[standard212]

I took my car in recently to have a light leak checked out. The shop couldn't find anything. When I checked the fluid on the ground, it was a light brown fluid with NO odor. I was then just thinking it could be dirty water. However, I noticed that my engine was looking a little wet. The screws around the engine were loose (pictured). The screws with the arrows indicate ones that were loose, where it looked like oil must've seeped through. I've had no issues with the car running, no check engine lights of anything. Any thoughts? Or is it just a result from the loose screws? And if so, what can I do to prevent it from happening again? Thanks for all of your help. http://postimage.org/image/7t6a8yfj3/

 

[i68k]

if its leaking out in that area and you can see oil residue there, youll most likely need a new valve cover gasket. its an easy fix, just takes a short time to repair, unless of course tightening the bolts solved your issue. you just dont want vacuum pressure to leak in/out of the gasket, it will cause idling issues like a vacuum leak. i wouldnt be overly concerned as long as you keep an eye on the amount of oil still in the motor. oil is slippery when its between your fingers, unlike water.

 

[standard212]

Thanks for the response. I'll clean up the area, tighten the bolts, and see if anything else leaks. If so, then I'll look into the gasket. I appreciate the help.

 

[i68k]

remember, those bolts are supposed to be torqued, so make sure you tighten them with even pressure. do not over tighten them.

 

[ten-sec Spec]

yup valve cover gasket. piece of cake ten minutes max.