Mystery Leak

[jimmy3530]

Hi everyone:

Just finished changing the oil in my 2000 996 with 49,000 miles. Followed the advice and the DIY here and it was really a piece of cake...aside from a moment of terror when I thought that my "turkey pan" that I used to catch all the oil wasn't big enough. It was **just** big enough! Bought the new 0W40 off Amazon @ <$8/quart.

My question is while I was under the car, I noticed a "part" on the rear of the engine (passenger side sort of close to the right motor mount) that is covered in oil. Its certainly not dripping onto the floor but it quite dirty with oil and road grime. From this very poor description, can anyone tell me what this part is or what could be leaking in this area. Its not the motor mount and the part is near/at the bottom of the engine. A pump of some kind? It's sort of at the same level as one of the O2 sensors.

Thanks!!

[ninsei]

Hi everyone:

Just finished changing the oil in my 2000 996 with 49,000 miles. Followed the advice and the DIY here and it was really a piece of cake...aside from a moment of terror when I thought that my "turkey pan" that I used to catch all the oil wasn't big enough. It was **just** big enough! Bought the new 0W40 off Amazon @ <$8/quart.

My question is while I was under the car, I noticed a "part" on the rear of the engine (passenger side sort of close to the right motor mount) that is covered in oil. Its certainly not dripping onto the floor but it quite dirty with oil and road grime. From this very poor description, can anyone tell me what this part is or what could be leaking in this area. Its not the motor mount and the part is near/at the bottom of the engine. A pump of some kind? It's sort of at the same level as one of the O2 sensors.

Thanks!!

oil extractor pump?

[function12]

may also ben the engine mount itself.

[goldenwarrior1]

Question is useless without pictures! I'm sure a lot of us will chime in if you can give us somthing to look at. Your leak could come from a lot of places and can be a variety of fluids from engine oil, hyd oil etc...

[jimmy3530]

Absolutely right....OK...here are a couple of pictures. Hope they help. Oh, and its not the motor mount, they look fine and dry.

Again, its a part of the actual engine, that is its cast aluminum.

Thanks again!

[Loren]

You need to clean all of that off - then run the car until it is warm and then look ro locate the source of the leak.

[goldenwarrior1]

Its hard to tell because as Loren said the accumulation of dirt and oil makes it hard to locate the source of the leak. However, the areas that are the cleanest will lead you towards the source of the leak. The detergent properties of the oil tend to wash away the dirt in the most flooded area. From the pictures you provided I would take a look at the oil pump cover but it could be coming from higher up such as a cam plug or valve cover. You won't know until you clean the engine and get up in there with a good light. Let us know what you find.

Cheers, Tom

[rb101]

Clean it up and check again in a week. I suspect the AOS is blowing oil out the vent tube on 4-6 head located near the A/C compressor.

Rick

99 996C4

87 944S

[Doohan]

My Air Oil Separator is blowing out from that vent tube causing the same leaks I see in that pictures, is it a bad sign?

[jimmy3530]

If it is the AOS, should I be concerned. I'm planning on doing a 500 mile trip this weekend.

[rb101]

If it is the AOS, should I be concerned. I'm planning on doing a 500 mile trip this weekend.

If it is the AOS it will just continue to leak some oil until the AOS gets worse.

Edited October 5, 2010 by rb101

[jimmy3530]

Just took a look a the DIY menu and the AOS it seems is not in this location. Its at the "front" of the engine on the left/drivers side. My leak is directly under the AC compressor pulley.

[wvicary]

Also inspect the P/S pump and lines for leakage. You'll need to remove the upper engine cover.

[rb101]

Just took a look a the DIY menu and the AOS it seems is not in this location. Its at the "front" of the engine on the left/drivers side. My leak is directly under the AC compressor pulley.

Very true, the AOS is ondriver side front, but one of the lines (#4) from the AOS runs to head 4-6 by the A/C compressor and goes into a port with a vent (#6). Sometimes when the AOS goes bad, oil is blown from that vent. If you look around to the right side of the A/C compressor, you will see the vent