Well it seems my poor little hatchie has developed a nasty oil leak. I just had my oil changed about a week and a half ago by a local place because the manager likes me and gives me 50% off, so I figured what the hell. I usually do it myself but Im busy with school and dont have alot of time to spare. I was driving down the highway coasting down a hill, spinning about 2.5k RPM, not running the motor very hard, when all of the sudden my oil light comes on.....thats when I was baffled because I had just had my oil changed a week and a half ago, so I didnt think it could already be low again. My car has always burned a little bit of oil, but its never been bad. So I immediately pull over, and shut the car off. To my surprise, I look under the car, and there is Oil all over my driver side suspension, and Inside my wheel well, and its dripping like crazy. It was a pretty good stream coming from the Driver Side of the engine somewhere, but my car is too low and I could not get under there to see where it was leaking. After it was done pissing oil, I checked how much was still in the motor, and It was barely showing up on the dipstick. So I dumped a quart in, and carefully limped her about a mile home. I originally thought maybe it was just leaking from the oil filter, or oil filter base, but to my surprise, It doesnt seem to be leaking from there. It seems to be leaking from the drivers side of the engine, from the timing / pulleys / belts area, near the bottom. Seems to be leaking from near the bottom of engine on that side, but I cant pinpoint it becuase there is oil everywhere. It doesnt seem to leak as bad after the car is shut off, when there is no more oil pressure built up. So I put some more oil in her today, and took her for a short drive to town, and when I got back, it wasnt leaking as bad as it was before, but It was a constant drip, at a good pace. So I'm stumped as to what could be leaking, for I am no mechanic.. So what do you guys think I should do? Do you think its something serious? The car seems to still run fine, but It just leaks a whole lotta oil. Its not coming from the valve cover gasket either.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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