Suburbs of Chicago, in a Courthouse Somewhere Posts: 953	That's too much oil on the floor from a dirty underside. 1) take the car to a self serve spray wash and clean the engine top to bottom. Wear old cloths and get under there and spray it down after you soap it up from all three sides. 2) drive it, idle it and drive it. 3) park it overnite 4) then crawl under there and take a peak at our oil cooler (driver side rear of engine next to the filter) It has a gasket on it where it mounts to the block that's been known to leak, It's a half our job for a GM good mechanic 5) check your oil pan gasket, also some issues with leaks there. That's a big job ! Subframe has to come off the car to get the oil pan off. Had them both done on my baby by a great GM mechanic. both under warranty .

02-24-2014, 05:12 PM	#14
bluBlud Drives: 2013 2SS/RS/1LE Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: CT Posts: 483	Are the oil gaskets still an issue? My '13 has been sitting in the garage since mid-November. I was looking underneath just to see if I needed more mothballs and noticed a few drops of oil on the tarp roughly in-line with the cats along the car and centered across. I have the Good Year tires that like to crack when they're cold so I can't get underneath the car just yet. I did put some cardboard in the same spot and it's clean so far. We've had some strange temperature swings this winter, the car has literally been dripping with condensation a couple of times, so I hoping its nothing but am concerned. The car only has about 3200 miles and I hate the though of bringing it to the dealer to get torn apart again :( __________________