Few oil drops underside of frame on driver's side

Thanks for the help

 

There’s all sorts of places it could have come from, you just need to clean off the areas where it’s at and surrounding area and start monitoring it. Analyze it , oil , brake fluid, ect.. it could even not be a leak, just a sloppy job from the oil change.

 

Post some clear photos, lit well enough to see the color / texture, area of spread, etc.

That said, yes, there have been one or two times where oil spilled down from top of engine during when I was doing an oil change. The V6 4.0L's oil filter is mounted in a way where extra care has to be taken to avoid spillage. If a container isn't put under the little downspout on the oil-cooler catch-drain thingy, as much as a tablespoon or two of oil can drip out & down.

Now I always remember to use an appropriate container underneath the drip spout on the oil cooler to catch that oil-filter oil when doing an oil/filter change. A narrow body 16oz water bottle seems to fit well. Just remember to take it out before starting the engine..

 

Clean it off and then monitor it . Might just be a bit of spillage from previous oil change.

 

wash it good and dry well
cover in flour or talc power
aim for wet spots

 

Dealers typically use bulk oil from a hose with a nozzle. The 2TR-FE oil filter is on the passenger side. These two factors make it less likely to be spillage from the oil change.

The front diff can leak at the CV axle, but there's no frame directly underneath the diff.

Perhaps it's a leaking steering rack, very common on 2nd and 3rd gens. With 11 years' worth of aging, the leak could be significant. Have you checked your power steering fluid level? The fluid is Dexron III transmission fluid, but the factory fill doesn't have the red dye, so it's golden when new, and brown/black when old, like engine oil.

 

At 60k on a 2nd gen, I'd suspect a steering rack leak before a engine oil leak

 

Did I miss where OP said he has a 4-cylinder vs. a 6-cylinder?

Or did all the 2013 regular cabs come as 4-cyl only?..

 

The regular cab has been 4-cyl only from '97 onward.

 

Interesting. Thx for the info.

We had an old-school single-cab toyota pickup, manual trans, back in the mid or late 1980s that was, if I recall, a V6. Helluva lot of pull in that little lightweight truck.

 

^That would've been the only configuration were the 3.slow V6 didn't seem slow That V6 made less power than the 2TR-FE 4-cyl.

 

Heh, interesting & good point.

I guess it doesn't take much to seem fast when you're 15-16 years old and have only driven a 4-banger Corolla station wagon before.

 

you would perhaps...look?

 

I did but don't see anything obvious. Will know more when I take it in soon for 60k service.

 

What year Corolla wagon? Pics?

 

The 2wd got the 2.4L and the 4x4 got the 2.7L 4-cyl, right?