Freakin out even more... oil everywhere! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

stateofidleness · 01-15-2012, 12:53 PM

Well what I thought was a simple engine mount replacement may be a lot more now...

I drove the car to my folks place tonight to see if I could borrow their extra car for a week or so until parts come in for the engine mount replacement.. well when I get to their house and park, I see a trail of oil behind the car!! talk about a sickening feeling...

I look underneath the car expecting the worse and there is oil everywhere. the drain plug and the filter are clean though?? It appears to be somewhat centrally located (probably where it "settles" as it leaks and a bit more on the passenger's side. I can't pinpoint the area it is leaking from.

I heard no strange noises on the way over to their house (about 20 miles) except for the studdering which I believed to be related to the engine mount.

Dipstick reading read fine (when car was still hot after parking). What should I do first? where to check? I've got that reaaaally sick feeling that this is one of those expensive fixes. The worst part is not knowing what is broken.

I'm gonna try to snap a pic, but the angle is hard to get as I don't have the car on stands or anything.

Ghostrider 310 · 01-15-2012, 12:55 PM

What about the rear main oil seal? As far as what to do first, just keep her topped off, other than making a mess it will protect the engine till you run it down, good luck.

JFP in PA · 01-15-2012, 12:57 PM

Get the car up in the air and start looking............

san rensho · 01-15-2012, 01:08 PM

And open the engine compartment top and check the oil filler tube for cracks and oil cooler for leaks.

stateofidleness · 01-15-2012, 01:19 PM

Some pics. It almost seems like reallllly dirty water. Doesn't really feel like oil. I checked the coolant tank and no milky stuff (looks normal).

Won't be able to get it in the air tonight (got dark fast and don't have the tools I need).

...and go figure, just had the top replaced last week and still in the "let it stretch for two weeks before putting it down" phase... not sure if it's ok to lower the top yet.

I'm gonna let it cool down some more and then try to wipe it all down and then see if it continues to leak so I can pinpoint it.

The Radium King · 01-15-2012, 01:19 PM

yup. bad engine mount gets the motor moving and cracks the oil filler tube. hard corner and some oil spashes out the tube and into the metal tray under the tranny. now, every corner or incline (ie, into your driveway) the oil splashes out of the tray. big mess, cheap fix.

BYprodriver · 01-15-2012, 01:38 PM

Let it cool down so you can check the oil level & determine how much you have lost & determine if it is leaking out between the engine & transmission. Don't start it again till you accomplish this. If it's coming from the trans - engine area by the IMS bearing I wouldn't start the engine again. I've never heard of a RMS leaking that much that fast.

Sawfish · 01-15-2012, 02:01 PM

Oil filler tube
:dance:

stateofidleness · 01-15-2012, 02:06 PM

Well I was reluctant to start it again, but I got it into my dad's shop (at least it's covered now) and up on 4 ramps. Oil level on the gauge and stick looked good, but will check it again after while. I'll be able to get under it tomorrow at the earliest.

crossing my fingers for the oil filler tube!

any link to a DIY?

crumbum · 01-15-2012, 03:36 PM

Have you checked the transmission fluid level?

Are you sure it is engine oil and not transmission fluid?

WhipE350 · 01-15-2012, 04:00 PM

The oil filler tube has a joint right over the middle of the engine and already likes to sag if it gets a chance. A bad engine mount would probably be just enough to break the joint loose. You'll need to get that top up and look at the engine from the top. If it is what we all hope you'll probably be able to just clean it up and put a new clamp on. I just put a new filler tube in (the part from the filler side) and trust me it is not fun unless you have a good tool to hold the clamp...again you probably won't need a new one.

Keep us posted and good luck!!

stateofidleness · 01-15-2012, 04:10 PM

oh man, that would be awesome if it's just a clamp needing to be replaced and not the whole tube.

I'm about 99.9% sure it's oil and not tranny fluid (eww that sounds gross). It's a Tip so I don't know if they leak like the manual ones do. This is a dark brownish fluid and smells like oil.

I'll keep you guys updated!

