My truck's been getting a little incontinent in her old age; leaving 4 or 5 inch oil puddles under the rear of the engine once every couple weeks. Figured it was just main seal seep; never severe or common enough to do anything about it.
The other day I came out to the parking lot after she'd been sitting for 9 hours and there was a 3 foot diameter puddle. I poked around trying to find the leak; I didn't see where it originated, but there was an inch-wide path of oil migrating down the driver's side of my transmission bell housing.
Checked the oil and I was an 1/8th inch above the bottom "safe" mark on the dipstick. I drove two minutes and half a mile, and I checked the dipstick again and it was 1/4 inch below the bottom "safe" mark.
It was dark, late and I didn't have any tools, so I called a tow truck.
The transmission pan was covered in a film of oil; but after I waited an hour for the tow truck, there wasn't a puddle on the ground.
What could be pouring motor oil from the top, back of the engine? Is there a sender of some kind back there? Main seal?