Is The Oil Pan Gasket Of My Mercedes-Benz Leaking?

 

When you own a sophisticated vehicle like a Mercedes Benz, it seems everything is right. But, it’s just a misconception because a Mercedes Benz also faces problems like other vehicles without proper maintenance. One of them is a leakage in the oil pan gasket. The common reason for the leakage is consistent and extended exposure to high temperatures. 

Sometimes, the leakage goes unnoticed for a long. The reason is that people don’t know how to identify it. They don’t know if the oil pan gasket is actually leaking or if it's something else. To know or identify this, you should first understand the role of the oil pan gasket in your Mercedes Benz. Later, we will discuss the signs to identify the failure. 

Role of Oil Pan Gasket in your Mercedes Benz 

Installed between the top edge of the oil pan of the car's engine and the bottom of its engine’s block, the oil pan gasket is composed of highly-durable cork or rubber material. It prevents oil from leaking from the oil pan’s mounting surface. 

The only and most important role of the pan oil gasket is to seal the oil to the engine's bottom. The pan oil gasket is durable but susceptible to eventual leakage in the Mercedes Benz. 

Signs To Identify Leakage In The Oil Pan Gasket 

·         Smell Of Burning Oil 

When the oil pan gasket fails, it is accompanied by a burning oil smell. The engine actively burns and consumes oil but an oily oil pan gasket carries the smell of fresh oil that gets heated due to the operating temperature of the engine. The smell increases with the increasing leakage of an oil pan gasket. 

It happens because the damaged oil pan gasket allows the oil to escape to the outside of an engine, causing a distinctive “burnt” oil odor. As the oil is at the exterior of the engine, it emits a pungent smell, which is easily detectable, because of high temperatures. 

 

·         Engine Oil Stains In Your Garage 

If you find engine oil stains in your garage every morning, it means the oil pan gasket is leaking and a significant amount of engine oil has seeped, coating your garage surface.

Stains reveal that your oil pan gasket is damaged but the size of these stains provides insight into the relative severity of the leak. If the stain is more prominent, the leaks are more severe. Sometimes, the stains don’t indicate the exact location of an oil leak but they give enough idea to get an alert. 

·         Rapid Loss Of Oil 

Just like leakage in a bucket leads to rapid loss of water, the leakage in a pan oil gasket leads to rapid loss of engine oil in your Mercedes Benz. So, if you find that oil in your vehicle is less than expected or it’s getting consumed faster than normal, it means the pan oil gasket is leaking. 

The oil dipstick reflects this. So, you should keep a close check on it. 

What Should You Do To Prevent Leakage Of The Pan Oil Gasket?

As already mentioned, proper maintenance of your Mercedes Benz is the only solution to prevent oil pan gasket leakage. You should visit professionals for Mercedes Benz Maintenance Service and not attempt DIY.