406 HDI 110 Oil leak

[londoner1]

Blast, i have just spotted small pools of oil under my car, i looked under the car and noticed the long pipe under the engine had oil underneath it, i could not make out if the pipe was leaking or oil was dropping on it.

Any ideas what it could be?

[steve_earwig]

I think most of our cars have a leak from somewhere or the other, mine seems to have 3: on my HDi my turbo seems to be weeping(eek!), there's a small amount from down the back of the engine and a lot coming from the gearbox, which is lower than the driveshafts so I'm thinking input shaft (which is going to wait for the clutch to screw up before I sort it).

The only way is to get under there, give it a good clean, take it for a drive and then see if you can spot where it's comming from. It might help if you can identify which oil it is.

[londoner1]

Which oil???

Isn't it normal engine oil??? I ahve also read other forums and learnt this pipe is the intercooler pipe and it could spring a leak if its ends are not fitted properly or have become loose.

[teamster1975]

Which oil???

Gearbox or engine oil I guess!

[steve_earwig]

Ok, the drip hanging off my intercooler pipe turns out to be engine oil, it was either one or the other. You could try the intercooler pipe, I was thinking it probably came from somewhere else when I posted as that much oil coming from your intercooler pipe says bad things about your turbo but I suppose a small amount is unavoidable, given the nature of the seals.

And to add to my 406 experience, the back of my gearbox is now soaked in oil, I think things have declined a whole deal since I last looked just over a week ago.

[teamster1975]

The entire back of the engine on the tubby looks as though it's been dipped in an oil bath, I've got to clean it up and start tracing!

[steve_earwig]

Now all I need is a buyer who's not only deaf but who can't bend down either.

Oh crap, looks just as bad above.

A quick clean (last of my bluddy Jizer, how am I going to get any more?).
Looks dry inside the bellhousing. Oh look, there's the breather, I didn't see that before I sprayed it all with 6 Bars of cold water, I guess I really need to change the oil in it now!


I've got to go into town tomorrow morning (to pick up a certain Certificate of Non-Impediment) so I'll be having another look in the afternoon.

[londoner1]

Thnaks all.


Only had the car for over 2 weeks, 2002 110hdi 93k, it has full dealer service history but is due a service.

No other leaks anywhere, pretty sure its not the turbo otherwise the car would have no power, i will hav eto take it into a garage for a proper look and have it serviced fully. I have no fault codes coming up and the electric oil sensor is saying max (the sensor is working ok as when i park on an unevan road, the sensor shows half and when the car is level it shows max. I also checked the dipstick and it shows max.

Funny thing i sthat both my previous old cars also had a leak but never dripping and never really had to top up either (one was Honda and second was a nissan).

[steve_earwig]

Sorry to hijack your thread there It seems best not to trust the electronic dipstick but it's ok as a guide.

Hopefully your leak isn't anything serious (hope mine aint either!)

[mbell666]

No other leaks anywhere, pretty sure its not the turbo otherwise the car would have no power,

I am afraid just because the turbo is still boosting doesn't mean its not leaking from the turbo. Just before i sold mine it had started leaking from the turbo, i think Welton's does too. Probably a pic somewhere on here.... (i have a theory that it you run the hdi with too much oil then the first place that leaks is the turbo seals, and once they start leaking they never really stop, but don't get any worse)

a leaky turbo doesn't mean you needs a new turbo, normally just a sign there worn and doesn't mean its about to pack up. just keep an eye on the oil level, if its starts using a lot of oil then it may be time.

[Welly]

My turbo is a KKK model and enjoys leaking oil in it's spare time....



It's been like this for over 2 years in fact I daren't look anymore, so I don't. It is perfectly normal to have oil in the intercooler hoses as it gets carried over in the air stream from the compressor housing oil seal. Whip off the large bottom hose from the intercooler itself and you'll get plenty of oil there.

As steve said I think all our engines leak from somewhere in fact I think all Peugeot's of all time come with a free oil leak I've still got my undertray fitted, I say "fitted" and I suppose any drips on mine stay on the tray.

It's piss poor though to produce such a brilliant engine only for it to leak like this

@ Steve - I'm surprised at your oil leak(s) on a relatively young car

[londoner1]

The worry is this oil leak will not lead to anything more sinister like a blown engine, turbo or gearbox!!!

[steve_earwig]

That depends where it is I suppose, if the engine's weeping from somewhere then just keep it topped up until you get time to fix it or it gets worse for some reason. Same goes for the gearbox* but I don't think it really applies to the turbo, there's only one way to fix it and that's to get a reconned one, and you may as well wait for it to go bang. Look at Welton's, it's been like that for 2 years and no sign of bearing failure. Mine's only got a slight weep so I don't think I've got much to worry about.

*I still don't know where my gearbox is leaking from, all the bits I cleaned are still clean but I still need to get it in the air to have a look behind it and, you know, change the bluddy oil I didn't get time yet because of all the insane bureaucracy I've been drowning in, I've even got a massive blister on my foot because of all the walking between offices I've been doing.

[londoner1]

Gearbox??? How do you top this up on a 2002 hdi estate??

[steve_earwig]

You might want to read this.