I took my Ranger to Wal-Mart on Tuesday for an oil change and they said I had an oil leak and that I was half a quart low when I got there. They also said I had a transmission leak, but I've known about the trans leak for years and I usually only have to add a quart every 5-6 months or so as it's just a small leak at the pan. Anyway, my truck leaves a fresh wet spot of oil on the ground every morning that's the size of a melon so today I decided to crawl under it and take a look.

I'm a big guy so I couldn’t get that far under the truck, but I did notice the oil pan was completely coated in oil, but not leaking from any one spot. I also didn't see any cracks or holes in the pan so I'm wondering if the oil could be leaking from a stripped oil pan drain plug? I crawled under from the driver's side which is why I couldn't get a good look at the drain plug. I'm asking this because I've always had my oil changed at Wal-Mart and I've recently read some articles online where folks claim that Wal-Mart is notorious for stripping drain plugs when they do oil changes. Is this true?

 

Yes they are pretty bad about stripping them but if the whole pan is coated most likely not the plug because the oil blows back not forward so id look higher up for the leak maybe pan gasket?

 

Degrease and clean the whole underside of the engine and go for a drive

Crawl under and check for fresh oil

I'm betting on the front crank seal. I've seen those go the most.