00 Tdi Leaking Oil

Hello all!

I have a 2000 jetta tdi.

It's recently started leaking oil after being driven, puddles about the size of a coke can. not pooling but light amounts.

The car would usually only leak a few drops if anything, so this new discovery on my driveway was an unwelcome and worrying sight.


Oil can be seen on the ground, as well as on the inside of the hood...

Checked the t-belt and no oil on there, reason I'm posting for help here instead of heading to my local mechanic is because they were shut down for going marijuana.. Guess it was a side business...

Any insight as where to look or what to check is greatly appreciated.

my 0.02- a few thoughts
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Need to confirm which oil is it ? Engine oil ? Power steering (often green). ?
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The car has (is supposed to have) a plastic belly pan underneath, which covers the entire engine area. If that's still present, then the oil could be dropping onto it and travelling for some distance before it drips off onto the ground. Point being- due to the pan, the location of the coke can spot on the ground may or may not be close to where the oil is actually getting lost. Also, the quantity of oil leaking could be larger than what's initially being seen on the ground.
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Oil on the hood underside- where? Among my first thoughts are oil being spun from the serpentine belt onto the hood?? Also, possibly, small oil leak in an oil line, having oil under pressure being squirted up and onto the hood ? There is an oil pressure line that (as you're standing in front of car, looking in as if to check the oil...) comes off of oil filter housing and heads toward rear of engine on drivers side, where it connects to the turbo. There is a bracket on the back side of the engine that stabilizes that line. Sometimes if certain service is done, the service people don't reattach that bracket, and the turbo oil feed line vibrates and fractures. I'd recommend take a very close look at that line from start to finish.
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imho this is not something to be pursued casually. stop driving the car until you can concretely identify the source.

Wish you all the best. Please do let us know what you find.