A good automotive tip for older engines is to try some engine oil stop leak. This is especially true in certain states. States like California, where I live, have very strict emissions laws, and oil leaking into the fuel mixture for combustion can definitely cause a car to fail a smog test. Stop leak for engines isn't really similar to stop leak for things like tires and radiators, as you'll see if you keep reading. In all cars, over time, there is natural wear and tear to the seals that keep the liquids and gasses in place. Generally speaking, a person can just replace the leaking component for something new. Like when a tire gets damaged, often times its easier just to get a new tire, or a new set of tires than to mess with goopy liquids to seal the leak. With engines, however, changing the components that leak isn't a very simple task. That's where engine oil stop leak is very effective.
Inside your engine, there are moving metal parts, such as pistons. When these metal parts move against one another, they cause friction, grinding, and heat. That's where motor oil comes in. Motor oil is the lubricant for the metal parts to flow against each other without causing too much frictional heat or damage to the motor's interior. There are seals within the motor and gasket that keep the oil confined to where it's supposed to be. What happens is that the seals begin to wear out over time, and the oil starts to seep into places where it shouldn't. When this happens, it won't generally cause a major problem, just a slow oil leak, with very smokey exhaust. If you have ever been behind an older car that has dark smoke coming out of its exhaust, you've most likely witnessed some leaky oil seals in action, which are letting some of the oil into the combustion system. Engine oil stop leak works by treating the seals that keep the oil in place. They soften the rubber and cause it to expand, closing up tiny cracks and spaces where the oil can sneak through.
It's pretty easy to tell if you need engine oil stop leak. If there's a puddle of oil under your vehicle but there aren't any odors or excess dark smoke coming out of the exhaust, then you most likely don't need stop leak. What you probably have is either a ding in your oil pan, a loose oil filter, or a bad drain plug. Even so, engine oil stop leak won't hurt your engine at all, and may in fact keep your seals alive longer. Just in case however, it isn't a bad idea to use. As cars age, mechanics generally recommend a stickier form of motor oil anyway, something more viscous. New cars generally get 5w-30, or 10w-30 oil with their oil changes, either fully synthetic or partially synthetic. In colder climates, sometimes cars operate on 0w-30 oil that still flows well in cold conditions. Once cars start to age, the viscosity of the oil generally goes up. In older cars, the oil viscosity starts to go up. At times, a single weight oil is employed, like a single weight 20, or 30, even sometimes 40 or 50, though these are no longer used in modern engines.
Why is this important? If your car's engine is getting high in miles, you may want to first switch to a higher viscosity oil. If you've traditionally used 5w-30 oil, try 10w-30, and so on. The next time you go for an oil change, tell your mechanic that you're worried about a potential oil leak and were wanting to switch to a slightly heavier oil. Even if you aren't yet experiencing an oil leak, it's good to be proactive. If you have well over 100,000 miles on your car, think about going up to the next higher viscosity of oil.
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