Oil leaking from pipe. Intercooler??
- Thread starter Audied
- Start date
audifan
A2OC Donor
Not the best of angles for the pictures and difficult to see where the pipe connects. BUT is does look like the air inlet pipe to the intercooler.
First how much oil are you topping up? Is your dipstick correct and intact? Has the car been overfilled with oil? What colour is the exhaust smoke?
The design of the A2 turbo does over time place oil into the air pipe. The pipe you have pictured if it is the turbo outlet pipe is the lowest point in the system and naturally acts as a sump. It is worth disconnecting the pipe carefully from the intercooler and drain out oil present. While you are disconnecting the pipe check the bracket that supports the pipe is still bolted to the sump and is secure to the pipe. My theory is that once this bracket is broken the pipe then exerts more force onto the intercooler lower end cap. This cracks and splits resulting in boost loss and limp mode. I also suspect the oil that is present also makes the seal in the end cap swell and also speeds the cracking and splitting of the folded over end cap.
Ironically on the bottom of the intercooler is an unused spigot for a pipe to connect to. This is solid and does not have a hole in it. Perhaps if it did some form of oil drain or trap could be fitted but would need to be manually drained and resealed to prevent boost loss.
First how much oil are you topping up? Is your dipstick correct and intact? Has the car been overfilled with oil? What colour is the exhaust smoke?
The design of the A2 turbo does over time place oil into the air pipe. The pipe you have pictured if it is the turbo outlet pipe is the lowest point in the system and naturally acts as a sump. It is worth disconnecting the pipe carefully from the intercooler and drain out oil present. While you are disconnecting the pipe check the bracket that supports the pipe is still bolted to the sump and is secure to the pipe. My theory is that once this bracket is broken the pipe then exerts more force onto the intercooler lower end cap. This cracks and splits resulting in boost loss and limp mode. I also suspect the oil that is present also makes the seal in the end cap swell and also speeds the cracking and splitting of the folded over end cap.
Ironically on the bottom of the intercooler is an unused spigot for a pipe to connect to. This is solid and does not have a hole in it. Perhaps if it did some form of oil drain or trap could be fitted but would need to be manually drained and resealed to prevent boost loss.
Thanks for posting, so it could be oil getting past turbo?
Never noticed blue smoke from exhaust, I'll check tomorrow. Never topped it up but just done an oil change and noticed the pipe - and no I didn't spill any!
Don't sound to good. would this explain the tick over being slightly higher than it should be as well?
Never noticed blue smoke from exhaust, I'll check tomorrow. Never topped it up but just done an oil change and noticed the pipe - and no I didn't spill any!
Don't sound to good. would this explain the tick over being slightly higher than it should be as well?
johnyfartbox
A2OC Donor
How dare you, lol
Hi car came with a new one, I will post a pic this afternoon though to make sure.
Thanks, I'll look at that, but I didn't see any oil on top part of engine.
Ok so managed to get some time to look at the intercooler pipe, came off fine and wasn't full of oil ( thank goodness!) Nor was it split.
But there was definitely oil present and oil visible in the intercooler itself. I will keep an eye on it to try and figure out what's going on.
I'll keep a look out to see if it's burning oil, but obviously there must be a problem somewhere.
There is also oil all over the turbo it's self, but that's definitely not running down to this pipe. So I could have two turbo problems!?
Thanks again for your help
But there was definitely oil present and oil visible in the intercooler itself. I will keep an eye on it to try and figure out what's going on.
I'll keep a look out to see if it's burning oil, but obviously there must be a problem somewhere.
There is also oil all over the turbo it's self, but that's definitely not running down to this pipe. So I could have two turbo problems!?
Thanks again for your help
Here you go
Attachments
audifan
A2OC Donor
I think the first thing to do now is to remove as much of the leaked oil as possible. Then you can hopefully see where the eternal leaks are. The system will blow oil into the air inlet as it ages. The point where it becomes excessive depends on smoke and oil consumption, assuming the turbo has not failed.
Just looked at the end of the dipstick and it is complete. Can you show me where the oil level is? It should be between the top of the hatched marking and below the step.
Was the bracket that supports the intercooler inlet pipe fitted and undamaged?
Just looked at the end of the dipstick and it is complete. Can you show me where the oil level is? It should be between the top of the hatched marking and below the step.
Was the bracket that supports the intercooler inlet pipe fitted and undamaged?
audifan
A2OC Donor
Oil level is good and not overfilled. May have been in the past though especially if the dipstick was broken. Give the engine area a good clean with an engine degreaser and wash off. Oil feed pipe to the turbo may be leaking. You really need to fit that bracket - if you can find one.
Car came with a broken dipstick and this new one in the boot, so maybe it has been over filled in the past, but surely you would know that if dipstick was broken, don't overfill it! ?
audifan
A2OC Donor
From past experience when the dipstick is broken people tend to cover the remaining orange plastic in the hope that is then full. The downside of a plastic end.
Oh BTW can you please update your profile as this helps other help you by knowing what engine year etc the car is. It is the fallback source if it is not mentioned in the thread which engine the issue is with.
Oh BTW can you please update your profile as this helps other help you by knowing what engine year etc the car is. It is the fallback source if it is not mentioned in the thread which engine the issue is with.
Little Dog
A2OC Donor
I sounds normal to me. Turbos do not have seals, just an oil slinger to keep oil away from where you would expect a seal. There are some metal clips that help but no rubbers seal. So turbos leak oil into the induction pipes. Providing it is just wet and oil level isn't dropping it should be fine.
As advised on your other thread clean up and see if the oil continues to leak out of the pipe.
As advised on your other thread clean up and see if the oil continues to leak out of the pipe.
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All cleaned up, hopefully your right ?
Little Dog
A2OC Donor
?there are no leaks.
I see this a lot. We have a community that is keen to look after their cars but some do not know their car's history. There is a tendency to assume the worst when a problem has possibly previously been corrected but not cleaned up. I suspect in your case that worm clip was the fix for an oil leak due to a fatigued and broken constant tension clip. But we will see.
The oil build up in the inter-cooler sounds normal to me, I wouldn't worry about that. I was shocked the first time I saw how much oil a turbo diesel breaths. Now had 4, they all do it from new.
I see this a lot. We have a community that is keen to look after their cars but some do not know their car's history. There is a tendency to assume the worst when a problem has possibly previously been corrected but not cleaned up. I suspect in your case that worm clip was the fix for an oil leak due to a fatigued and broken constant tension clip. But we will see.
The oil build up in the inter-cooler sounds normal to me, I wouldn't worry about that. I was shocked the first time I saw how much oil a turbo diesel breaths. Now had 4, they all do it from new.