Oil leak. Coolant leak. Injection pump leak.

I have oil, coolant, and injection pump (diesel fuel) leaks on my 98 Jetta mk3 TDI.

The diesel leak caused the coolant leak when the pump dripped hot diesel onto the coolant hose for a few days.

The cause of the oil leak is not so clear. The valve cover gasket is soaked in oil. There's oil on most or all of the sub-frame.

I'll post pictures today.

1. I welcome your input regarding finding/fixing the cause of the oil leak!

2. Has anyone here ever thought about repurposing a commonly available piece of plastic to make a temporary shield to protect the coolant hose from further drips of diesel fuel. The reason for this is, since I can get the coolant hose today, and it'll be 3 days before the injection pump repair seal kit arrives. To drive the car for those few days, and must prevent the diesel drip and damage on to the brand new coolant hose.

My oh my. It sounds like you own a diesel! I would clean your engine bay and then go for a drive afterwards to see where the oil is coming from. Our valve cover gaskets suck though and that is more than likely where it is coming from. Mine has a slow leak from there too.

I'd agree with 1998tdimonster, the VC gasket is marginal even when new. RTV sealant on the back edge or back corners where the gasket turns at least might be in order.

You can just start tracing the leaks, typically up the back side of the block if their coming from the VC. You might also check oil pan bolts too.

While your idea about a protective shield is a good one, thought about it too, I have my head under the hood at least every week checking on something and checking to be sure there aren't any IP leaks. That's why installing something to do that job hasn't been a priority for me.

In the future it might be, especially since it appears the IP on my B3V project sometimes has a moist distributor.

If you come up with something that will work to protect those hoses post it up, people would be interested in knowing about it.

Steve

I built a "fuel diverter" a couple years ago when my B4 sprung a leak out of some stiff plastic I had laying around. I did it shortly after it started leaking on the coolant hose,I washed hose off w/ a degreaser,and never had problem w/ hose. I also added a quart of ATF (transmission fluid) to my fuel when I filled up after leak started,and it stopped the leak for a couple months until I was able to get the seals changed out.