Early warning signs that you have an oil leak

In some instances a leak may be assumed to be that of car oil, but there are over six different types of fluid that might be causing the problem; oil, coolant, transmission fluid and power steering fluid to mention a few.

Read on to learn how to tell the difference and how to look out for warning signs that your engine oil reservoir has been compromised.

You can generally tell what kind of fluid is leaking from your vehicle by taking note of the colour and the consistency of the puddle that forms below the engine:

• Oil is usually light brown or black in colour with a medium consistency.
• Transmission fluid is usually reddish; however, it can also be brown or black. The puddle will form underneath the car towards the centre.
• Power steering fluid looks exactly like transmission fluid, but will pool towards the front of the car.
• If you notice a leak that is slippery in consistency and a pale brown colour, you are most likely dealing with leaking brake fluid.
• Brightly-coloured fluid that is green, yellow or red could indicate a coolant leak.

Below are a few other tell-tale signs that your engine oil is leaking:

• Your oil is consistently low
  If you find that you constantly have to top up your oil every time you visit the fuel station, the chances are high that you have a leak. In order to tell whether the leak is minor or a sign of something slightly more serious, top up your oil at home and check the level every half an hour or so. If the oil drains rapidly, you could have a hole in your oil pan.
• You see oil that is milky in appearance
  If your oil looks slightly milky, there might be a crack in the engine block which is causing the oil to mix with water and slowly leak out.
• Your clutch slips

If your vehicle has manual transmission, your clutch might start to slip if there is an oil leak towards the back of the engine.

• Your car emits blue smoke

In the case that oil leaks onto your car’s exhaust while you are driving, you will likely notice the emission of blue-tinged smoke.

Always keep an eye out for the above-mentioned signs; it will make it easy for you to detect an oil leak quickly, giving you ample time to solve the problem before it can cause severe damage to your car.

Alternatively, it is always a great idea to protect your vehicle with comprehensive car insurance.