Another oil leak mystery thread...

[mike65]

...sadly!

My 190 with a 102 engine has leak but where from is a puzzler, I had a dodgy valve cover and gasket which I replaced successfully a few weeks ago. However I still have oil comming from somewhere which showed itself first by overflowing off the back of the undertray!

I removed that and cleaned up the lower parts of the engine which were in a very damp grimy condition. I also cleaned up a small pool of oil which I spotted on a "shelf" on the side of the engine block opposite the starter (just behind the engine number).

Today I got home and did some checking as I thought the dripping had started again, put card down (the tray is off, drying out) and sure enough a few drops appeared. So I removed the air cleaner and checked the block and damn it - the pool of oil was back, it clearly accumulates and then drips down the rest of the engine and eventualy hits the ground under the steering damper/drag link area.

So where is it coming from? I checked the oil filter its clean underneath. I checked the housing the filter sits on and its only got old grime on it, nothing fresh.

There is fresh oil on the side of the cover in the area marked below.



The air filter is pretty clean and certainly not damp so could the oil be blowing out the side vent and over time dripping down, collecting in a pool then overflowing and making a mess on the driveway?

If so how can I fix this?

Mike.

[psfred]

Replace the oil filler cap, the gasket has gone and oil will leak out when thrown up there by the cam at high rpm.

Will only leak badly on the highway, can increase oil consumption to a quart in 1000 miles.

The only real clue you will see is that there is aways some oil in the drain area around the filler cap.

I know, I've replaced all of mine now!

Peter

[mike65]

Hi

I posted this query over at 190rev and got the same reply so you're all prolly right. Parts dept closed today so what I've done is tweak the metal flanges inside the cap to increase the downwards pressure when its turned shut.

Assuming it is the cause I really should have copped this earlier after all the oil is leaking at the highest point on the engine...

Mike.

[bwheitman]

Same thing happened on my 104, had an oil leak just like you describe and the oil filter cap has a rubber seal/gasket in it that should be replaced at everly oil change. I didn't replace it and it leaked like mad, all over the engine block and right down to the encapsulation panels. Does your cap have a rubber seal? If so try replacing it. Good luck!
Brian

[mike65]

I took the car for a quick 10 min blast and when I got back the oil was just starting to show around the cap so I know what I need to do on Tuesday.

Cheers everyone.

Mike.

[Rahulio1989300E]

Just replace the entire cap at first and the purchase an extra seal or two...

The cap is plastic and I know that nobody has probably had an oil cap blow up like a coolant cap, but it is so cheap and the new one comes with a gasket!