Honda Ridgeline Owners Club Forums banner

Oil Leak help

35K views 29 replies 14 participants last post by  noneill88 
#1 ·
So after arriving home last night I noticed a few dried drops of "fluid" on the ground and then after a few minutes I noticed a wet drop and dipped my finger in it and it is engine oil, upon inspecting the bottom of the engine it is thoroughly wet with oil (drips forming on engine ridges) on the side of the pan where drain is all the way to the front half of the engine (pulley side) and the frame area behind the engine near the transfer case has a through coating of oil and road grime, I checked the drain plug and its tight but have yet to get the time to clean the engine to find the source, are there any "common" locations to check for leaks, I didn't take a picture as it was getting dark, and the oil level was a little below half way on the dip stick, when oil change was done 3k ago it was topped off. I would appreciate any help.
 
#2 ·
Fortunately (but unfortunately in your case) the J35 has been a tight engine with few leakers reported. Main seal is the first thing that comes to mind. Hope it's not that because that will be an expensive fix.
 
#3 ·
Some Hondas have had oil on the engine due to small hole in the oil filter after hitting road debris.

Check the oil filter - good change it might be the source.

other possible causes - pcv valve clogged - valve cover gasket leak - loose oil cap - missing dipstick.

My 2 cents - YMMV
 
#4 ·
+1 on larryr comments.

If you are noticing this since the last oil change, there is a good chance the filter is damaged or loose, or it is possible oil was spilled during the change.

You probably did this already, but I would also double check the PS level and hoses and connections. They run in this general area also and a leak would run down into this general area. It would be pretty easy to mistake a PS leak for oil by the time it hit the ground and got blown around under the truck.

Take a bright flashlight and go all the way around the engine above and below and look for "tell tale" drips, puddles, or dirty spots. Chances are if you have not smelled burning oil the leak is below the heads and exhaust manifolds. As speed mentioned, these engines are not known for gasket related (heads, oil pan, etc) leaks.
 
#6 ·
Excellent suggestions above. Keep one thing in mind... a very small amount of oil goes a long, long way... so it (the leak) may look much worse than it actually is.
 
#7 ·
Well I checked it out during the day and there appears to be no oil running from the top of the engine down, the majority of the oil is coming from where the engine mates with the transmission... rear main seal? (coincidence one just went out in a friends chevy)
See pictures below, there is oil residue back to the transfer case but the majority of it is right there at the bell housing, (see cover in second photo) it definitely is engine oil, not power steering checked level in reservoir and it has the distinct engine oil smell. Anyone heard of a rear main going in a ridge 120k miles?

*edit "speedlever" I think its a little more than a tiny leak? lol
 

Attachments

#9 ·
There have been a few reports of rear main seals going, but they are the exception.

Personally, I'd be tempted to clean it well and try some Seafoam in the crankcase and watch it for a bit.
 
#11 ·
With experience in other vehicles (not Ridgeline) this almost always gets worse. On the upside, it may leak slowly for a long time. I agree with Speed, clean it up, then I would top off the oil and then get a baseline for how much you are losing over say a month. I'd throw a big piece of cardboard under the truck to catch the drops.

Luckily the RL is an auto tranny so the oil wont affect the system like a it would if it were a manual tranny. I had a Camaro go 30,000 miles with a rear main leak by just adding a half quart of oil every couple weeks.
 
#12 ·
Yeah figures right before the holiday it only seems to be leaking when the engine is hot and over the course of 2 days there are maybe 8 drops on the ground, but as in the photos tons on the transmission and engine. Buddys chevy was leaking close to a quart a week (yes thats right) he added rear main sealer from autozone and it slowed a bit but I wouldn't consider that in a "young" engine, had marvels oil in it gonna do a regular oil change and just run straight oil see if that will thicken the mix a little and stop the leak or slow it more... only time will tell.
 
#14 ·
I have used Marvels Mystery Oil for years, its been running in multiple vehicles for 500k miles or more total, never had any problems with any of them had it in another truck with 350k miles on it and 300k of those were run with MMO in the oil, (never leaked and ran smooth as butter) I was going to do a MMO/oil mix every 30k miles or so on the Ridge just to keep things running smooth (which it did/does)
 
#15 · (Edited)
Sturds,

Anecdotal, I know, but over at BITOG, here's a thread about MMO and oil leaks. Who knows what caused the leaks? But it does raise the question.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2814471

There are probably threads about MMO fixing oil leaks too. I just haven't seen them. IAC, I've never found it necessary or desirable to put additives in my crankcase. With what little I know, I would be tempted to use some Seafoam to see if that would help with the leak you have. I don't think it will hurt.

