Oil Leak…

[pgh_expy]

Long time reader, first time poster…

Walked out to the driveway yesterday and saw a large oil stain under my 2018 Expy.

Checked the engine bay and didn’t see any oil on the block or around the filter. When I crawled under the vehicle there was significant oil on the plug, bottom of the oil pan, and on top of the skid plate.

I checked the plug and it was tight, so stumped as to where the oil may be leaking.

Any ideas or has anyone experienced this issue?

Thanks!

 

[scottdm]

That buildup of sludge means it's been leaking for quite some time. Perhaps the silicone applied during assembly on the plastic oil pan's mating flange is leaking.

 

[pgh_expy]

Thanks, I’ll investigate that.

What’s strange is that I check the oil level often and have never had a low oil situation. Even now, it’s at just under the midpoint of the dipstick.

Are the plastic oil pans a common failure point? I’ll have the seal checked but wonder if anyone has seen hairline cracks.

 

[Deadman]

Are you sure the silly drain plugs not defective? Like cut o ring or whatever seals that crazy thing?

 

[BMW2FORD]

How does the other sides of the oil pan look? Any wetness going all the way upwards? They are known to leak where the upper plastic meets the aluminum section but from the photos, this just looks like your drain plug is leaking very slowly. These plastic pans have a big green rubber o-ring on the yellow plastic drain plug that wears out after a few oil changes. You can get the o-ring alone from the dealer but better off just getting a new drain plug that comes with it since they get brittle over time.

 

[pgh_expy]

Thanks for the image and detail, I will do a closer inspection in the morning and let you guys know what I find.

 

[Rob6805]

Looks like the drain plug is leaking to me.

 

[TheDoug]

Looks like the drain plug is leaking to me.

That would be my guess as well. Replace plug and see

 

[NukeLife]

And spray that all that gunk down with some brake clean, or engine degreaser. Get it off and let it dry real good. replace the plug. And then get under there EVERY DAY. If it is a slow leak, and not coming from the drain plug, it will be back and you are more likely to find it if you are looking every day for the first signs of “new” sludge buildup.

Is it under warranty still? If so, this is something they should be taking care of.

 

[Deep8174]

If the plug is fine I would check the oil pan for cracks

 

[pgh_expy]

I tore the debris shield off yesterday and was able to examine it more closely. The oil seemed to be coming from the plug as many of you had mentioned, and then would run along the bottom of the pan. There was no oil on the vertical side of the pan, opposite the plug, so I think that likely rules out the pan/block gasket as a failure point.

I cleaned it up as best I could, bought a new plug, and took it in for an oil change yesterday. They didn’t see any cracks on the plug but said they’ve seen this issue from time to time and believe it’s the o-ring.

I asked about the massive amount of oil/sludge on the top of the debris shield, and they said given the engine oil level (low but acceptable), it may have been due to a careless oil change. They’ve seen techs remove only a single bolt of the debris shield (closest to the plug), and bend it to access the plug. Inevitably, oil goes everywhere but is largely contained on the debris shield.

I’ll keep monitoring it daily and let you guys know if I see any more leakage. Thanks for your help.

 

[Pete Costanza]

I had a '17 F150 with the plastic pan. 1st year for the 2nd gen 3.5Eco. The oil pans are known to warp and seep oil. Mine did. The solution is to replace the pan. If yours is only the plug, that would be great, but I would be surprised when all is said and done. Its a bad design that was corrected at some point by Ford in 2018, at least on the F150's. My '20 Expedition has the metal pan. Good luck.

 

[rslynes]

From your photos, it really looks like it's coming from the drain plug area. No visible signs of leaking further up on the pan towards the gasket.

It seems that these plastic plugs/o-rings are a problem for some.

 

[Deadman]

That plug is such a POS. You can update the plug to better units.....