LogFAQs > #957095115

Visible oil leaks can be cause for alarm on a young engine, but for broken-in cars they're more of a nuisance that might grow into a bigger problem. They definitely make the engine nasty and dirty and leave stains on the pavement, but most of the time it's a failing gasket or seal and not going to put you on the side of the road right away. If you have an external oil leak significant enough that it's imperative to fix, you're going to notice it because something in the engine bay will be absolutely puking oil, either in a steady dribbly stream or in true projectile vomit fashion.

A bigger concern is when you're burning oil; look for a situation where you're losing oil but it's not significantly leaking externally. On older cars, it's probably due to something like piston ring wear, because it's an old man that needs to be fed a quart of oil every once in a while between changes. On a newer car, especially a turbocharged one... get that shit looked at.

Actually, any oil leak connected to a turbo is bad news all around, so don't postpone fixing that. The results could be... well, think of what would happen to a jet engine if a fan blade broke off and got sucked in at full speed >_>