Vanagon EuroVan
Previous (more recent) messageNext (less recent) messagePrevious (more recent) in topicNext (less recent) in topicPrevious (more recent) by same authorNext (less recent) by same authorPrevious page (November 2005, week 1)Back to main VANAGON pageJoin or leave VANAGON (or change settings)ReplyPost a new messageSearchProportional fontNon-proportional font
Date:         Mon, 7 Nov 2005 00:08:14 -0500
Reply-To:     Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Re: Film of oil all over back hatch
In-Reply-To:  <hmltm1hh7nh8gua52f9g31j45ul62e4012@4ax.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

Unlikely that it's a road thing.

Oily substances are used in a variety of places. The aerodynamics of your vehicle is such that anything spewing oil is likely to have it end up on the back hatch.

So. Your next set of choices are, what type of oil is it? Is it gummy? Is it very thin? Is it dark? Is it clear?

Do you have power steering? I leak on the high pressure side could come out in a mist that could get sucked into the windstream. Same is true of your AC system, if you have one.

Is your engine oily? Yes? Then get some brake cleaner and spray it on (when your engine cold) and get all that oily stuff off. That will make diagnosis easier. I assume since you haven't found the oil source, that your engine is not oily. The next easiest thing I'd check would be the AC lines (if you have AC). These run up behind the cabinets. Since the film is on the outside, I'd say, check the lines under the van towards the receiver dryer (in the left rear wheel well).

If the oil residue is heavier on one side than the other, that could help, as the AC lines run on the LEFT side, but the Power Steering lines run on the RIGHT side.

With a 18 year old vehicle, it would be a good time to look at those (metal) power steering lines that run up to the front. They can rust through.

On Nov 6, 2005, at 11:56 PM, BA wrote:

> Hi, all, > > This was discussed once (as far as I could find) in the archive, last > August. The sole response to the described problem was "look under > the engine ... if it's sufficient to put an oily film on your back > hatch, the cause will be obvious". > > Except ... it's not obvious! Not to us, nor to the VW repair shop > where we take our Vanagon. And the repair shop has so far not steered > us wrong. (Our shop-supplied engine has not yet done 10,000 miles. And > it isn't a re-conditioned engine ... it's a new VW engine.) >


Back to: Top of message | Previous page | Main VANAGON page

Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!


Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com


The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.

Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.