Honda Repair: please help me out, manual car wash, honda civic hatchback

Question
hi, my honda civic hatchback is loosing oil. it is leaking so bad. what can i do to stop that leaking. what does it cause oil leak. is there something would u advise me to do . i love my car and i wanted t keep it for a while

Answer
first check the drain plug. is the car dripping oil or burning it? does it leak when your car is on and off? or just when running?

if you have a local Walmart go in and ask if they could look to see where the drip is coming from. unlike other mechanic shops, they are not allowed to charge you just to look. what i would recommend is go the the manual car wash. keep your engine running, and hose off the entire engine and especially the underside if possible. then jack up the front and crawl underneath and see if the plug is leaking. if it is you can get one at any parts store. just say you need a 17millimeter oil drain plug from a Honda civic. they will all be the same size. check the oil filter to and make sure it is on tight. also check and see if the pan itself is leaking. use a 10mm socket and go around the perimeter of the oil pan and tighten all the screws. my recommendation would be just get an oil change from Walmart. it is only 16 bucks and they have a pit where they can get a real good look at the underside of the engine. those should be the only place oil is leaking: the plug, the pan, and the oil filter.

it could possibly be your transmission too. if you have a manual transmission, your fluid looks exactly like oil. actually if it is low you can use synthetic 5w30 to fill it. if it is you would probably have to take it to a certified transmission shop so they can put new seals and gaskets in. shouldn't be more than 150 to replace all your seals so don't let them rip you off.

just make sure before you drive it anywhere that you check to see if there is oil on the dipstick or add some if there isn't because it is really easy to ruin a motor when there is not enough oil in it.