Date:         Mon, 7 Nov 2005 20:00:57 -0800
Reply-To:     BA <ande@SAN.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         BA <ande@SAN.RR.COM>
Subject:      Re: Film of oil all over back hatch
In-Reply-To:  <db96a447721d769acc441664e203fff9@mac.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

S sez ...


OK, here's the thing:

New engine 14 months ago, 10,000 miles on it. New fuel and coolant
lines all round. The engine compartment has no sign of oil leaks
(bottom or top) except a little weeping from the breather (no, not
very much at all) and the power steering pump (likewise, hardly any).
Underneath, it's dry as a bone.

Some hints:

Previously, I've noticed a film of light oil on the left of the rear
bumper and that general environs.

The Westie uses about a quart of oil (20-50) between 3,000 mile oil
changes.

The symptoms (light oil film *all over* the rear of the van) emerged
after an oil change. When last checked, the dipstick showed an oil
level about 1/3 higher than the top oil level mark (compared to the
range between the low and high mark).

My initial conclusions were that it had just blown excessive oil out
of the breather.

One last thing: Occasionally, it'll blow a huge plume of blue/white
smoke out of the exhaust when first starting. Then nothing. The
exhaust pipe looks dry and deep, dark brown in color.


S(&B)
'87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc'
SoCal



On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:08:14 -0500, you wrote:

>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.)
>>