oil leak and petrol fumes...

[timatsorted 0]

Hi guys. A couple of small probs:

 

I'm leaking some oil from under the front section of the engine. Not alot but definitely happening. Oil looks pretty clean. Garage said the oil cooler seal was a bit ropey last time it was serviced. Hopefully it's just this and nothing more serious. Should I be worried about it? D'you reckon it might be something more serious?

 

Also, I'm getting some petrol fumes when I turn the ignition on, before the engine fires. Goes away after the engines's started. Is this normal? Is it just the fuel pump starting to do it's stuff?

 

Any advice welcome...!

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Have you checked to make sure that the flexible pipes to the fuel rail (one supply, one return) are not leaking where the clips hold them to the rail itself (air filter end of the engine)? Those hoses can get a bit horrible, and the clips can be dislodged when changing the air filter; there's a lot of pressure in there and leaks are not unknown. It will be immediately apparent if there is a leak. Otherwise, it could be to do with a broken hose in the system recycling excess fuel vapour from the activated charcoal canister under the air filter plenum.

 

Is your oil filter bowl done up to the correct torque with a seal in good order, and what about the socket-head drain plug at the bottom of the filter bowl? If it's neither of these, then it probably is the oil cooler seal.

 

Is the cylinder head/ block joint nice and clean near to the belt tensioner? That's a favourite place for an oil leak if the head gasket is getting tired.

 

Best wishes

RB

[timatsorted 0]

Thanks RB. I'm just about to fit a BMC CDA so I'lll check out the fuel lines/clips/hoses during the process.

Your top tips on oil leaks will need a bit more exploration...!

[craigowl 0]

OIL

I hope I'm not tempting fate here, but my 1995 VR6 with 97K miles on it is the only car I've owned in 32 years which sheds not one drop of oil onto the floor.

I did read somewhere that this engine is generally remarkably leakproof (oil).

 

PETROL

There should be no smell of fuel whatsoever if everything is in order. The local VW garage discouraged my son from driving away in the car when he took his 94 VR6 into them, complaining of a smell of petrol.

Indeed the pressurised fuel delivery pipes do seem prone to failure after a few years in that very hot engine compartment.

Clearly there is a high risk of fire if even a pinhole leak sprays a mist of petrol around under the bonnet.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

It's usually the carbon canister intake tube (tank vent - clear hose) going porous with old age that causes the petrol smells. I replaced that particular hose recently and the smells went away. The termination point under the flexifoil wrap in the inner wing (under brake servo) is where it goes porous.

 

Also check the hose runs beside the airbox as the box tends to rub on the hoses, eventually making a nice hole :wink:

 

And as mentioned already, trimming 5mm off the fuel rail hoses also helps.