01 ZX2 huge oil leak

[mudslinger88]

Hey all. I have had this car for a total of 3 weeks. I go to pull into a parking space and the power steering just stopped working. I looked under the hood and my serp belt had slipped off. There was oil freakin' everywhere, covering the alternator and, of course, the belt. What should I start checking here? I need this car running/driveable. That's what I bought it for. Now it sits still, not running. Please help. I did check the cam cover seal and it appears fine. I didn't want to clean up all the oil yet until I was sure what it was. Please help me out with this one. Thanks guys.
~JD~

[Davescort97]

Your timing belt could have broken. Take the oil cap off the valve cover and look in there with a flashlight while someone else turns the engine over with the starter. If you can't see the "valve train" moving it has broken the timing belt. I'm thinking the seal on the oil filter has failed or the sending unit for the oil pressure. Normally, I would say put some more oil in it and run it while someone is checking for the leak. Since, you can't get it to run, you can't do that. Other than what I have mentioned there is always the possibility that the seal on the power steering pump or one of the hoses came off the power steering fluid reservoir. That is what I would check. With that kind of oil loss you have something MAJOR wrong. To rule out the power steering just check the fluid reservoir by the right front fender under the hood. If it is down to the point that you can't see any fluid, that is your problem. By the same token, check the engine oil with the dipstick. If it is way down you have an engine oil leak. If the car has an automatic transmission one of the transmission cooling lines running into the radiator could have broken. If the oily stuff is red it is a tranny problem. Of course, if the car is a manual that wouldn't be the case. I would have it towed to the garage and would let them sort it out. If you are strapped for cash, then you wouldn't want to go that route. I hope you get it fixed. Dave

[mudslinger88]

I'm sorry I mis-spoke the issue. The engine will run. The serp belt is slipping off the pulleys as a result of incredible amounts of oil. The power steering fluid is up to the full mark, I have checked the engine oil and there is hardly any oil showing on the dipstick. I topped off the engine oil with cheap oil and let it run to see where it's coming from with no luck. It just seems to come from inside the engine onto the serpentine belt making it throw oil everywhere and then the belt slips off. This is driving me crazy. And sadly enough I don't have the money for a shop diagnosis/repair. And it is an auto tranny. That fluid is sitting good.Thanks for the tips and suggestions Dave.
~JD~

[Davescort97]

Well the serpentine is off so you will have no battery charge or power steering. If you could get it to a self service car wash you could cover the coil and get the engine washed off good enough to be able to tell where it is leaking from. Once you get all of that freakin' oil off you stand a good chance of being able to tell where it's at.

[mudslinger88]

Hey all,
I got it to a shop and they said that it was the cam seal. They told me that it would be a $1200 repair. The dang seal is only $6. I am not paying $1200 to replace a $6 seal. I told them to stuff it and that I would do it myself. I haven't been able to work on it yet. What's the best way to get at this seal without causing a whole bunch of trouble?
~JD~

[Davescort97]

Good for you! The seals are pretty much a piece of cake to replace.

1. Remove the timing belt and valve cover.
2. Remove the camshaft sprocket and the front camshaft bearing cap.
3. Remove the camshaft seals from their bores.
4. Reinstall the camshaft bearing caps.
5. Install the new camshaft seals using the special tool or use a large socket the diameter of the outer ring of the seal.
6. You're done. use reverse procedures to button it up and you might want to put a new timing belt on at this time.

The best thing to do is buy a Haynes Manual for zx2. They are about $16 and can be had at any larger parts outlet. It will pay for itself the first time you use it. They cover procedures and specifications for all kinds of work on the zx2. Good luck JD. Dave

[mudslinger88]

Just thought I would let you all know how it went. I got the timing belt off, the cam seal changed, everthing went back together great. Had a tough time with the timing belt, but it's on. Got the serpentine on, turned it over and let it run for about a half hour. Checked the seals numerous times for any leak with nothing showing. Thank you Dave for the great help. I appreciate it. The car is running great with no oil leaks.
~JD~