Car Leaking Oil on Highway: Stop Driving or Keep Going?: What To Do Next

Quick takeaway: Oil leaking on the highway is a timed emergency. Here's how to read the situation and decide in the next 60 seconds.

Originally published on Tow With The Flow.

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Quick Answer: Stop driving. An active oil leak on the highway can destroy your engine in minutes if the oil pressure drops low enough. Pull to the right shoulder immediately, kill the engine, and check your oil level. If the dipstick reads low or you see a puddle forming under the car, do not restart. Call a tow truck. Driving on is a gamble with a $4,000 to $10,000 engine replacement.

What To Do

1. Get off the highway now. Signal right, ease onto the shoulder, and get as far from traffic as possible. Do not wait to see if it "gets worse." Oil leaks do not fix themselves at speed.

2. Turn the engine off. Every second it runs with low oil pressure, the bearings, camshaft, and cylinder walls are wearing metal on metal. Shut it down before you check anything.

3. Check the oil level. Pop the hood, pull the dipstick, wipe it, reinsert, pull again. If it reads below the "MIN" mark or shows nothing at all, you are already in dangerous territory. Do not restart the engine.

4. Look under the car. A slow seep from a valve cover gasket is different from a stream coming off the oil pan. If you see active dripping or a puddle forming quickly, that is a significant leak and the car is not drivable.

5. Look at the oil pressure warning light. If it was lit before you pulled over, your engine may already be damaged. An illuminated oil light at highway speed is one of the fastest ways to turn a $200 gasket repair into a full engine replacement.

6. Do not top off the oil and keep driving. This is tempting. Resist it. If there is a large leak, adding oil just buys you a few more miles before the same problem kills the engine, possibly in a worse spot with more traffic. The exception: a very minor seep, your dipstick shows oil in the safe range, and you are less than two miles from an exit with a shop. Even then, watch the oil pressure gauge the entire time and pull over instantly if the light comes on.

7. Call for a tow. This is the right call in most scenarios. A tow from the highway to a shop typically runs $75 to $150 for a short haul. Compare that to the cost of a seized engine, which you can read about in detail at Engine Seized While Driving: Towing Cost and What to Do Right Now.

8. Activate your hazards and stay in the car if traffic is heavy. Standing on a highway shoulder is dangerous. If you are on a high-speed road with no barrier, stay belted in the passenger seat or get completely off the road and behind a guardrail while you wait. More on this at Car Died on Highway Shoulder: Is It Safe to Wait for a Tow?

!hazard lights car road Photo: Pexels

What It Might Cost

| Repair | Typical Range | |---|---| | Valve cover gasket | $150 to $350 | | Oil pan gasket | $200 to $500 | | Rear main seal | $400 to $900 | | Engine replacement (if seized) | $3,500 to $10,000+ | | Tow truck, highway to shop | $75 to $175 |

The tow is always the cheap option compared to what comes after a seized engine. If you are unsure what towing will run you in your area, check the Towing Cost From Highway to Nearest Exit breakdown.

!tow truck highway Photo: Pexels

Stay Safe

  • Hazard lights on the moment you feel something is wrong, not after you stop.
  • Exit the vehicle on the passenger side, away from traffic.
  • Do not stand directly behind or in front of the car on a shoulder.
  • If you smell something burning after stopping, get away from the vehicle. Oil dripping onto a hot exhaust can ignite. See Car Caught Fire on Highway: What to Do Right Now if that happens.
  • Keep a quart of oil in your trunk for minor top-off emergencies, but only use it if the leak is truly minor and the dipstick confirms you are close to the safe range.
  • If your roadside assistance has towing distance limits, check coverage before assuming it covers a long haul to a dealership.

Need roadside help? Visit Tow With The Flow for real answers when your car breaks down.

Need the full guide? Read the original article on Tow With The Flow.

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