Sudden oil leak today with smell of coolant

[M3Stang]

Hey everyone first post here. I’ve had the Boxster s about 8 months and everything has been fine. Taking it to the dragon in 2 days and did spark plugs and coil packs today. Took the car for a spirited test drive after and after a hard 1-2 shift I heard a very slight squeal and thought it was interesting but then proceeded on. After I got back home I smelled coolant. Thought that was odd. Went inside then came back out about 5 minutes later to a pool of oil and maybe something else under the car. Can’t tell where it’s coming from yet but it’s dripping off of the driver side rear support brace right under the sway bar. It’s oily in the way it looks but I also smell coolant. Something tells me I may be changing my trip plans. I’ve put 3300 miles on the car and this is the first issue. I guess better now than 600 miles away at the dragon. Anyone have any ideas?

[78F350]

Driver side rear is where the oil cooler is located. (Left of the throttle body)

It may just be the O-rings if there is no intermix. If there is intermix - check your coolant tank for oil and your oil filter cup for coolant - then the cooler itself is probably the problem.
Hopefully nothing worse than that.

[M3Stang]

Originally Posted by 78F350

Driver side rear is where the oil cooler is located. (Left of the throttle body)

It may just be the O-rings if there is no intermix. If there is intermix - check your coolant tank for oil and your oil filter cup for coolant - then the cooler itself is probably the problem.
Hopefully nothing worse than that.

Thank you. Where is the best place to inspect this? Hoping to square it away tomorrow.

[M3Stang]

Originally Posted by M3Stang

Thank you. Where is the best place to inspect this? Hoping to square it away tomorrow.

My dad is under the car right now and he can’t see anywhere where the oil may be coming from. He said the engine is dry. The CV boot on that side is torn but has been since we boight the far. There is always grease there but now it’s wet. Wouldn’t oil drop on the motor on th way down? Car is left hand drive btw.

[thstone]

Originally Posted by M3Stang

Thank you. Where is the best place to inspect this? Hoping to square it away tomorrow.

All I'm doing is explaining more fully what 78F350 said.

The oil cooler is shown with the red arrow. Underneath the oil cooler, there are two oil connections (input and output) and two coolant connections (input and output). Each of the four connections is sealed by an o-ring between the oil cooler and the block.

Try to trace the fluid leak from the ground up through the suspension and engine to see if its coming from the oil cooler (or where it might be coming from). You can also try to feel around beneath the oil cooler to see if its wet. If so, then you'll want to remove the oil cooler and replace the four o-rings.

Also, check the oil and coolant for intermix. If you find oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil, then there might be an internal leak/failure in the oil cooler allowing the two fluids types to mix. A pressure test of the cooling system and/or oil cooler can confirm an internal leak.

If you have intermix but the oil cooler checks out ok, well then you have bigger problems. Start with a pressure test of the coolant system and go from there...

[M3Stang]

Originally Posted by thstone

All I'm doing is explaining more fully what 78F350 said.

The oil cooler is shown with the red arrow. Underneath the oil cooler, there are two oil connections (input and output) and two coolant connections (input and output). Each of the four connections is sealed by an o-ring between the oil cooler and the block.

Try to trace the fluid leak from the ground up through the suspension and engine to see if its coming from the oil cooler (or where it might be coming from). You can also try to feel around beneath the oil cooler to see if its wet. If so, then you'll want to remove the oil cooler and replace the four o-rings.

Also, check the oil and coolant for intermix. If you find oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil, then there might be an internal leak/failure in the oil cooler allowing the two fluids types to mix. A pressure test of the cooling system and/or oil cooler can confirm an internal leak.

If you have intermix but the oil cooler checks out ok, well then you have bigger problems. Start with a pressure test of the coolant system and go from there...

I just checked my self. Pulled the engine covers off and there is zero oil or coolant anywhere looked under the car and saw nothing except for directly below the motor mount perhaps? Don’t those have fluid? Perhaps it popped from the torque of the shift? Correction: transmission mount.

[911monty]

Check the fluid level in your transaxle. The grease from your CV joint can attract clutch disk material and cause the output shaft seal to fail. This can then run onto the bracing and exit around the sway bar area. The fluid resembles motor oil, translucent and amber, but smells like an oil field. If your CV shaft boot has been slinging grease and collecting grit for 8 months and 3k miles I wouldn't want to be taking it on a 600 mile trip to the TOTD. YMMV.

[dav9515]

i'm sure you probably checked already, but you said you had recently done spark plugs and coil packs, depending on year of car did you change the spark plug tubes as well? if not, perhaps in the swap you somehow loosened one of the tubes and it's not seated correctly. Look from each of the coil packs and see if oil is dripping out of one of those holes.

[kk2002s]

I do believe the transmission mounts contain fluid but that would be back behind the motor by the trans-axle.
Oil on the drivers sides, isn't the oil pump on the left/driver's side?
Check the tightness of the oil cooler bolts(4). The 'O' rings seal by tightening cooler to top of engine via those (4) bolts.
Spark plug tubes, only oil?

Check coolant level to see if your losing.
I did see some coolant on drivers side when my tank went bad. Coolant in trunk found it's way some how to the drivers side so I would get some drips on that side

[M3Stang]

Originally Posted by kk2002s

I do believe the transmission mounts contain fluid but that would be back behind the motor by the trans-axle.
Oil on the drivers sides, isn't the oil pump on the left/driver's side?
Check the tightness of the oil cooler bolts(4). The 'O' rings seal by tightening cooler to top of engine via those (4) bolts.
Spark plug tubes, only oil?

Check coolant level to see if your losing.
I did see some coolant on drivers side when my tank went bad. Coolant in trunk found it's way some how to the drivers side so I would get some drips on that side

It is by the transaxle. I can visibly see the fluid coming out of the mount. The round donut thing covered in metal connected with that triangle bracket. Oil cooler and motor everything is bone dry. We did re grease the CV and close it up with a zip tie last night while changing the serpentine belt. It looks like the mount can probably make it another little while. Can’t seem to source one today let alone have to time to mess with that today between work.

[Paul]

Stock transmission mounts have orange fluid in them.

[M3Stang]

Originally Posted by Paul

Stock transmission mounts have orange fluid in them.

It is orange was able to source a rein one locally today. Currently reinstalling it.

[Paul]

Excessive heat is one cause of their demise.

[M3Stang]

Originally Posted by Paul

Excessive heat is one cause of their demise.

I can see how That’s possible. Got a cat right up on them. Just finished installing it. Hopefully it’s all good for the trip tomorrow. The other one was leaking pretty bad orange coolant smelling fluid.