Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[JamesV6CDX]

Hi all,

A bit of a strange one here.

I have a leak on my 3.0 V6 Auto. Symptoms are as follows.

1) No noticable oil loss on the dipstick and no noticable ATF loss.

2) Oil is dripping from the bolts on the bottom of the engine, by the bellhousing. Parked overnight after a run, there are about 3 or 4 drops - enough to stain the road and annoy the neighbours

3) The oil is a light browny colour. My ATF and engine oil are pretty much same colour, so hard to tell visually - but Kev W and I both agreed it didn't smell anything like ATF.

4) PAS fluid is leaking VERY slightly but doesn't need topping up between thousands of miles, and is the wrong colour and smell.

So in a nutshell, I think it is engine oil. There is also a little oil in the starter motor area and ABOVE the oil filter.

When I had the oil cooler out I noticed the pipe to cooler unions were leaking a fair amount, and these were changed, in the V.

The pipe to block unions are also dry.

So - guess this leaves two culprits. Cam cover gaskets, or rear crankshaft oil seal, (behind the flex plate) - in that order.

Does anyone agree / disagree?

I need to sort this - else it will be winding up the neighbours moreso than the lack of exhaust silencer  

[JamesV6CDX]

Just an aside - the plug wells are all dry...

[albitz]

Ive had the same (or similar)leak on my car since I bought it,still dont know where its from.

[JamesV6CDX]

I reckon there is a small external leak from the camcover gaskets - I just want someone to agree, before I

A) Shell out for new genuine ones and
B) Disturb my current ones, if they are actually sealing alright!

[johnnycboy]

Ive had the same (or similar)leak on my car since I bought it,still dont know where its from.

Me too, but i've only had the car three weeks.

James what about putting a bit of board down underneath the car for now, just to stop the neighbours complaining.

It must be a common fault with red facelift estates

[Marks DTM Calib]

Taste it....Would not be surprised given the location if it was coolant picking up some small amount of oil on its way down.

[DaveyDavey]

Taste it....Would not be surprised given the location if it was coolant picking up some small amount of oil on its way down.

 

Crikey Mark I thought your knowledge of Omegas was good but that's going a little far isn't it?  

[Entwood]

Taste it....Would not be surprised given the location if it was coolant picking up some small amount of oil on its way down.

making sure the local stray pooch has been nowhere near the car first ..........  ?

 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Taste it....Would not be surprised given the location if it was coolant picking up some small amount of oil on its way down.

 

Crikey Mark I thought your knowledge of Omegas was good but that's going a little far isn't it?  

Lol, an old trick which really upstes the PC brigade.....works very well when you ahev antifreeze in a system!

[JamesV6CDX]

I have smelt it... I can't smell sweet coolant in it, and I'm not losing coolant either  :-/

[Marks DTM Calib]

I have smelt it... I can't smell sweet coolant in it, and I'm not losing coolant either  :-/

You wont be able to smell it.....taste it!

[JamesV6CDX]

I have smelt it... I can't smell sweet coolant in it, and I'm not losing coolant either  :-/

You wont be able to smell it.....taste it!

Ok - I'll give it a lick when I get home tonight  
It stains the road quite badly though - would it do that if it was largely coolant?  :-/

It also burns off the cats on a fast run - stinks ..

[Marks DTM Calib]

I have smelt it... I can't smell sweet coolant in it, and I'm not losing coolant either  :-/

You wont be able to smell it.....taste it!

Ok - I'll give it a lick when I get home tonight  
It stains the road quite badly though - would it do that if it was largely coolant?  :-/

It also burns off the cats on a fast run - stinks ..

Yes it would as I suspect there may be oil and crudd in the mix.

Need to rule out coolant as this mixed with a small amount of oil spreads a long way!


What I am effectively saying is.....rule out the coolant first as that seriously narrows the possibles down  

[albitz]

If the neighbours see you licking the road,you might end up in a padded cell.

[Kevin Wood]

There's still some on my driveway. I'll let you come and lick it though.

I remember having a feel in the bottom of the bellhousing as we initially wondered if it was the TC seal. It was dry in there IIRC, making the rear crank seal less likely. I think you would have noticed that when you had the autobox off too.

Another option is to touch it with something hot I.E. a soldering iron. If there's water content it will fizz as the water boils off. If it's all oil it will just smoke.

Kevin


Kevin