Need Help Diagnosing Oil Leak

[bill4d]

I need some help diagnosing an oil leak. I don't know the name of each part to describe where the leak is coming from, but the first pic will give an idea of the area of the engine.

I'm directly under the front center of the engine looking upwards. I believe the rectangular looking aluminum piece is part of the intercooler / downpipe. The leak is behind this area. The second is a close-up of the leak area.

Thanks for any help!

General Area of Leak

1.jpg

drive.google.com

Close-up of Leak Area

2.jpg

drive.google.com

 

[CableJockey]

Not sure I can be much help based on the pictures. It looks like everything is oily. Try cleaning the engine with some degreaser to help isolate the leak better. It might actually be leaking from some distance away, but dripping from the area depicted in your photo.

 

[Tom in PT]

^ this is good advice. Look for leaks in the valve cover area at the front of the engine and base of oil filter housing. The large square aluminum device is the intercooler.

 

[keyfarms]

That's your engine oil filter/cooler assembly leaking.. just replaced mine this week. Engine heat deteriorates plastic cooler walls over time, leading to oring leaks... VW sells this as a unit..

 

[bill4d]

That's your engine oil filter/cooler assembly leaking.. just replaced mine this week. Engine heat deteriorates plastic cooler walls over time, leading to oring leaks... VW sells this as a unit..

Thanks for the feedback.
What would you estimate the labor time would be for this?
I'll be having the dealer perform the work. Just wondering what to expect.

Just seeing the location, I imagine there's some significant time involved getting to the assembly and then reassembly of all items, of course.

 

[keyfarms]

It took me about 4 hrs or so.. That cooler assembly is about 450.00 bucks from Volkswagen. I ordered from ecstuning for 285 or so.. The aftermarket units dont have good reviews...
VW # 03L115389C

 

[thundershorts]

Just had oil change at 59700 miles, tech noted turbo and front crank seal both leaking oil. Both items should be covered by 5/60 warranty and/or extended 162/11?

 

[thundershorts]

If vw is going to do the front seal, I might as well order a timing belt and water pump and zero time those items. Anyone know if there was a tsb regarding the water pump replacement with the non electric to replace the sliding sleeve electric one? Is the graf pump the prefered one to use?

 

[bill4d]

That's your engine oil filter/cooler assembly leaking.. just replaced mine this week. Engine heat deteriorates plastic cooler walls over time, leading to oring leaks... VW sells this as a unit..

Did you pursue having the dealer repair this under the missions extended warranty?

 

[thundershorts]

I'm going this morning to dealer to have both turbo oil leak and front crank seal documented. miles are at 59.865. I'm not sure if extended warranty covers front crank seal so counting on the 5/60 warranty to cover it. I will post what I find out. If oil has been slung around,hitting the tb, it should include replacing tb. The front crank seal is no longer as a seal alone, it comes as a flange containing the seal. there have been numerous part revisions if this seal. Same thing on the turbo. Hope its not going to be a case under the clause " if there is a dispute over warranty customer prevails". Couple years go I'd asked a customer service rep at vw to explain that clause meant and her response was"it doesn't exist in the warranty". guess I better take pictures of both the leaks and the odometer.

 

[fredthe]

I'm going this morning to dealer to have both turbo oil leak and front crank seal documented. miles are at 59.865. I'm not sure if extended warranty covers front crank seal so counting on the 5/60 warranty to cover it. I will post what I find out. If oil has been slung around,hitting the tb, it should include replacing tb. The front crank seal is no longer as a seal alone, it comes as a flange containing the seal. there have been numerous part revisions if this seal. Same thing on the turbo. Hope its not going to be a case under the clause " if there is a dispute over warranty customer prevails". Couple years go I'd asked a customer service rep at vw to explain that clause meant and her response was"it doesn't exist in the warranty". guess I better take pictures of both the leaks and the odometer.

Good luck, VW covered my crank seal and TB under the extended emissions warranty. See my thread for link to the document with list if officially covered parts.

Note that the TB service is more than the belt, so unless you do the full service I'd still be needed at 130k miles.

 

[thundershorts]

Well the dealer called me when I was halfway there telling me the tech who was going to do the analysis had a emergency call and had to go home early so I'll either be going today or tues. I'm at 59906 miles and dealer is 41 miles away. Sounds from other posts like vw will replace tb if seals are leaking. It would still make sense to pay for new tensioner, rollers, and wp,assuming the wp is without the sliding sleeve variety. I'll see if the parts dept has the pump in stock so I can look at it. Part number for wp is second or third supercession from original number. Funny the golf mk7 forum doesn't seem to get posts about these leaks as much as passat and there are more of them than passats.

 

[thundershorts]

finally had dealer check out the purported leaks. The oil filter housing drain plug was wet, probably from o ring not have been changed when oil was changed. The turbo clamp was oily but not dripping, possibly from oil spilling from filling and not using funnel? Front seal did not appear to leak at all.