Freakin out even more... oil everywhere!

[stateofidleness]

and it can leak oil from there? is there actually oil in that tube during operation or is it "residual"? seemed like it leaked a puddle, then when i started the car again, i got another little puddle after parking it again.

note: i haven't had a chance to clean anything or inspect anything yet..

[stateofidleness]

Gents,
In this middle of this large project and ready to tackle the oil issue. I've cleaned up the underbody, replaced water pump, replaced thermostat, and replaced engine mount.

I'm not real sure how to replace the oil filler tube. The one I ordered is the one on top that is visible on top of the engine. Will running the car stationary cause it to leak oil as well or do I have to go drive it to see if it still leaks before replacing?

Will I have to do anything with the coolant tank/coolant to do this replacement? Someone mentioned it was just a clamp that could be loose. Where would I find this clamp? I haven't put the drained coolant back in yet, but wanted to make sure I wouldn't have to redrain it to do the oil tube.

Thanks guys!

[Ghostrider 310]

The cooling system and the oil tube should have zero nexus, two separate systems, go ahead and fill the cooling system. As for checking the leak, if a broken mount allowing the engine to torque or twist is what fractured the oil tube you might not see the event repeated. If you have already ordered the part, I would research it's replacement, look at the part itself when it arrives for clues as well. Then execute the repair, fill all fluids and check it, otherwise you might re-soil the area you just cleaned with a still leaking yet to be replaced tube, hope that helps good luck.

[stateofidleness]

ah, those pictures do help. the more i look at it though, the more i think that the oil is coming from somewhere else. the tube looks rather clean. the oil cooler is clean.

is the skid plate on the bottom of the car removable without any problems? does it support anything or keep alignment in spec? i'd like to remove it to get better visibility but didn't want to mess up an alignment or have something fall on me.

anything else i should check?

dumb question (sans manual): how do i check the transmission fluid level? (Tiptronic)

[WhipE350]

Here is a closeup of the tube I replaced and it sounds like you got the part for. I added another circle for where the tube attaches to the filler. I'm not on expert on how much oil is in the tube while the engine is moving but it must spray up there to have leaked at both joints on mine. There would not be oil in there while the car is not running.

If the leak came from the joint on top of the engine it should be obvious...just look for a puddle on the engine under the joint or feel for oil on the bottom side of the joint clamp. If your leak came from this joint it should be obvious considering how much oil you say was on the ground, to create that much spilling oil the engine would be a mess under this join.

To see if the leak is coming from where the tube attaches to the filler you'll be able to see it with a flashlight looking up from under the car, there are a lot of things in the way but you'll find it. You could also reach under from the top and see if your hand is covered with fresh oil.

Based on the things you just replaced you'll be able to replace this tube too. It is not fun but with right tools can be done. Obviously the end that connects to the filler is the hardest. Look at it closely from underside so you have an idea what to feel for when you reach in there to open the clamp, you'll need something that can hold the clamp open while you work it loose. You might need a mirror to see well from the top. I used regular hose clamps when I put my new one back in. I had the transmission out while doing mine so I could do it from the underside a little more easily. Not going to lie to you, this was not fun. Let's see if others have some good ideas, my way might have just been beginner bad luck.

As for what the pipe does from the middle of the engine on I'm not sure. You could remove the air intakes and look.

[WhipE350]

Paul - Great pics...that first pic is perfect.