I would have to say one of the most aggravating things that can ever happen is you get an oil change done, and when you get home there is an oil leak, and it is leaving a spot on your driveway. Why is my 2003 Ford Taurus leaking oil? That is the first question that came to my mind with a thought of disgust as well. I did a bit of research myself to see why, and this is what I found.
Oil leaks are caused by loose oil lines, worn gaskets, and defective or broken parts on your vehicle. Let’s look further into this and see if we can narrow down our search and get this repaired.
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You will be surprised by this one here’s my article on 12 Crucial Maintenance Things to Check on your Vehicle.
What would cause my 2003 Ford Taurus to leak oil?
As I stated in the previous paragraph oil leaks are caused by loose oil lines, worn gaskets, and defective or broken parts on your vehicle. But that does not narrow the search down for you at all. What would be a common part
that is known for an oil leak?
That would be more of a narrowed down question that would make moresense to you right now.
That part would be the Oil Pan Gasket, this part is known to mechanics as the main culprit to any oil leak that a vehicle owner should look towards if they say they have an oil leak. The trick is when looking for a leak to go under your vehicle. Find where the leak is or where you see it from and from that location then look up. Everyone always knows that with gravity, everything goes down.
I know it sounds like common sense by it is not, you can even find mechanics that will look all-day-and-night for a leak by having forgotten their basics of when finding a leak look up from where you see it. If you do not see any evidence of a leak from the position you are looking up from then that position that you saw is the original location of the leak or ground zero to make it sound more adventurous. Knowing this will help you find leaks in the future and will prevent the endless headaches this problem can give.
There are other places that your Ford Taurus can leak oil from, but the oil pan is usually the culprit. If it is not your problem, then it is time to start some investigating to narrow down your search. Look for any signs of a leak, spots on the ground that will give a location to look, and any damaged parts that could be hanging or metal shined from the leak or part causing the leak.
Check out my article on 12 Easy Tips to Improve your Car Photography Today for when you get her back up and running.
I only say this because in my research I saw a post of a guy looking for a leak and he took it into an auto shop, and they even said they couldn’t find the leak.
He looked and looked but couldn’t find anything until a guy online said to look at the crank seal which is sitting behind your harmonic balancer aka “the big pulley” and there was a groove in this crankshaft. Well, when it comes to seals on your engine, they are fitted for the original size of the part they are surrounding to keep the oil in the engine.
Since this crankshaft now had a groove in it the part was not the original size, and the oil was now going around the seal and leaking onto the ground. As I said, you have to investigate your situation and see what is going on, but this issue can cause a headache.
Remember to breathe and take one step at a time, overreacting or getting aggravated will not help the leak repair itself. If you get frustrated, take a breather, drink some water and come back to it.
When would my 2003 Ford Taurus leak oil?
Your vehicle is going to leak oil at any time, no matter if the car is sitting still or moving. Oil is consistently in your engine and in the lines. So if there is a leak on your vehicle and there is oil there.
The leak will continue until your car has run out of oil or is repaired. Is your 2003 Ford Taurus smoking? Check out our article here to see why your car is smoking.
Can leaking oil be bad for my 2003 Ford Taurus?
Yes, yes, yes, did I say yes yet? An oil leak can be fatal to your vehicle if not repaired in a reasonable amount of time. With your engine, it is consistently moving, and all of the parts are rubbing and grinding against each other
faster and faster. All of the parts speed depends on the rate of speed you are going in your vehicle. With the parts moving with each other, this causes friction and friction causes heat.
Your oil consumes this heat so your vehicle can continue to operate as it should be. If you take the oil away, you will have parts that are increasing in temperature, and when it gets too hot, it will lock up the engine.
Which means your engine is now dead and is the most cumbersome paperweight you have ever seen. So keeping this oil at the correct level is a key element to the operation of your vehicle.
Take a look at my article. How can I tell if my motor mounts are bad? It’s always better to be safe than sorry on an expensive fix like that.
How do I prevent my 2003 Ford Taurus from leaking oil in the future?
With many things a maintenance interval schedule is going to provide the insurance, you need to know so your vehicle will not have a leak. Leaks come in 3 different categories a 1, 2, and 3. With a category three leak, the area is moist, but you do not see any drops forming. With a category to leak the area is damp and you will see drops forming, but they are not dropping to the ground.
Lastly, with a category one leak, this is a leak that is active and is not only forming drops, but those drops are dropping on to the ground. With a
maintenance interval schedule in place, you will be able to catch these leaks at category 3. Catching them at this category will save you hundreds and thousands of dollars on repairs that your vehicle would need if you did not find the leak at this specific time.
So the key to remember to prevent your Ford Taurus from leaking oil you need to keep an up to date maintenance interval schedule on your Ford Taurus.
Also, remember to check for leaks, damaged, and loose parts when going through your maintenance checks. By doing this, you will thank yourself for saving the amount of time and money spent on searching and repairing these oil leaks.
I hope my article helps you with the problem you are having with your vehicle. I enjoyed writing the article and hope you check out my next piece!
