Oil Leak on 99 - near power steering pump

[Dr.Kayak]

I have a friend that needs help finding the source of a intermittent oil leak on his 99 2-wheel drive with 60k miles.



A couple of days ago I noticed a 8" dia puddle of oil under the truck so I raised the truck and discovered that the oil was coming from around the power steering pump. I cleaned the area to find specifically where it was coming from and let the truck run awhile and checked and everything was clean. I took a 800 mile trip Saturday and no problems but when I got home I noticed another puddle. I checked the power steering fluid level and it is up. The engine oil level is down about 2/3 quart and I just had the oil changed last week. I have only noticed a puddle on two occasions and on other occasions there is no evidence of a drip so the problem appears to be sporadic.



Anyone have experience with this issue?



Thanks,

 

[Deezul1]

Motor oil or PS fluid? If its PS fluid there is a seal between the PS pump and the vacum pump that can go bad.

 

[BK]

Also it seems on my 99 that the oil vapors collect from the beather tube. The fan forces it up into those areas and back onto the bell housing and linkages of the transmission.

Maybe the same thing?

The vapor tube seems to really puke more, the more you push the truck.



I have heard of some guys getting a small puddle from it. At worse I've gotten spots.



I'm not saying this is your problem. . just suggesting another possibility.

 

[Dr.Kayak]

I also sugested it was coming from the crank-case breather, but he did not think that was the source. He still has the stock bottle in place.



Thanks for the ideas...

 

[Wheaties]

Dr. Kayak,



I got my truck back from the dealer on Monday after fixing the same problem. You most likely have a bad seal where the vacuum pump/power steering shaft goes into the timing gears.



I had oil all over the driver's side of the engine and below, painting the oil pan and front axle with a nice heavy coat of oil. This is on a 2001. 5, but I don't see why it would be different with a 1999. My understanding is this is fairly common.



The dealer put some dye in the oil and had an answer for me within an hour. They replaced the entire vacuum/power steering unit under warranty.



I hope your friend's is still under warranty. The unit was expensive.



Matt

 

[BK]

Question on when your vacuum/power steering unit leaked. .



Did you get a burning smell from that side (driver's side) of the truck?



I have a burning smell that I just can't find. I've used the same oil all along (castrol rx) and it only started this summer. Been hunting it down ever since. Shows up only when loading the truck up. 1st I thought it smelled like pvc electrical wire. my buddy says it smells more like grease hitting exhaust. It also sorta smells like the plastice labels on a new exhaust system burning off.



this one has me.

 

[Wheaties]

BK,



Honestly, I only smelled burning oil when the Espar heater was cooking the oil off it's exhaust. I re-routed my blowby hose down below the oil pan about two weeks after I got the truck--before that I did smell hot oil coming from the blowby whenever I was stopped in traffic.



Matt

 

[BK]

For me , it's only been since this past summer. If I romp on it around town or tow and push it I get it. If it did it from the beginning I would question it. But it never smelled it before.



It makes sense that it would be it.



Could it be that it's finally broken in (just hit 26K miles, now and 20K over the summer) and maybe thats why?



Since I'm coming to the end of my warranty I made an appointment with. . ugh. . the dealer . . ugh.

Of course even on the telephone I got the blow off. . "who's changing the oil? theres a catch bottle that has to be emptied..... that will smell, they all have the bottle". . after I tried to tell him that early 99 and before didnt have it and I just have a drag tube for the breather... and he was like "well thats on the fords and chevys. . not the dodge ... they have a catch bottle. . " I kept telling him that my 99 doesn't. Geez... I get a bad neck ache when I think about service from the dealer.

 

[Wheaties]

BK,



I had similar problems with the service writers about my oil leak. When I told them I had a leak, they said, "Uh huh, sure... we have to see it first" Kind of like, "ya sure, we get this all the time... here we go again"



They were ecstatic when they found out I was right. They explained they get lots and lots of calls about 'oil leaks' that turn out to be everything from the vent spilling on the differential, to a messy oil change, to water dripping off the air conditioning core. When they try to explain this to the customer, he/she reacts like they are getting the run-around. They were so happy to avoid all this horse$hit, they shook my hand!



Try extending your breather tube down below the oil pan. Instructions are available on www.dodgeram.org I believe. If the smell doesn't go away, you may have a bigger problem.



Matt