Oil leak from the front passenger side of the oil pan..

BioPassat

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Joined
Apr 28, 2008
Location
Ventura County
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2005 VW Passat GL TDI
I was pulling up to my parking spot in the street in front of my house and I noticed a few oil stains on the asphalt. At first, I thought it was someone elses car, but I looked under my car and noticed a drip. DOH!

From the amount of little puddles, I can see that this has been happening for about a week. I was about a quart low on oil, so it's not like it's gushing out, but still not good. Probably a drip every 10 seconds or so when the engine is running. (I don't have a belly pan at the moment.)

I got under the car and wiped everything clean and then started the car and observed. The drip is coming from the front of the oil pan on the passenger side. It might not be the oil pan since it almost looks like the drip comes from above the oil pan on that side.

I took the engine cover off and looked at the valve cover and it's not leaking from there. Where do you think it's coming from? Got any ideas or recommendations?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
 

BioPassat

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2005 VW Passat GL TDI
Where the he'll...

Where is the oil pressure senser/switch on this thing? I need a better flashlight. LOL I guess I'll drive the LS to work!
 

MOGolf

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underneath something
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2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
Check the turbo oil return line. The pressure switch is on the oil filter housing on the other side of the engine.
 

BioPassat

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2005 VW Passat GL TDI
Leaking from under the Timing cover?

Thanks for the reply MOGolf!

Now that the sun is out, I can see! I wiped off everything good again and fired her up. The oil is slowly coming from under the timing cover on that side of the engine. DOH! It sounds like one of the seals under the timing cover is taking a sheit? Almost 140K on the car.

This is probably a good time to do the BS assembly and a new timing belt etc...what do you think?

Lets see...pay property tax on time...or fix this damn car? Decisions decisions... :confused: Thankfully, I have other cars to drive. ;)

I checked the turbo oil line that you mentioned. It's grimy on the engine side of the hose, but it's not leaking.
 
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MOGolf

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underneath something
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2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
That reads like the crankshaft seal is leaking.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
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Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
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There are just too many to list....
No, more likely when the chain/tensioner broke it has worn a hole through the oil pan and/or front sealing flange. I have had a few like that, snood's was one of them.

140k miles, you got lucky if it has not tooefed yet.
 

MOGolf

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underneath something
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2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
Well yes there is that possiblity. It is a good thing he has alternate transportation.
 

BioPassat

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Yup time to do it...

Ok, time to buy the BSA kit and deluxe timing kit and have some fun. 140k is luck indeed. 41k of it was my doing. I'll fix the car and drive it till the tranny blows up. LOL

Yeah, it's always good to have backup transportation!
 

BioPassat

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2005 VW Passat GL TDI
You are probably right...

oilhammer said:
No, more likely when the chain/tensioner broke it has worn a hole through the oil pan and/or front sealing flange. I have had a few like that, snood's was one of them.

140k miles, you got lucky if it has not tooefed yet.
OH, you are probably right. I bet the tensioner did break and it did wear through the front sealing flange. You got anther one lying around that you can sell me?
I'm ordering the parts as soon as I get the money together. I'm on the fence on doing the work myself. I'm very capable, it's just the specialty tools I don't have at the moment.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
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outside St Louis, MO
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There are just too many to list....
I have a couple sealing flanges, but they are new ones. I have to replace a few of them now and then, as I said. I think they are about $120 new. Your local dealer can get them for you. MOGolf I'm sure will beat me to the punch with the part number. :)
 

MOGolf

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underneath something
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2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
sealing flange is 03G 103 153 B.
 

T_D_I_POWER

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'04 VW PASSAT GLS TDI '06 Audi A4 q Avant 6-Spd Sport Pkg
I had similar oil drip on the passenger side also. I traced the drip was coming from the turbo intake hose. The POM had tighten the warm gear drive hose clamp to tight, and tear the hose on the turbo intake flange portion. There were 3 deep cuts. The POM also used the wrong type hose clamp-the non-tension type.
 
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05TDIshadetree

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Aug 3, 2022
Location
South Carolina USA
TDI
05 Passat GLS TDI
I see you folks were working on something 13 years ago that I am dealing with today. Is this thread still active? I have a question if so. ‘05 Passat TDI 245k
I have removed the front of the car and can see very well that something exited my sealing flange and it has a hole about 4mm in diameter where something exited it on the first step down outside the crank gear lip (just below the thin cover that doesn’t have to be removed to do the timing belt)
Oil is pouring out with the engine running. I can’t see that anything is wrong with the belt tensioner but I have a new kit on the way. Any idea what could have caused this?
 

A4QTDI

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 26, 2021
Location
Canada
TDI
A4 TDI
Balance shaft chain has broken and went through front cover. Stop running engine, it has no oil pressure with broken chain and if it has not been damaged already it will be... Search BSM failure and BSM delete.
 
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