Member Since: 30 Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 751
Help Please - Engine Oil Leak TDV6 Manual - with photos
I have an oil leak which is only depositing the odd drop of oil on the ground but looks very messy underneath. I can't see any source of the leak looking from the top of the engine but here are some photos taken from underneath. The photos are taken looking vertically up into the engine LH side (looking from the rear). The bottom of each photo is toward the front of the car and left is left!
I have checked around the oil filter housing and I can't see anything. There is a rigid pipe which is best seen in the second photo which I cannot identify. The leak seems to be coming from above this pipe and dripping down over it
Hopefully the photos are clear enough to show the experts amongst you were the leak may be originating from. Can anyone help?
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
Last edited by HughMartin on 27th Mar 2012 10:04 pm. Edited 1 time in total
26th Mar 2012 4:56 pm
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20844
Looks to be coming from the Turbo area.
Check the copper washers on the feed pipe to the top of the turbo, and also the drain pipe underneath. You may need to clean it off first, and run the engine while checking for leaks My D3 Build Thread
Member Since: 30 Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 751
Thanks v much for quick reply DM. Can you give me some advice as to how best to get access? Am I best removing the wheel arch and any heat shields or can I get to it from under the battery tray etc?
26th Mar 2012 5:59 pm
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20844
If you jack up the pass. front corner, you can just about see over the heatshields to the feed pipe. Even better if you take the wheel off, and remove the centre heatshield. Get a much better view of whats happening.
If all is dry up top, then you will have to crawl underneath. Its not necessary to remove the undertray, but it may help you see where the oil is coming from. There is a pipe going to the bottom of the turbo, held in place with 2 torx bolts. these bolts were never very tight from the factory, and some did seep out oil occasionally. You may get away with just tightening up the bolts a little
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
I think Mikey is talking about the 2 bolts that secure the oil return tube to the turbo. They were torqued to 10 Nm by the book, so not particularly tight at all. Behind the tube is a gasket and an O-ring seal which, if tightening does not help, are reasonably easy and cheap to replace. They are designed to be one-shot items and replaced when disturbed.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 30 Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 751
Thanks to DM & Robbie.
Wiil get started with a deeper investigation later this week. Will take some more photos for other's benefit if I can.
Cheers
HM
26th Mar 2012 7:25 pm
HughMartin
Member Since: 30 Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 751
Having taken the good advice of Disco_Mickey and Robbie, I have investigated further.
Having jacked up the LH front side of the vehicle and removed the wheel this is what is seen.
Click image to enlarge
I could maybe have got away with removing just one heat shield ( the middle one) but I ended up removing all 3. Make sure you know how they are orientated when you remove them as they are very fiddly to remove and replace.
I unbolted the flexible brake pipe to allow more space but beware - this bolt can shear very easily if it it has seized and you apply too much torque as I discovered on the other side when I changed the flexible pipes the other week.
This is the front of the turbo charger after it had been cleaned up. There was an awful lot of old oil contamination so it was difficult to tell where the leak was coming from but I suspect it was from where the flexible pipes are connected to the turbo by jubillee clips. I have tightened them up a little bit. I checked the two torx bolts (not shown) as suggested by D_M but they seemed quite tight. These are only accessable from underneath with a long extension shaft for the torx bit.
I have run the engine up to 3500rpm for about five minutes and can't see any further sign of leakage. It is now all back together so will have another look underneath tomorrow after my usual 60 mile round trip to and from work. Will let you know how I get on.
Thanks again to D_M & Robbie for your input.
HM
27th Mar 2012 9:36 pm
Chicken Duck
Member Since: 11 Nov 2009
Location: Italy
Posts: 1387
Good thread thank's for the pics.
28th Mar 2012 8:01 am
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Hugh, top follow-up with good pictures. The site thrives through efforts such as these as we all learn a little bit every day. Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 30 Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 751
Unfortunately I found some more oil today. I still think it is coming from the turbo output pipe at the flexible hose join. What puzzles me is why there would be oil in this pipe in the first place. Should it not be just clean, compressed air?
28th Mar 2012 7:54 pm
Ade
Member Since: 26 Nov 2008
Location: West Lothian
Posts: 950
If youve got oil in your intercooler hoses, it will be from the oil seals gone in the turbo
The turbo is oil cooled/lubricated, so has an oil feed passed through it. The seals keep the oil flowing through, but if they are gone, they will pass oil through to the core wheels. Then when the air is being blown around the intercooler, it circulates the oil as well
Take the intercooler off and see how much oil is in it
The turbo can be refurbed with new seals
But that wont be the cause of the oil leak, thats only why there is oil in the hoses.
The oil leak will more than likely be from the oil feed pipe to the top of the turbo, or the oil drain hose from the bottom of the turbo
29th Mar 2012 8:40 am
SteveNorman
Member Since: 14 Oct 2005
Location: Somerset
Posts: 1146
you can expect an amount of oil normally in the main air hoses, so don't unduly worry about that.
check the feed/return oil pipes from the turbo carefully for leakage.
Regards
Steve
29th Mar 2012 9:42 am
HughMartin
Member Since: 30 Mar 2008
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 751
Have eventually got round to sorting my oil leak. It was a split hose attached to the turbocharger output pipe leading to the manifold.
Unfortunately LR won't supply just this short hose. You have to buy a set of pipes and hoses at circa £100. I ended up going to a garage which specialises in agricultural equipment and got a hose (£10) which when trimmed, fitted exactly. I just hope it is up to the job. Time will tell. Photos available if anyone wants them.
19th Feb 2013 10:40 pm
Biffysun
Member Since: 09 Jul 2011
Location: Central
Posts: 1790
Post them up Hugh
19th Feb 2013 11:59 pm
Disco_Mikey
Member Since: 29 May 2007
Location: Dundee, Scotland
Posts: 20844
A bit late now, but there are silicone replacement kits which replace all 3 rubber hoses My D3 Build Thread
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