Severe Oil leak!!!

tdihopeful

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Oct 23, 2008
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California
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03 2dr 5sp Golf
I went to a moving gig today and gave a ride to a coworker it was approximately 160 miles. My car has been running fine. Engine oil light came on and chimed and I pulled over and thought I'd not added oil for too long. I noticed oil film on the back of the car. I immediately looked under the engine and saw oil leaking pretty badly. I'm now waiting on the owner of the company I work for to bring me enough $ to get a large bottle of oil to throw (through) the engine to get back home approximately 12 miles away! Damnit my only running car available and this was not what I needed. Oil appears to be coming from the right side of the engine. It doesn't appear to be the oil pan. I can't think what it could be other than crank shaft seal or turbo oil inlet or return line. It hasn't seemed that my turbo has seized.
 
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tdihopeful

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03 2dr 5sp Golf
I think it may be the turbo feed line cracked. Not to be too presumptuous but I found one of the support brackets was unanchored and imagine that vibration fatigued the feed line. Basically as soon as I started the car it started spewing oil from that general location. The timing belt wasn't oily seemingly ruling out front engine crank seal. Turbo had oil all over the outside of it. I got off the road, parked and shut down within approximately a minute of the engine oil chime and had not noticed any lack of power that may have indicated turbo seize. Had basically exactly enough cash from getting paid for working today to pay for the tow. Good thing I didn't try to hobble it 14 or so miles back home. I imagine the turbo the engine or both would have seized.
 

tdihopeful

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03 2dr 5sp Golf
Again not to be presumptuous but I did a search for the feed line and saw that there appears to be a braided stainless PTFE lined flexible option as well as the stock type rigid turbo oil feed line. Anyone have opinions on a flexible turbo oil feed line. I could go with the rigid making certain it's supported correctly. Though I imagine the flexible line would benefit or would necessary need being supported as well. Otherwise am I perhaps looking at oil cooler issue? I'll be looking at it tomorrow and post what I can find.
 
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tdihopeful

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STDOUBT I had called for a tow before seeing you're recommendation but thanks for that good advice.
 

tdihopeful

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I paid 160 for the tow and am pretty happy to be home and perhaps not have a severely damaged car sitting on the side of the road waiting to get impounded.
 

J_dude

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I think if you have to replace the oil feed line anyway you should get the braided one, seems the factory line is a weak point on these cars
 

JETaah

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I think if you have to replace the oil feed line anyway you should get the braided one, seems the factory line is a weak point on these cars
I don't agree. In some twenty years of working on these cars I may have run into one that looked like a victim of fatigue and it was probably due to lack of support. I do like the braided lines for their easy of routing and rust resistance. The stock hard line turbo end compression nut often seizes up to the tube causing the nut to twist the tube and destroy it upon removal. Hence, when installing a tube I coat the mating surfaces (nut and tube, not the turbo to tube joint) with high temp anti seize to displace water and make it easy to disassemble it if and when the time comes.
 

jmodge

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I don't agree. In some twenty years of working on these cars I may have run into one that looked like a victim of fatigue and it was probably due to lack of support. I do like the braided lines for their easy of routing and rust resistance. The stock hard line turbo end compression nut often seizes up to the tube causing the nut to twist the tube and destroy it upon removal. Hence, when installing a tube I coat the mating surfaces (nut and tube, not the turbo to tube joint) with high temp anti seize to displace water and make it easy to disassemble it if and when the time comes.
Good idea on the nut. I agree, all 3 of mine have stock lines. Two with over 300k. I bought that flex line and have never needed it. Using two wrenches to remove or install, as well as proper support goes along way in keeping them in good working order.
 

J_dude

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I don't agree. In some twenty years of working on these cars I may have run into one that looked like a victim of fatigue and it was probably due to lack of support. I do like the braided lines for their easy of routing and rust resistance. The stock hard line turbo end compression nut often seizes up to the tube causing the nut to twist the tube and destroy it upon removal. Hence, when installing a tube I coat the mating surfaces (nut and tube, not the turbo to tube joint) with high temp anti seize to displace water and make it easy to disassemble it if and when the time comes.
Interesting, I keep seeing threads about them breaking and people recommending the braided one so I assumed it was a better option, I guess your experience says otherwise.

My car had a braided line installed when I got it, maybe due to the issue you mention about the nut, who knows.
 

