Oil Leak: What to Do If Oil Is Leaking From Your Car

How to recognise an oil leak

• A dark patch under the vehicle where it was parked
• The red oil-pressure light or an oil-level warning, see Warning lights in your car
• Smoke or a burning smell from the engine bay
• A visible trail on the road behind you

Do this immediately

1. Stop and switch off the engine. Don't keep driving with an oil leak; it damages the engine and spreads oil across the road.
2. Switch on hazard lights, put on a hi-vis vest, secure the scene. On fast roads, get behind the crash barrier, see Breaking down on the motorway.
3. Inform the fire brigade. 112 is the usual number for leaked fluids, or the police on 110. Say where you are and roughly how much oil has leaked.
4. Don't spread absorbent material or wash it away yourself, especially not into a drain. Oil is highly toxic and can pollute waterways.
5. Call a towing service. The vehicle should be transported properly so no more oil is lost en route.

Why you shouldn't keep driving

If you keep driving with a leaking engine, you spread oil over several kilometres. That makes the road and vehicles behind you slippery, and increases the clean-up effort. It also risks engine damage from oil starvation. Transport on a flatbed stops both problems.

Who pays for the clean-up?

If a vehicle causes the contamination, the keeper or driver is usually liable, and vehicle liability insurance steps in, since the damage arose from operating the vehicle. The costs for the fire brigade and a specialist cleaning company can be significant; advice portals cite at least €400 for a fire-brigade callout and considerably more for a specialist firm. Report the incident to your insurer. If an accident results from the oil trail, whoever caused the trail is liable.

What to tell the towing service

• Where you are, and whether there's a trail on the road
• How much oil has leaked, and whether it's still dripping
• Whether the fire brigade is already there
• Vehicle and drivetrain

If the fire brigade is on scene, a contracted company is often assigned on the motorway, see Breakdown on the A5 or Cologne motorway ring.

Oil, water or coolant? The puddle tells you a lot

Not every puddle under the car is oil. Clear liquid after using the air conditioning is usually condensation and harmless. Brown to black, oily-looking material points to engine oil. Reddish or brownish liquid can be transmission or power-steering fluid. Coloured, sweet-smelling coolant can be green, blue, pink or orange. Brake fluid is usually clear to yellowish and smells different. If you can't identify the liquid for certain, treat it as an oil leak and don't put the vehicle back into use.

Checking the oil level correctly

Check the oil level on level ground with the engine off, ideally after a few minutes so the oil can drain back into the sump. Pull the dipstick, wipe it, insert it fully, and pull it again. If the level is below the minimum mark or the dipstick is dry, don't keep driving. Some vehicles have no dipstick, just a display in the instrument cluster. The same rule applies: stop the car if it warns you.

The oil trail on the road

A leak can leave a trail on the road that's especially dangerous for motorcyclists and cyclists. If you notice or cause an oil trail, secure the scene and, if it's a danger to traffic, inform the police or fire brigade. If oil reaches a drain or the ground, the fire brigade or environmental agency should know where it happened. Don't try to wash oil away with water, since that spreads it further.

Where the leak can come from

• Worn seals or gaskets on the engine or transmission.
• A loose oil filter or a damaged drain plug.
• A crack in the oil pan, for example after hitting a kerb or pothole.
• Power-steering or turbocharger hoses.

What an oil leak means for transport

A vehicle losing oil shouldn't drive on its own wheels, since engine damage is likely and the trail keeps growing. It can be transported on a flatbed if the leak isn't heavy. Tell us how badly it's dripping, whether it's smoking, and whether a warning light is on, so the driver can plan with absorbent material and the right vehicle.