I should have the parts in mid-week and hopefully I can knock out the engine mount, water pump, and whatever this is this weekend.

papasmurf · 01-15-2012, 08:22 PM

the oil filler tube is not that hard to swap out assuming you can get to the clamp by the rear firewall/dipstick area. I think it is a spring clamp like all the others on the car and odds are the part you need to squeeze is on bottom and very difficult to reach. All I had at the time were pliers so I had a indie change it when they were researching some other things on the car. Get some spring clamp pliers if you can as they will probably make your life a lot easier.

seningen · 01-15-2012, 09:04 PM

Central ... Possible Rear main seal or ims flange/bolt.

Check your oil filter for any metal flakes or shavings. You can take the filter off without making too much of a mess.

If you don't have a shop in San Antonio, my partner's shop is in south Austin.

Mike

stateofidleness · 01-16-2012, 09:35 AM

The oil filler tube is apparently 3 pieces. Which piece is it that is most likely kaput? I have a OEM filler tube on hand. I think it is the "top" one with an "accordion" section on it. Should I order the other two?

jcb986 · 01-16-2012, 10:49 AM

I would first remove the shield under the engine, takes about 30 minutes. Then you can asses the situation better. Wipe all the oil down good and clean, start the engine and see if any oil comes out. Then start the process of elimination...I agree that it may be the filler tube. But you never know. Be patient and check everything.

I went back to your other thread to see how many miles you have on your Boxster...74K. I would recommend the following maintenance's to ward off any costly fixes. I would do the TIP service, replace the fuel filter, replace the spark plugs and tube o'rings, and the AOS, plus it might be wise to do the water pump. I also have a 2000 and have done all this except for the water pump. Replace the serpentine belt if it is original for sure.

stateofidleness · 01-16-2012, 02:31 PM

Good deal. I'll be able to get under maybe some evening this week.

So far I have done the spark plugs/tubes, AOS, and belt. Planning on doing engine mount, water pump and oil fill tube (if that's what it is) this weekend. I've heard mixed things on the TIP service. It runs amazing right now so I don't want to disrupt the powers that be

Fuel filter seems logical. I may add that to this weekend's list.

Assuming I get everything cleaned up, I'm still not very clear on where exactly the oil filler tube is inside the engine bay or what I should be looking for (top or bottom). All the DIY's show really closeup images and it's hard to know what angle/direction it's looking from, etc.

san rensho · 01-16-2012, 02:46 PM

The oil filler tube runs from the rear firewall to the top of the engine block under the intake tubes. Easiest way to find it is to look right between the right side of the throttle body and the intake tubes. Its a thick plastic tube. Run your hand underneath it and you will see if its cracked or leaking.

WhipE350 · 01-16-2012, 02:59 PM

Did you get the cover off the engine yet? The filler tube is on top of the motor and can be easily seen. Lean over the engine from the right side of the car and the oil tube starts from the lower left turns toward the center of the engine then goes diagonal toward the left side of the engine behind the drivers seat. You'll really only see the tube from the filler in the trunk to where goes under the air intakes. There is a joint just to the lower right of the throttle body (as seen from side of car). Mine leaked at that joint and the dealership says it happens a lot. I've not heard many complain about it on the forum though. I didn't know there were 3 pieces, thought there were only two.

Here is a picture. The circle is the joint.

san rensho · 01-16-2012, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipE350

Did you get the cover off the engine yet? The filler tube is on top of the motor and can be easily seen. Lean over the engine from the right side of the car and the oil tube starts from the lower left turns toward the center of the engine then goes diagonal toward the left side of the engine behind the drivers seat. You'll really only see the tube from the filler in the trunk to where goes under the air intakes. There is a joint just to the lower right of the throttle body (as seen from side of car). Mine leaked at that joint and the dealership says it happens a lot. I've not heard many complain about it on the forum though. I didn't know there were 3 pieces, thought there were only two.

Here is a picture. The circle is the joint.

Mine leaked there. Radiator hose clamp solved the problem. Can't stand those spring clamps.