Edit: that thread offers some other suggestions too. I simply have no idea if the suggested fix (Bars Rear Main Seal Leak) will cause other problems.. ie, the cure may be worse than the disease.
 
#16 ·
Once we know there is a rear main leak, that opens up a number of possibilities. Before paying someone $1000 or more to fix it, I would suggest the following prior to spending the dough...or deciding to trade the truck as the case may be.

Make sure the PCV and EGR system are not clogged.

Stop using additives that thin the oil or clean varnish or buildup.

Do a compression test on all cylinders to see if you are getting any significant blow-by.

Have oil analyzed for combustion by-products.

Due to the apparently unusual occurrence of the RMS leak, I would be thinking along the lines of a possible trade in if it were me. Just sayin.
 
#17 ·
Speedlever I have rummaged through dozens of sites like that on just about every product ever known to man, there are always success stories and bad stories, could it be the MMO caused the leak, maybe, could it be a developing condition that was accelerated by the MMO who knows? As with all things there isn't usually a single definite cause, I've gotten quotes for around $900. As you said, and I think the same, I don't think I would risk what a "Rear Main Sealer" additive COULD do (yes ironic) I think an oil change and keeping an eye on the oil level will be best for now... it is a leak that seems to have taken nearly 4 months to go though ~1/3 quart of oil.

Actually a quick search on google shows a few other 40-100k mile 06-07s on the ROC having a leak... maybe mine held out a little longer... either way no matter what the cause, whether it be mine or just wear, its still leaking.
 
#18 ·
While your situation is not a warranty issue, I wonder if Honda would reject a warranty claim because an owner used an additive? It could be a sticky situation. Or maybe that would be covered by the M-M law? Not sure how that works.

IAC, oil leaks are no fun to deal with. Hope you get yours fixed as painlessly as possible.
 
#19 · (Edited)
My first real main seal was replaced at approximately 65,000 miles under Honda Care extended warranty. I had to take it back to the dealer 2 or 3 times because the lead mechanic didn't want to take on a big job of that size. They tried replacing the front main seal on one trip, then a transmission seal on another visit, before they finally realized the leak and the customer would not go away until the real main seal was replaced.
Now 65,000 miles later, the real main seal is leaking again just like you see in the pictures. I took it back to the dealer to ask if they would ask the Honda service rep to help with the repair. I'm not expecting it to be free, but to pay full price at over $1,000 for replacing another real mail seal just seems wrong.

The Honda dealer service tech basically told me to go jump up a tree..

There's good news as I'm finding solution to the issue. I'm planning to use an oil seal made by a company named Federal-Mogul and sold under the National brand.
 
#20 ·
Fix it or sell it for what ever you might get for it. I had to put a new gauge cluster in mine three years ago at a cost of $800 bucks but what does one do. I'm not ready to get rid of my Ridge yet. Every ones expensive repairs come at a bad time. Their is no good time, we all expect them to run forever with no break downs. Its just another truck not much better and not worse than anything else out their now. Fix it right and move on. Look at it this way, its cheaper than another monthly payment for four or more years.
 
#21 ·
Definitely NOT selling, I love my ridge more than anything else I've ever driven F350 to a SL600AMG to mini-vans I still get back into the ridge and think "I love my truck" the first seal made it 120k assuming the other(and the truck) make it another 120k that would be $.0075 per mile, or about $20 a month I can handle any non-engine/transmission dis-assembly repairs as long as I can get the parts. (this may sound bad) but the cost isn't really a huge concern I have always kept a bit saved away for emergency use and I could find some things to cut out of the budget for several months to recover the emergency funds. (and please don't take that the wrong way, I am by no means "rich" just prepared)

*called Honda twice and both times they said "give us your number and we'll call you back in about an hour with a quote" never called back... I have never had good service at ANY dealers.
 
