How many fellow 2UZFE owners have had issues with fluid leaks due to the extreme cold?

Just curious if any fellow 4.7L V8 owners are having issues in the extreme cold? We've been in a deep freeze for more than a week now (-25C [-13F] daytime highs with -35C [-31F] overnight lows without windchill). I just noticed a little puddle of fluid under the truck having not driven it for the past week. I can't tell if it's coming from the valvecovers, the power steering fluid pump or lines, or maybe even the cam tower. Stupid me forgot to plug in the block heater, which may have reduced the likelihood of this leak. I'm using Pennzoil Ultra Platinium 5w30 and the truck is at ~430k km (~211k miles). Engine oil levels look fine, and the power steering fluid levels in the reservoir look right.

It's so cold that the brake cleaner I sprayed onto the area still hasn't evaporated. Was hoping to degrease the area to determine where the leak was coming from. Hopefully, it will warm up soon so I can take it to have the leaking area pressure washed.

Thinking maybe I should try a High Mileage Synthetic for my upcoming oil change.

Pictures added: (pictures taken post spray down of brake cleaner prior to evaporation)
passenger side:
















driver's side

 

Lay a cardboard under it again, check it again now that you have an idea. I live on the west coast island, it's
a bone chilling -3 here. LOL, sorry. After 15 yrs in the north I occasionally do miss the arctic cold.

 

Interesting seeing this thread as I just relocated to Western, NC & had the first oil leaks crop up in my trucks life this winter. Truck has been in mild-hot weather most of it's life. Had a few nights in the 12*F range here, fired her up a few days later & noticed both valve covers weeping & a passenger side cam seal starting to leak. Good times.

 

You might get more response it the 1st gen section since most of us have the 4.7L. I haven't seen this issue reported. Most of the time if someone has an oil leak it's just the valve covers and can be solved by snugging the bolts down as they tend to loosen on their own. It sounds like you aren't clear what type of fluid it is? That would really help narrow it down.

 

First of all- those are stupid cold temperatures. Things stop working at a certain temp.

If you aren't hemorrhaging fluids, you should be okay until it warms up. It's likely just thermal expansion (contraction) between all the different components. Plastics, aluminum, steel, rubber, glass, even fluids have a different expansion rate.

The extreme temperatures are causing shrinkage beyond what the components have settled (worn) into.

If you are still leaking after the temperatures have warmed up to what the truck is use to, it's probably time for a gasket change.


I may be wrong, someone can correct me

 

@FirstGenVol - thanks, I'll check in with the GEN1 guys as well. I believe the 2UZFE in mine has VVTi, which means likely only the 2006 guys would have some insight?
@Notarobot - yeah, I don't think I'm hemorrhaging fluids. Oil levels per the dipstick are still within the "normal" range. I can't tell if it's a leaky cam seal under the cam cover causing the leak onto the P/S pump or if it's the P/S pump starting to leak all over. I don't remember seeing this much gunk previously though. Definitely will have to have things degreased when it gets to a reasonable temperature to make it to a wand car wash.

 

Just thought i'd update everyone. Now that the weather has warmed up substantially (with mid minus single digit C overnight), looks like there's no fluids leaking at all. I degreased and powerwashed the p/s pump and area and I don't see anything. Ended up doing an oil change as well, and it looked like a regular amount (~6L of oil) came back out (0.2L in the filter).

I think it's the extreme cold opening up some gaps between mating surfaces allowing some seepage. Going to check the torque applied to the bolts to ensure everything is in order.