Engine Block Heater

[Bsalz]

I plugged in last night due to cold weather (-15) and the next morning I noticed a small pool of oil on my driveway underneath the engine...has this happened to anyone else...any ideas as to what could cause this?

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Did you look under it to see where the oil leaked out from?

 

[JTX]

Welcome to the site!

 

[Lloyd10977]

I have used my block heater regularly for many years without experiencing the problem you've described. Also, the heater is installed in a coolant passage so if there was a leak at that point you would find a pool of antifreeze on the drive.

I did, however, experience a minor oil leak at the rear main seal. This was halted using BARR's Main Seal Stop Leak from AutoZone. After 3 years there is still no leak.

 

[Cobraguy]

Not to be funny, but if you are leaking oil from your engine block heater, you have a serious problem!!!

Seriously, your engine block heater installs in a soft plug hole (aka freeze plug). The only thing that will leak is antifreeze. If you have an oil leak, it's from something else. Since you have an Eddie Bauer, I'm assuming you have a message center. There is a sensor for low oil with a message center that is located on the side of the oil pan. That would be a good place to start looking. Other logical places that have been mentioned are front and rear seals.

 

[Bsalz]

I took the vehicle to my local tech and he said there is a leak in the right front inner axle seal...is this normal after 20,000 miles? He said that this item is covered under warranty....wonder if the local Ford dealership will pick up the total cost or just the parts cost?

 

[pickupman]

if it's under warantee, Ford will probably want you to have the work done at the dealership, but out of pocket will be zero dollars - it was that way witht he rear diff on my 2002 - cost to me was ZERO to have both half shafts and the rear diff replaced.