Friday, December 18, 2009

Would you buy an used car that has a minor oil leak?

I like this car but after inspection it proved to have a minor oil leak should I avoid? I am not willing to spend hundreds in repairs.Would you buy an used car that has a minor oil leak?
This hard to answer. Many cars have oil leaks. It how fast it leak. We would check the oil and Test drive the car. Drive about 100 miles (You may need to put some gas in it). Then when we go back, check the oil again to see what kind of drop it have. 100 miles not much but it better than nothing. Also, try stopping a idling for a minute, windows up and windows down. Does it smell? Back up and see what kind of puddle it make. It is oil? Or red transmission fluid?


Look around the Valve covers for wet oil. If, it leaking here it can worsen in time and these can be easy/hard to replace. But, many can do this and the Gaskets not very expensive.


When you sit and run to see if it smell. Pay attention where you at, back up and see where it leak. Look under the hood and see where this line up. Front or back of engine? Front Seal may be easy to replace. Back seal you have to remove the transmission. IF you look under it may be the Oil Pan and it just need the bolts snugged up, be careful they can break.


So, if the price is real good and it only leak 1 quart a month it may be OK. Say $3 a quart for oil, that $36 a year the leak cost. If, it burning and leaking 4 quarts a month (4x50 weeks) it cost $600 a year. Will what you pay + $600 buy something you like that not leak?


Hope you understand and it help. It just hard to say.Would you buy an used car that has a minor oil leak?
depends where it is leaking from, how old it is - if it is a good price - and a load of other factors
I just sold a car that had a minor oil leak. If the car is high mileage, some minor oil leaks are to be expected. The car was inspected by his mechanic and mine who both estimated that the leak would not result in the need for major repairs for another 50,000 miles or so given how small it was (there was not even any oil stains on the garage floor where it was parked). Since the car was otherwise in terrific condition (I treat my cars well), the buyer bought it. He was not going to put major miles on it and the price was appropriate and it was going to last him awhile.





My car was 1997 Camry with almost 200,000 miles on it.
Depends on what you're calling ';minor'; and where the leak is coming from.
It depends, can you tell where the leak is coming from, a bad gasket,loose oil filter, in other words is it something simple or does it appear to be something costly. There's the decision to make.
if it is just a gasket then yes it can be fixed. it there is a hole in something or the past owner has donesomething to cause this then no because there is to much work, time, and money that u will be investing into this car.

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