So I purchased my used 02 S60 AWD about a month ago.

Two weeks ago I decided to change the oil. Had no idea what was in there before so I bought 10W-30 Mobil 1 Full Synthetic. Heard a few people on the boards like that oil.

So I do the oil change. Everything went very well. Put the new filter cartridge on, put the new o-ring on the filter cover. Buttoned everything up real well - all put back together. Took it for a drive, thought I could smell oil after each drive but saw no traces.

A week goes by with no spots on the garage floor. Then all of a sudden I see a few spots under the car.

So I pull the plastic under-engine panel off and sure enough there is oil. Looks like it is coming from the front main bearing seal (although I am not a big-time mechanic so I'm not totally sure of that).

So I checked to make sure I re-tightened the oil filter cover and drain plug, cleaned all oil off everything including under-engine panel. put everything back together again. Now it has been a few days and no traces of oil on the garage floor.

At first I thought it was because I put synthetic in. Then I was thinking I may have a clogged breather or pcv system.

I will continue to post if anything changes, but I thought it was very odd. So if it is still leaking it must be a VERY slow leak. The funny thing is I don't smell the oil smell anymore...

Also, does anyone else see dark crud on the little louvers inside the oil-fill opening? Mine has a bunch of gunk on it that I made a half-hearted attempt at cleaning off before I did the oil change. Looks ugly though. Shouldn't that be all shiney clean?

 

It should be clean but maybe a little stained Brown.

If you have any sluggy looking stuff in there most likely the rest of the engine is like that.
The vent box might also be clogged.

 

That's not a quick and easy procedure is it (Cleaning the breather box/PCV system)?

 

No you have to remove the intake manifold to get to it.

It would be better to replace it.

 

Have you done this procedure before? I see you can get a new flame trap for about $30. Does a guy need to get all new hoses too or can those be cleaned?

Might as well do the spark plugs while I'm at it then too.

I guess what I'm wondering is if an average joe can do it without having a bunch of problems afterwards?

 

Is it possible you just spilled some oil when you added it during the oil change? Those louvers you mentioned actually can cause the oil to oveflow the fill tube and run down the front of the engine. Been there, done that!, and I did not even realize it as I was doing it.

Also, the oil cap gaskets have been known to crack and leak. During the change you might have given it the excuse it needed to crack. Easy to check and replace.

How many miles are on your car?

 

The S60 doesn't have a Flame trap and sheild.

It can be done by the Average Joe.

 

Thought Flame Trap = Oil Trap = PCV?

Please substitute PCV for Flame Trap in my previous question then.

Thanks!

 

I tried very hard when filling the oil to not dump in too much at one time since I knew that baffle would make it go in slower. I don't think I had any spill over but I could be wrong. Let's hope I am wrong, but still no sign of leaks on the garage floor since I cleaned everything up. I just would have thought that if I spilled some when filling, I would have had spots on the floor right away and not a week later.

It is an 02 S60 AWD with 53700 miles on it. I did check the gasket on the oil cap - it looked good and I saw no evidence of spillover.

I don't know. I've never seen anything like this. The only thing I can think of is that the PCV system was plugged when I added oil causing pressure in the crankcase and caused the much more slippery synthetic oil to slip past the main bearing crank seal. And maybe, by some miracle, the synthetic oil cleaned out the plugged PCV system enough to where there isn't that kind of pressure any more.

All I know is that I am a much happier person every time I look at the cardboard under the engine area and see no spots!

Keeping my fingers crossed!!!!

 

Flame trap is like a PCV but the turbo cars only have the Vent box on the engine.
They have no Valves or screens.