Need some input on a pesky oil leak on my 2.4 07 with 126000 miles. It appears to be coming from the oil pan close to front of engine where it mates up with the tranny. I've replaced the oil pressure sensor (common culprit) and crankshaft position sensor with o ring since I was there. Replaced valve cover gasket and o-ring on oil filter.
I've narrowed it down to oil pan, rear main seal or hopefully not the crankcase mating surface. (there are 2 halves) I put a/c delco dye in there and looked with black light but its difficult to tell where its leaking.

any thoughts or similar experiences?
thank you!

 

Spillage from oil changes, was my biggest problem. Then there was the oil pressure sensor.

 

Has anybody ever reported losing a rear main seal in these things?

 

The O-rings on the oil cooler are a common weak point on 2006-2007 2.4L.

 

Does your 2.4 look like this

 

no oil cooler on my 07.. I believe it was only an 06 issue


mine doesn't have an oil cooler. that's a common source of leaks. thank god I don't have it.

 

‘06 and very early ‘07’s had the oil cooler and the 2008 thru 2010 2.0 LNF Turbo engines in the SS’s had them.
So, we’ve eliminated the oil pressure switch, no oil cooler orings to worry about .
that points to the oil cap cracked or the oil filter oring not Installed correctly, that can bind and pinch if not lubricated.
keep and eye for the oil dye you put in.

 

Are you sure it's oil? Not transmission fluid?

 

My oil filter cap cracked and I almost lost the engine. It was leaking at the oil filter cap o-ring, so I snugged the cap tighter, this cracked it but I did not know until I drove it and oil sprayed out. The initial leak was between the oil filter cap and the valve cover, down in a valley, hard to see. As the leak continued it strated running down the engine which made it more difficult to identify the source. The oil filter cap had a fram orange o-ring. The fram o ring is not as thick as the green AC Delco oring so it never sealed completely. I replaced the oil cap on all of my HHR's after that incident. And more importantly I torque them from now on. To add insult to injury, the torque value is stamped on the top of the cap! Rockauto has the ACDELCO PF458G, this is the cap, oil filter and green oring for about $7.50.

 

no because of the dye it illumintates under black light so i know its engine oil. I'm thinking its the oil pan leaking.