Oil dripping - What is normal / acceptable...

[williamsF1]

Originally Posted by denverpete

Unlike many cars - any oil drips need to be checked out immediately. Unfortunately if not properly diagnosed some leaks can be catastrophic (RMS). If it turns out to be something you can live with then I suppose you can just let it leak. But then you won't be able to spot the potentially imminent RMS leak.

Don't freak out too much - you do have a 9 year old vehicle and some problems are to be expected.

Let us know how things turn out!

Im not sure what you mean by 'spot the potentially imminent leak'.

If I know I allready have RMS, and people say I can still drive the car as loong as I wipe up the floor when I'm done What is there to look out for ?

I have auto-tiptronic in my car so I dont know how that affects the clutch-replacement of the car, but I have decided to run it by another Porsche mecanic and let him check it out. If he says it's a 'RMS' and something I can live with for now, I guess I will wait...

Someone mentioned IMS - How do I tell the difference, Will a IMS be a complete leak and not just drips ?


Of course I will get back to this forum with a status after I have had the car in for another check


Thank you everybody for the response, it was very nice to hear from you 986spyder how you 'lived' with the RMS for such a loong time... for now I can live with the dripping like you did !

[spine911]

OK..OK...everyone slow down here.
1st of all, the typical location on where an RMS leak is coming from is the junction where the Transmission bell housing meets the engine.
If the leak is coming from another area aside from this juction-it could be something else. I recommend that you jack up the car and spend some time to really look at where the leak is originating. Remember: Oil can seep, and can travel to another side of the engine before it drips down on the ground.
2nd, Manual Transmission cars are MOST LIKELY to have the RMS leak vs. a Tip.
I still have to see a Tip with an RMS Leak. Tips are not as prone to have an RMS leak.

IMO, I think you could be leaking from either the spark plug tubes OR the Valve cover gasket. I had an Spark plug tube leak and the oil leaked on the left side of the car BUT also dripped down to the exhaust.
Oil can seep and travel.

[porsche986spyder]

Good to know that you have a tiptronic, not a manual. I'm thinking it may not be the RMS now. It would have been good to know this from the start. But it doesn't rule it out completely. At least you don't have to worry about any clutch problems liek oil leaking onto it. Just get a second opinion from a qualified Porsche machanic. Like you said there is no real way to know without guessing at this point.