Oil leak by engine(Honda Civic)

Hi,

I'm hoping to buy my first car, we viewed a 2002 honda civic(Automatic transmission) with my dad, it seems to be good and runs very well.

The only concern for my dad is that when we opened the hood we noticed there seemed to be an oil leak around the engine(dried oil)

I really would like to buy the car but were a bit concerned whether this oil leak is serious or not?

If it's a case of just cleaning the oil off every now and then I'm not bothered. But my dad is concerned the oil might be leaking into the radiator and mixing with the water, which could be very bad.

Just wondering if there's anyone here who knows much about car who can share you're opinion?

Reply 1

username2028267

That's normal for a 14 year old car. I have a 2001 toyota Hilux and It has thin layer of oil film over the engine. My dad's trusted mechanic said me its due to normal wear and tear of engine, as they age the seals wear out slightly, parts are not factory tight and weakened but its not that of an issue. My Hilux has 700000 Miles, doesn't even burn a drop of oil. As long as it doesn't burn oil, It can run forever. Hondas are excellent cars, if taken good care and routine oil changes, these last forever. If you are concerned with the engine, there are places which order used engines from Japan with low mileage on them, just swap it and you will have a new car :smile:

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

CurlyBen

Depends where the oil is leaking from. A small leak isn't the end of the world, though it's a good idea to get it fixed. Oil near the exhaust manifold is a potential fire risk, but for that reason oil routes tend to be kept away. Obviously if you buy a car with an oil leak pay particularly close attention to the oil level.

Oil mixing with coolant is serious as it indicates head gasket failure, but that occurs internally and so an external oil leak isn't an indicator.

Reply 3

CAElite

If oil is leaking into your coolant its most likely being caused by a damaged head gasket you can tell pretty easily:
1. You will lose coolant
2. Your oil will develop a yellow-ish gunk in it, check the inside of the filler cap
3. the coolant will be discoloured
4. Your car may begin to overheat

If you are having none of these symptoms then I wouldnt really worry about oil getting into your coolant/radiator. Just keep an eye on the oil level, its fine to have small leaks as long as you keep on top of topping it up. There are numerous things than can corrode on older vehicles and cause leaks, normally gaskets or rubber breather pipes.

Reply 4

chupacabraconcadabra

Thanks! will be buying the car this weekend, its just a minor drip.

Reply 5

chupacabraconcadabra

It's a 2002 Honda Civic SE, 70k miles, service history, timing belt changed at 27k miles, decent condition, small dent on the side(he reduced price of car from £1500 to £1300 because we told him not to fix it),3 door, automatic, petrol. £1300

Does this sound like a decent deal? I noticed Honda Civics tend to be a bit more pricy than Peugeots and Vauxhalls from the same time, I guess its cause they're more reliable?

Reply 6

shaymarriott

Original post by chupacabraconcadabra

Isn't that like a 100k mile belt? Why would a previous have changed it so early? That'd ring some alarm bells for me, unless there was a solid reason.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

chupacabraconcadabra

Original post by shaymarriott

Isn't that like a 100k mile belt? Why would a previous have changed it so early? That'd ring some alarm bells for me, unless there was a solid reason.

Posted from TSR Mobile

No idea, but my dad says for older cars it's best to change it every 40k - 60k miles(obviously this owner did it earlier than that)

Reply 8

Hanvyj

Check the radiator filler cap for a mayonnaise like gunk, and also check the oil filler cap. This happens when oil and water mix and the oil emulsifies into a horrible goo. That's bad.

In general though, seeing some oil is normal. Seeing oil on the outside gives no indication that there is any oil leaking into the radiator (why did your dad think this?)

Reply 9

chupacabraconcadabra

He was just being paranoid cause the last car we bought we got hustled.

Reply 10

Talon

If the oil is dried it could just be that there was an issue which has since been repaired. If there is wet oil sloshing around and leaking onto the floor then you should check it out. A blocked PCV valve can cause oil to come out of places it shouldn't.

Reply 11

h4mza

Sounds like you're buying an EP shape Honda Civic, if it's a 1.4 or 1.6 then it's a D-Series engine and they usually leak oil from the cam cover gasket. New gasket costs £7 and easy to fit yourself, about 10 minute job. I've had a couple of Honda's and they tend to use a bit of oil so keep a frequent check on oil levels.