Alot of Oil !!! <---- UPDATE

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Twiss
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Alot of Oil !!! <---- UPDATE

Post by Twiss »

well it started like this, it was sunday morning and all was fine after replaceing my droplink the day before and there haveing all banging noises go away all was qiuet on the car front it was nice nothing to fix on it[:D]. That was untill last night after traveling to my girlifriends ( on the I.O.W - Sandown to Newport via the downs) i had a slight rattle found out it was the nearside bonnet bolt was a bit worn ( to fix i have to put a washer to stop it from rattling) then looked down (In side the engine bay, Horror !!!) there was oil all down the front of the sump, the back of the engine was now soacked in oil, i do have small engine oil leak but it is very slow ans the oil is always black, This oil is Yellow and runnie. Is it what i think it is that being the gearbox has blown a seal !!![:(] or is it something else [:(][xx(]
My car is a 93 ZX Aura TD
gjb02
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Post by gjb02 »

Have a look at the oil filler pipe!! It connects at the front of the block and it, and its associated pipes, can split/perish. If its yellow gungy oil thats your most probable cause. This time of year you will get alot of emulsified oil in the breather pipes and filler neck. If any of them split then it's oily mayo everywhere!! Hope this helps. Merry Xmas
Twiss
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Post by Twiss »

i check that out to night ( Well as much as a i can ) looks like i will cleaning the engine this sat to trace this leak!!!
The oil is black to look at on the engine but when rubbed off onto yer finger its yellow.
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Post by NiSk »

General problem with Cit/Pug engines - the french don't seem to think that anybody uses a car at less than +20 C, consequently there is a lot of trouble when the temp starts to drop and the majo in the crank breather pipe freezes. It usually blows the dipstick out and smothers the engine in oil that way, but I have heard of it splitting the hose as well - just as messy! After a few more miles, the engine siezes due to lack of lubricant.
Warning! don't fix that bonnet bolt! It saved your engine!
//NiSk
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Kowalski
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Post by Kowalski »

Nisk,
How do you get on with PSA/Citroen/Peugeot engines out in Sweden?
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Post by NiSk »

PSA actually fitted insulating foam and electric heaters on the late BX's and the first of the XM's - it was costing them too much with all these engines blowing up.
//NiSk
Twiss
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Post by Twiss »

right got an update!!! After looking at the engine with a really bright torch to night i found oil allround the base of the filler cap (like nisk said) but there is alot of oil round the engine so come this sat i will be degreaseing my engine and removeing all oil pipes to check them.
Nisk do u mean the breather pipe from the rocker cover to the base of the oil filler cap ? if so then i replaced that one about amonth ago. or do u mean the one behind the fuel housing?
oil in the air intake hose has also increased, going to take the intercooler off and see how if any oil is in it.
oilyspanner
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Post by oilyspanner »

Oil in the intercooler and related pipes is normal, re your yellow oil, dab a finger in it and...sniff, gear oil stinks!
Stewart
Twiss
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Post by Twiss »

Thanks for replying u lot.
Oil is meant to be in the inter cooler !!!? but there is also oil in the pipe that goes from the air box to turbo, is that normal ?
i dab a finger on the oil, as far as i can tell it doesnt smell bad may be slightly sweet (baring in mind my sense of smell isnt good i got a mate to smell it as well and he agrees with me it doesnt stink.)
Come the weekend i'll clean the engine put some slick 50 in the gearbox, take off all the pipes and check them (replace as nessercery) Looks like iam going to invest in a set of ramps cos the amount of times i am underneath this car, they would pay for self by saving my back.
Got any other recommandations?
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Post by NiSk »

Oily means a small amount of oil - not gallons. The oil comes from the crankcase breather which exits into the induction air. I'm unsure of the exact entry point, but its usually somewhere after the air filter but before the turbo.
//NiSk
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Post by RichardW »

Agreed, an engine oil leak is black - see my post http://www.andyspares.com/discussionfor ... C_ID=10087
I doubt a gearbox oil leak would make this much mess as it's not under pressure.
My money is on this being PAS fluid, which is relatively clean, oily, and under pressure.
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Post by Twiss »

Hello Richard
The PAS resovoir has not gone down in level, plus the PAS fluid i put in is RED and now its Really Dark Red. How much was u going to Bet ? LOL.
If the H/G was on the way out it would be leaking oil and coolant right ? at quite a rate?
the oil is only running down the N/S of the engine at the front cant tell at the back, so come the weekend i'll clean the whole engine and i will know more after that.
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Post by RichardW »

Oh well - it wouldn't have a been a big bet, as I have no money (all spent on Citroens)[:o)]
Hope it makes itself apparent once you have cleaned it up!
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Post by Twiss »

ok I am making a few inquires so i am ready for tomorrow(clean the engine and things to check).
1) H/G failure --> Symtoms are oil leak and coolant leak,it leaks coolant at a fast rate? oil would be in the rad? Rad bubbles alot?
2) Gearbox oil level check- Put some slick 50 gearbox treatment in it.
3) check all coolant pipes. may
4) check/remove oil pipes to check condetion and se if they are blocked.
On the H/G thing i replaced the rad about 3months ago (more then 4000miles ago)as soon as i noticed a rad was leaking i stopped using the car (noticed few drop on the road two days later noticed puddle forming on the road,stopped using car till i replaced the rad about a week later. coolant in rad has gone doan a bit not much,no oil trace in the rad. Performance has not changed. Temp gauge Go's upto about 88 and dosent go any higher(this on a normal jornay to my girlfriends which about 12miles from my house to hers) the temp doesnt go up rapidly,it goes up at a normal rate.
Have i missed any thing?
morgaine
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Post by morgaine »

Twiss,
I've never had a HG fail on my Xantia, but have had this on other cars - oil in the water, water in the oil, heaters blowing cold, lots of bubbles in the rad when you leave it running with rad cap off. Not necessarily all these things.
If it was gearbox oil you should be able to smell it. I got gearbox oil on a jumper about six months ago and it still smells like rotting fish. I think gearbox oil is the nastiest smelling thing I know!
Good luck
Morg
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