Help - MOT due!!

andreaandrea

Hello.

Can anyone offer me any advise - my car's MOT is due in 2 weeks - do you think i need to get an oil leak checked? Whenever i park my car there is a small leak - i do top it up to make sure there is always enough oil in - it wont fail for this will it?

Thank you.

Keith

I think it's an advisory unless it is leaking on to something covered by the MOT such as the brakes.

Where is the oil leaking from?

cyclonebri1

Keith wrote: »

I think it's an advisory unless it is leaking on to something covered by the MOT such as the brakes.

Where is the oil leaking from?

As Keith says,

If you not too handy, or know someone that is, it might not be a bad idea to ask the MOT operator if he can see were the leak is coming from. This is asuming you are going to a proper garage and not a Fwik Kit type outfit.;)
If its leaking when you park, its probably leaking more when you're driving it, not nice for 2 wheeler road users.

Could be sump gasket or similar needs a quick tighten, easy fix, but of course it could be anything. Just make sure that the leak has been identified before they try and fix it. Might cost an engine bay steam clean to find it if it's been leaking a while.

Conor_3

It won't fail for an oil leak unless it's well serious. If they did, there'd not be a classic car that'd pass.

BenL

Are you getting a service done as well?

If you are (recommended every 12 months) the oil and filter will be changed and this may cure the leak as the sump plug and filter are common areas for the leak to start.

anewman

At last MOT my car had an advisory notice on oil leak.

My engine will be different to yours, but initially I replaced the cam shaft gasket and rubber bungs on the studs (at the front of the engine) as it appeared the leak may have been coming from there - and that didn't stop it. I then noticed it may actually be coming from the fuel pump blanking plate directly under the cam shaft cover - as there was a snapped off stud I hadn't noticed previously I simply cleaned the area and smothered some hardening liquid gasket stuff all around it. That seemed to stop the leak at the front of the engine. Last I knew oil appeared to be dripping from between the engine and transmission housing so I would suspect the drive shaft oil seal was possibly causing that but would be expensive to replace due to labour costs. I'm not sure if it's still leaking but that could just be the weather.

If the oil leak cannot be identified and easiy/cheaply repaired you could try simply putting some Wynn's or Redex oil stop leak into the oil.

http://www.4wheelplay.co.uk/wynns-engine-stop-leak-325ml-p-25000201.html

http://www.4wheelplay.co.uk/redex-stop-oil-leak-p-25003160.html

But as already mentioned it could be something simple like sump plug, oil filter, sump pan gasket etc.

andreaandrea

Thank you for your help. The leak has been there for about 6 months. My Dad tried tightening everything up but nothing appeared loose. Cant find any fractures etc so not really sure. As you look at it its worse on the right hand side of the engine.

Can putting one of those liquids above in the oil really work?!

anewman

They supposedly work by expanding the oil seals. I would say it's best to get the leak repaired properly rather than by using that, but if the car is a banger or not worth much and the repair would cost quite a bit I would say adding that stuff to the oil is a good cheap option. So I would get some opinions on where it may be leaking from and how much it would cost to repair first.

But really, if the oil isn't leaking all that much (going by miles travelled and the markers on the dip stick) you just have to keep topping up and erm feel bad about dropping oil everywhere As previously mentioned won't fail MOT anyway.

Sometimes you have to give the engine a really good clean to see where oil is coming from as it sort of moves around when you drive. I think the thing the pros do is pump some sort of smoke in or something to see where it comes from?

tinkerbell84

do you have it serviced regularly?

jeannieblue

As previously mentioned - go to a good garage for your MOT - tell them before hand about the leak and ask if you can be shown where it is coming from etc., and ask how much to correct. Doubt it would be an MOT failure - think you should've got it checked when it first started really.

Conor_3

andreaandrea wrote: »

Thank you for your help. The leak has been there for about 6 months. My Dad tried tightening everything up but nothing appeared loose. Cant find any fractures etc so not really sure. As you look at it its worse on the right hand side of the engine.

Can putting one of those liquids above in the oil really work?!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DO NOT PUT THESE IN AN ENGINE. All they do is clog up oilways, especially the finer ones, and lead to such lovely things like premature cam wear. And you'll still have the leak as well.