Oil leak near Left side of engine(Driver Side) - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

spine911 · 08-20-2005, 05:13 PM

i have a 01 2.7l. I noticed today i have some oil drips on the Left Side of the engine(Driver's side). I tried locating the exact source of the leak but i havent had the chance to take off the plastic engine belly cover- i noticed oil is leaking mainly from the Left Side of the engine/ i think it may be coming from one of the bolts from the valve covers--- --- is this a possible RMS leak or just oil coming from the valve covers?....Any Thoughts?....Thnx

Brucelee · 08-20-2005, 08:44 PM

Cam cover or Valve cover gaskets. RMS is usually seen in the middle of car towards the back.

That would be my guess.

Keep us posted.

spine911 · 08-21-2005, 09:54 AM

i did some research regarding possible oil leak reasons/areas aside from RMS(RMS leak is usually in the middle where the tranny meets the engine, LESS likely to have a oil burning smell unless its a HUGE leak since the leak is often well below the exhaust)....1. Valve Cover/Cam Cover Leak- OFTEN will some degree of oil burning scent since it is above the manifold. Leak located on the sides of the engine(either left or right). Remedy: re-torque cam/valve casing bolts(simple) or replace gasket/bolts/reseal....2. Spark Plug O Ring Leak- easy to locate under the spark plug boots either on both/any side of the engine . Remedy: Replace Spark plug O- Rings.....Are the info above pretty accurate??(pls. add. to the above info)......What are the symptoms for a Oil Filler Tube/Oil Separator Leak/Oil Pressure Switch Leak??....Anyone has an idea about the cost of repairing and the complexity of these leaks(Valve Cover/Spark Plug O Ring/Oil Separator, etc).......THNX!

deliriousga · 08-21-2005, 10:43 AM

The oil filler tube goes in the block on the right side of the engine so it's probably not the source of your problem since I don't think it wouldtgravel all the way across.

I don't know about the valve covers, but I'd imagine the spark plug o-rings (don't know if it has any or not) would be pretty easy since the plugs are directly behind the rear tires.

I have a similar leak, but it's not bad. It does not leak oil on the floor and it does not leak enough to change the oil level in the last three months. There's just some oil visible on the left side of the engine and an occassional burning oil smell. Heck, it could be from a previous oil change getting out of hand at the dealer so I haven't checked it out completely since the oil level does not change.

RandallNeighbour · 08-21-2005, 12:59 PM

ditto here. I've got a tiny valve cover gasket leak. Nothing large enough to worry about according to my mechanic, and very typical for Porsches. I hate oil leaks though and wish I didn't have it.

Adam · 08-22-2005, 08:24 AM

oil leak? why does this have to happen to our cars?

RandallNeighbour · 08-22-2005, 08:34 AM

Evidently the design of the boxser engine with the high compression leads to a few leaks here and there.

Brucelee · 08-22-2005, 11:04 AM

I don't think high compression per se would generate a cam cover or valve cover leak. A head gasket maybe. Having said that, there are plenty of cars that have high compression that do not leak, certainly not RMS or the other leaks mentioned here.

It COULD BE the flat nature of the Boxer engine. Having said that, Subaru does NOT have a reputation for oil leaks.

Go figure.

deliriousga · 08-22-2005, 11:12 AM

It spews oil so you get that race car burning oil smell that will impress your true enthusiasts!!

spine911 · 08-22-2005, 05:32 PM

Im almost positive my oil leak is from the Spark Plug O Ring, im planning on changing ALL my Spark plug O Rings with the Spark Plugs as well since it has 55k on it now...Question: Is the Bosch Platinum 4 (#4417) alright to use for my 01 2.7?

spine911 · 09-03-2005, 05:19 PM

My oil leaking problem is due to the Spark Plug O Ring....My mechanic changed ALL 6 Spark Plug Tubes and O Rings(6- big/6-small). The leak is coming from one of the tubes on the Left side....Since my Box has 55k and the Spark Plugs needed to be taken out to access the Tubes/O Rings, i also decided to do my 60k service in advance...New Fuel/Cabin/Air,Oil Filter, New Brake Fluid(ATE Racing Blue), Oil Change, New MultiRib Belt, Topped of all fluids, New Spark Plugs(FGR 6), Clean out all drain spouts in engine compartment, Full System Check using Porsche Diagnostic Computer, Test Drive...$675 for ALL the above/Parts & Labor(Done by a Porsche Master Tech friend who works for 20yrs for one of the major dealerships in my area )...My Box now purrs like a kitty!!

Brucelee · 09-03-2005, 06:24 PM

Good price! Best of luck with the "new ride."

wvicary · 09-03-2005, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brucelee

I don't think high compression per se would generate a cam cover or valve cover leak. A head gasket maybe. Having said that, there are plenty of cars that have high compression that do not leak, certainly not RMS or the other leaks mentioned here.

It COULD BE the flat nature of the Boxer engine. Having said that, Subaru does NOT have a reputation for oil leaks.

Go figure.

I work on Subaru almost everday at the shop and can honestly say that at least 6 out of 10 car have front oil seal,head gasket or valve cover gasket leaks. One question- how bad do the RMS leak on 986/996?? Is it just a drop here and there or do they blow massive amounts out? I've seen NA cars that will leak five liters out in as little as 10km's of driving.

Brucelee · 09-04-2005, 06:56 AM

"I work on Subaru almost everday at the shop and can honestly say that at least 6 out of 10 car have front oil seal,head gasket or valve cover gasket leaks. One question- how bad do the RMS leak on 986/996?? Is it just a drop here and there or do they blow massive amounts out? I've seen NA cars that will leak five liters out in as little as 10km's of driving."

Interesting on the subs. We have had them for years and no oil leaks of any kind.

Anyway, the oil leaks on the Porsche motors are usually slow ones in my experience. I have had cam covers, RMS and valve covers adn they are slow leaks, not big drips.