Need help diagnosing oil leak w201 190d
 

Hello everyone. I have a pretty bad oil on my 1986 190d 2.5
its leaking oil from the front right side of the engine when you facing the engine.(left side when in line with the car) I want to sell the car so purchase something bigger, and I would hate to have to sell it with this oil leak not being resolved. I have already replaced crank seal, and the vacuum pump gasket. It doesn't leak as bad as it used to. Before it would spray all over the front of the engine from the fan shroud. Now it just sprays to the left of the engine bay and down on the oil pan. I know its engine oil, because it black. I can't figure out what else it could be.
Let me know if you have a theory or have had a similar issue
thanks
Tim

You're post is confusing. First you said it's on the right side then you say it's "sprays" to the left. When discussing sides of a car it's always best to use either the driver's side or passengers side (this is of course assuming the car is a LHD vehicle). Anyways, go clean up the oil so that the engine is clean and then after driving for a bit see if you can figure out the source. My guess would be the valve cover gasket, but that's just a guess. Report back your findings. Welcome to the forum.

Oil level sensor, perhaps?

Ahhhh yes I'm sorry. That is confusing when I read it again. Leak comes from driver side. And yes it's a lhd vehicle. It's not the valve cover I don't think. Everything is dry up top and around it. I'll check oil level sensor. Also thanks for the quick replies guys.

You should re-post this in diesel discussion, this forum is for gasoline powered cars.

It is possible that you have had a failure of the timing-chain cover (aka: front cover) at the belt tensioner boss. Check to see if the belt tensioner is in correct alignment. This is a known problem on the 60x diesel engines (again, diesel discussion will have more suggestions).

alright I will check that and repost it. Day off so ill have some time to work on it.

I have seen forum members ask OP to redirect their post to diesel forums if the car in question is diesel, but would this still apply to his case? I'm not familiar with diesels, but I would think that the oil leakage issue could be addressed in any discussion thread since it would apply to gas and diesel engines. Or is this not the case? Just curious because I've posted in diesel discussion before, but only because I noticed that the amount of traffic there was greater.

I probably need to have it moved. I tried posting a new thread and it wouldn't let me. how do I go about moving it

I would say that many on this forum will be helpful, many even have (or had) a diesel, but since the oil is from the engine and its plumbing which is unique to the diesel car, I would say that this should be in diesel.

The best way will probably be to PM one of the moderators.

Click on diesel discussion, at the bottom of the subject listing there will be a list of people on-line, and of Moderators. Click on / PM one of the Moderators and ask him.

ok thanks so much!

The oil level sensor is about halfway back in the left side of the pan, it's a good place to start.

It can be an oil pan gasket.

The 2.5 190's have a peculiar problem...when the engine mounts fail, the engine settles onto the sway bar. If the condition isn't promptly corrected, vibration will wear a hole in the front of the pan. Make sure

yes I'm pretty sure the engine mounts are done but its not quite sitting on the front sway bar. Awfully close but not quite.. I was planning to replace those anyways. Someone said it could be a head gasket :/ I really hope its not. I have to many engines apart already that need head gasket jobs. If all else fails I will try to tighten the head and then go from there.

One other thing to check is the oil filter housing gasket. Not sure if this is it since you state that the leak is at the front of the car, but it's worth a shot. I would see a puddle of oil pool on the driver side of the engine on the ledge of the lower block and it turned out to be the oil housing gasket. Replaced it and all is well.

oil housing is in the back, the leak generates at the front. I don't think its that.

Did you clean up the area? Use some brake cleaner, that'll get everything nice and dry.