Oil leaks a lot when parked

1996 FORD EXPLORER
190,000 MILES • 4.0L • V6 • 4WD • AUTOMATIC
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KEVIN BROWN4
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I recently put five quarts of oil in the engine just for it all to leak out. I noticed the leaking when I was pumping gas, the leak is underneath the front of the engine. I just can't figure out where.
Jun 28, 2022 at 7:43 AM
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SQM
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 6,383 POSTS
Hello,

For a large leak like this you should be able to look under the vehicle and see where the oil is dripping out of.

You can also use oil dye and black light, which can help you pinpoint the leak.

Take a look at this helpful guide. Go through this and let me know what you find.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-is-leaking-oil

Any questions, please feel free to ask.

Thank you.
Jun 28, 2022 at 1:54 PM
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KEVIN BROWN4
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thank you, that was helpful. It's the oil pressure switch. It's so small I don't understand how so much oil can leak out of there. How do I replace it?
Jun 28, 2022 at 9:26 PM
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SQM
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 6,383 POSTS
Glad you found the issue. Replacing the oil pressure switch is fairly straight forward. The pressure switch screws into the engine. So, all you will have to do is first disconnect the wire then get a correct size socket to fit over the sensor and loosen and remove.
Most auto parts stores will have oil pressure switch sockets that you can either buy or rent to use. Unfortunately, our catalog does not mention the socket size.
Jun 29, 2022 at 4:01 AM
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