AndyBees

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The 02 ALH OE hard pipe had to be "bent" (reshaped) to fit near the Motor Mount in my Vanagon. Somewhere along the way, the single OE brace fell off. Apparently I drove it for month on end before discovering there was no support for the pipe. Anyway, besides going for a long time without support, that pipe has been on and off the engine numerous times without showing any signs of fatigue. I did purchase a braided pipe/hose with the bango fittings. I was not impressed and never installed it.

OP, likely your engine and turbo are both just fine!
 

03TDICommuter

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01' NB, 5spd
I bought a Kerma braided turbo line and did not install it. I didn't like how necked down the oil passages were compared to the stock line. That said, it likely doesn't mean anything in reality, but that braided line still sits on my shelf in its unopened bag.
 

Tdijarhead

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I on the other hand have a braided turbo feed line on all three of the diesels I regularly maintain. All three purchased from cascadegerman. I have put at least 150k on the braided line in my golf with no issues so far.
 

AndyBees

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This is why I did not install the braided hose....
Keep in mind, oil not only lubes the Turbo, it helps with cooling it as well... (thus, volume is important)





 
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Tdijarhead

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That is an interesting comparison, I did not compare my old to new lines. I still have one line that is good, next time I do some turbo work I'll have to see if the lines I bought are similar to yours.
 

JETaah

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Ill bet that all those holes are still larger and can supply oil faster than the turbo's bearing clearance will allow oil to flow. Isn't that what ultimately controls the turbo's oil for lubrication or cooling?
 

tdihopeful

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03 2dr 5sp Golf
Oil Feed line was cracked. My car isn't turbo upgraded or chip tuned or anything and the stainless would probably work fine. The flex tube seem to be cheaper on average and are probably easier to install but ordered a new oem type line. Didn't know about the restrictive nature of the braided stainless and PTFE type. I figured the OEM line obviously works as long as supported proper.
 

tdihopeful

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03 2dr 5sp Golf
I may later ask reference to where the feed line support "hanger"? goes when I do the replacement installation. The bracket nearest the turbo or on the backside of the engine was loose hanging on the line. I seem to remember 3 support locations but maybe it was just two I don't know where the support nearest the turbo end goes now.
 

AndyBees

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The hanger is either bolted to the end of the head or just below on the block ... cannot remember for sure!
 

JETaah

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On ALH there are typically two support points.
One is on the metal coolant pipe on the driver's side of the head. There is a welded on threaded tab.
The other is a bracket that is mounted to a stud on the rear driver's side of the exhaust manifold. 038145859C
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

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Oil feed lines on these cars break when people skip the supporting brackets when istalling them. Or if they don't install properly and twist the line. If installed properly they are trouble free.
 

tdihopeful

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03 2dr 5sp Golf
I think the last time I was doing extensive work I couldn't remember where to place the intermediary metal bracket for one of the hangers or installed it in a different way and was rambling to myself about it being over engineered and how leaving it off would be ok while in my mind knowing it would fatigue from vibration and fail.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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Surprising it lasted as long as it did. I've heard of them failing in a few days.
 

JETaah

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On a gas car it would matter less than it does on these paint shakers.
And that is also evident when hoses and harnesses are touching each other or another surface. You have to fasten things solidly to one another or keep them away from each other. Give them the opportunity and they will rub a hole in a short time.
 
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jmodge

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On a gas car it would matter less than it does on these paint shakers.
And that is also evident when hoses and harnesses are touching each other or another surface. You have to fasten things solidly to one another or keep them away from each other. Give them the opportunity and they will rub a hole in a short time.
Something we paid close attention to on trucks every time one was on the hoist. Brand new out of the manufacturer that was one of the first things we did. If a hose blew in the street, it meant pulling it in with a wrecker and cleaning up hydraulic, or other fluid out of the road as well as a messy and/or expensive repair
 

jmodge

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I think the last time I was doing extensive work I couldn't remember where to place the intermediary metal bracket for one of the hangers or installed it in a different way and was rambling to myself about it being over engineered and how leaving it off would be ok while in my mind knowing it would fatigue from vibration and fail.
Here’s a picture of the mounting point nearest the turbo.
 

tdihopeful

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03 2dr 5sp Golf
Ok thank you. I may have lost the nutplate (is that the right word) for the bolt to hold the line hanger. A regular thread locking nut should work yes? Is that braided line in the photo an EGT sensor wire for an aftermarket EGT gauge?
 
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