leaking oil from the intercooler

hi does anyone know why my 2003 tdi 130 has a little oil leak its coming from the intercooler its not coming down the intercooler pipe from the engine to the intercooler it seems to come from the where the intercooler joins the pipe on the tension clip, my mechanic says they all do it after so many miles and there is nothing to do to put it right without putting a new turbo on ?? is that right its not a big leak and they is no slits or cracks on the intercooler

Well, whether they all leak after a time is arguable, but not surprising. Crankcase vapors (which are full of oil) are sent back through the intake. Some of the oil vapors condense in the intake tract. Since the lowest point is the intercooler, this is where it collects. After a while the oil can seep out at the lowest joint.

It's not really harmfull, but it is a good idea to clean it up every few years or so for the sake of efficiency.

Now, a massive leak from the turbo is a different matter. By my definition, this is if you take that lower pipe off and more than 1/2 liter of oil comes out. A bad turbo leak can lead to the injestion of oil leading to a runaway condition on the motor (it burns its own oil), bent valves/rods and/or engine seizure.

thanks for your reply i cleaned it up and changed the oil and it stopped for a about 3 days and now its come back, its not a big leak its a drip coming out of the joint of the intercooler where the clip is, its not that bad it leaves little patches on my nice drive which is why i would like to get to the bottom any ideas how to cure it ? thanks