FYI - Sudden & Severe 92 Olds 88 Engine Oil Leak

[CNim]

I'm posting this in case someone has the same problem I just had. Hopefully it can save some aggrevation & worry.

I have a 92 Olds 88 with a 3.8 - about 220,000 km. Recently my car developed a sudden & severe oil leak on the RH side. The entire RH underside of the engine and vehicle were covered with oil & it made quite a mess of my driveway & garage. I was using ~ 1 litre of oil every 500 km. The valve cover gasket seemed OK so I assumed a major leak from the head gasket or main seal.

I crawled under the vehicle, but because of the mess I couldn't isolate the leak. The block & oilpan were coated. I finally took the pressure washer to the underside to degrease & clean it up. After I did that, I ran the car for about 2 minutes & presto - the leak was coming from the oil pressure sending unit. This unit is located directly above the axle, so as I drove the vehicle it dripped on the axle & sprayed everywhere. All the way back to the rear axle.

Once I found the problem, it was easy & inexpensive to fix. About $20 for a new part and 1/2 hour labour. The sending unit is tucked on the side of the block, toward the RH firewall and just above the oil filter & axle. You can't get at it from below, but it is accessible from the top with a little persistence & the right tool - a stubby crescent (4"-5" handle) with a wide jaw opening (> 1").

-C