Oil leak on 2016 F250… what’s going on?





Looks like it’s probably the upper oil pan seal. It’s a fixable issue, not too difficult, but it will take time and you need to make sure the surfaces are prepped right.

Pop open the hood and take a look at the front of the engine, towards the top. On 11-16 trucks, the vacuum pump bolts can sometimes loosen and cause a similar issue.

@Davis
I checked, it’s completely clean there.

Parker said:
@Davis
I checked, it’s completely clean there.

In that case, it’s probably the upper pan seal, unfortunately.

Davis said:

Parker said:
@Davis
I checked, it’s completely clean there.

In that case, it’s probably the upper pan seal, unfortunately.

How much should I expect this to cost?

@Parker
The cost can vary depending on the labor rate and how the shop charges for repairs. Some places still use warranty times, but those are usually low. It used to be 17-18 hours for the full job under warranty, but Ford cut it down to 9-10 hours since it’s such a common issue. You can expect to pay around $3k for the full repair, including RTV, surface prep materials, the lower pan, gaskets, and an oil change.

Had the same problem with my 2013 6.7 Power Stroke… turned out it was the upper oil pan. I also checked the vacuum pump bolts & gasket, and replaced (or deleted) the CCV filter. It hasn’t leaked any oil since. That was 2.5 years and about 20k miles ago.

@Darian
That gives me some peace of mind, I’m planning on doing all that since the truck is stock.

But from my photos, how often should I be checking the oil? Seems like a lot of oil is getting out, though I’ve only had the truck for two days.

@Parker
Until you get those fixes done, I’d recommend checking the oil regularly since it’s so easy to do. If you drive it daily, check it a lot because you don’t want to let it get worse.

Once it’s all fixed, I personally change my oil every 5000 miles. It’s one of the cheaper things to do on these trucks. I use Shell Rotella T6; it’s easy to find at places like Walmart or Home Depot.

It has the 6.7l engine.

Most likely the upper oil pan seal.

Deen said:
Most likely the upper oil pan seal.

How much do you think that usually costs?

Parker said:

Deen said:
Most likely the upper oil pan seal.

How much do you think that usually costs?

Around $2.5k if you go to the dealership.

I work with Ford fleet vehicles, and this doesn’t look like an upper oil pan leak. It’s clean at the bottom of the upper pan near the front cover, which is where they tend to leak first, unless someone cleaned it in that spot. I would need more pictures of both sides of the upper pan and where the oil is coming from above. Another thing to consider is that coolant hose you photographed… if it’s constantly getting oil or fuel on it, it can swell and fail. Another possibility is that it’s leaking from the upper oil pan (which is very common, though not usually a serious issue unless it gets really bad) and from an injector seal (fuel), which could be mixing with the oil and making a mess everywhere. Sorry for the long message, but I know these trucks well.

@Jory
I’m going to send you a personal message for more details.