#22 ·
I just posted some information about a National oil seal in forum section for the solution I will be using next month. In my local burb, I have better luck getting my local Infiniti master tech to perform Honda repairs. He seems to be more conscientious than the local Honda techs.
 
#23 ·
Mystery Oil Leak and Rear Main Seal Leak - SOLVED!

Hopefully I can clear this up for everyone based on my recent experience.

I have an 07 RTL and out of the blue a mystery oil leak appeared above the drain pan plug. It was small at first but increased over the period of a week. After I found the info about the bearing cap bolts possibly leaking, I looked and noticed one of those resides a few inches above the oil pan drain plug. So I paid a mechanic about $180 to pull the axle and seal that bolt. All was good for about week when I notice oil coming from that same area. After cleaning it off and inspecting with a flashlight and a mirror, the leak appeared to be coming from somewhere above the bearing cap bolt that was sealed.

Then not even a week after that, I started getting a leak from the rear main seal. I had no idea what would cause leaks from both sides of the engine all at the same time. So for the next 3 weeks I got under the truck and wiped all the oil off daily in an attempt to keep it off my driveway while I shopped around for a mechanic to replace the RMS and possibly another seal on the other side of the engine. The leak at the RMS was bad - after I wiped it off I could sit and watch oil start to come out around the inspection plate on the bottom of the transmission.

After doing some research and someone mentioning here on the forum to check the PCV valve, I took a look at it. I found that once unbolted, only about half of the valve came out. My RTL has 130k on it so I ordered a new one from Honda. In the meantime, I had already arranged with a transmission shop to replace the RMS.

When the new PCV arrived, it took about 2 hours to get the old one out as it came out bit by bit as I pried and plucked at it with various tools. I think it came out in about 10 pieces by the time I had it all out. When I finally got the part out with the spring and piston, it was obvious it had seized in place.

I installed the new valve, wiped off the bottom of the transmission, engine and oil pan and took it for a test drive. Note I had continuous oil seepage for three weeks prior to this point. I drove for a couple of miles and came back to the house, very much expecting to see the usual film of oil on the bottom.

Low and behold, it was all dry! I was in shock and decided to go to bed and check it the next morning. Typically, there was oil on the bottom even after sitting all night. I was surprised and elated to find the whole thing dry the next morning. I drove to work today (about 6 miles) and checked when I got there - no oil! :act035:

So it appears that since the PCV seized, it wouldn't release the pressure inside the engine which forced oil out through the seals. I am still skeptical that since the seals have been compromised that I may still not be out of the woods. But so far, so good.

I will watch it over the weekend and will let you know how it goes.

Bottom line – a $30 fix may have saved a $1000 fix. So before a mechanic tells you that you need a new RMS, check your PCV.
 
#24 ·
Great post. Thanks for the info.
 
#26 ·
Thanks!
I posted a similar problem a few weeks ago. Having 140++ miles on the engine, I'll definitively try to change the PCV-valve before I start a process with the main seal.
 
#27 ·
When I got my Ridge with 190,000km on it , the rear seal was leaking. Since it was due for an oil change, I used a premium 5w-20 dino oil (Petro-Can Supreme). We have used Petro-Can products on the farms for years. They were factory fill for years here in Canada for Ford and GM. They have an excellent additive package. Within a week, the leak slowed and by the next 3000km, it had all but disappeared. I did another oil and filter change and ran it this time to 15%. Since there was no more signs of a leak ,I switched to their full synthetic and never looked back. I'm at around 280,000kms now and still no leak. The only thing I can figure is either the high detergent of the dino oil or the additive package they use corrected and prevented future leaks. Just my personal experience.
 
#28 ·
Several others reported similar results when using Valvoline high mileage oil and one or two other brands. They may well use a similar additive package.
Of course, if it continued you would need to check out the PCV, etc for another possible source.
Glad the new oil did the job for you and congrats on the high miles and good service your truck has given you (and the other way around of course. )
 
#30 ·
I have found a new leak for me. I didn't notice it because there has been any dripping but I'm concerned nonetheless. Has anyone had any oil residue above the downpipes of the exhaust. I'm trying to figure out if it's an oil pan gasket or a main bearing bolt like some of these RL have. Any help would be awesome. I'll also other than below the crank pulley, I don't think it's the front main seal.


Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top