Diagnostic Procedure

NOTE: You can easily locate and repair most oil leaks by visually finding the leak and replacing or repairing the necessary parts. Some fluid leaks, however, are difficult to locate or repair. The following procedure can help you locate and repair most leaks.

Do the following to locate a leak:
1. Identify the fluid. Determine if the fluid is engine oil, automatic transmission fluid, power steering fluid, or other fluids.
2. Determine where the leak is. When the vehicle reaches normal operating temperature, park the vehicle over a large sheet of paper. After a few minutes, you should be able to find the approximate place of the leak from the drippings on the paper.
3. Visually check around the suspected component. Check for leaks around all gasket mating surfaces. Use a mirror to find leaks that are hard to reach.
4. If you still cannot find the leak, clean the suspected area with a degreaser, steam, or spray solvent. Dry the area. Operate the vehicle for several miles at normal operating temperature, varying the speeds. After operating the vehicle, visually check the suspected component. If you still cannot locate the leak, use the powder method or the black light and dye method.