Oil leak - any ideas before I start pulling it all apart

Bulk · #1 12-09-2011, 03:24 AM

I have a small oil leak which is in the front right corner of the engine. Any ideas what it might be before I go ahead and take it off the road by pulling it all apart???

Looking from the right where the airbo normally is

looking from front from where the air intake normally is

And one more

Bulk · #2 12-09-2011, 03:43 AM

It looks like its coming from the brake booster vacuum pump......

Ghost-Flame · #3 12-09-2011, 06:12 PM

Oil filter housing Gasket. looks just like mine did on monday. I just finihed the repair. not that hard. about 8 hrs if youa re mediocre mech like me.

click here http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...r-housing.html

Ghost-Flame · #4 12-09-2011, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulk

It looks like its coming from the brake booster vacuum pump......

that looks like oil to me. I think brake fluid would be cleaner.

Bulk · #5 12-09-2011, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Ghost-Flame Oil filter housing Gasket. looks just like mine did on monday. I just finihed the repair. not that hard. about 8 hrs if youa re mediocre mech like me

Looks too high to be that (mine is a 4.4 with the filter housing underneath) from what I read in the Bentley.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost-Flame

that looks like oil to me. I think brake fluid would be cleaner.

From what I read the brake booster pump is driven off the engine which would mean having some parts in the oil wet section...... Is that incorrect?

Ghost-Flame · #6 12-10-2011, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bulk

Looks too high to be that (mine is a 4.4 with the filter housing underneath) from what I read in the Bentley.....

From what I read the brake booster pump is driven off the engine which would mean having some parts in the oil wet section...... Is that incorrect?

I'm not familiar with the 4.4. the only way to find out is to fix what you think it is and see if it solves the problem.

there aren't that many places where you could be leaking fluid that creates that black, greasy gunk on the wires. how are your power steering line?

julezw · #7 12-10-2011, 01:38 AM

Hi there bulk, fellow Melbournite,

I had what looks like the same leak as yours and it was the vacuum pump. Had it remanufactured for a few hundred. Better to fix leaks like that cause they can pour onto some of the belts causing further grief. My aircon belt snapped. Good luck

Jules

Bulk · #8 12-10-2011, 06:45 AM

I've blown through a litre of heavy duty grease remover on the area so hopefully will get an idea of where it is leaking from soon. And the better half I think is buying me a scope Camera for Chrissy which will come in very handy

The pump itself I assume by the terminology is an air pump driven by the engine so theoretically if I take the lines off it and there is no oil in the airlines then it won't cause damage to the braking system thereby only being an annoying leak until I can fix it.......... Would you agree with that line of thinking?

mike_dmt · #9 12-11-2011, 06:06 PM

[QUOTE=Bulk;855640]I've blown through a litre of heavy duty grease remover on the area so hopefully will get an idea of where it is leaking from soon. And the better half I think is buying me a scope Camera for Chrissy which will come in very handy

When I find a sneaky leak on any of my vehicles I tend to degrease and powerwash the area the best I can, then check it often until the source is determined. Nothing is worse than spending a day "fixing" something that wasn't the problem.

julezw · #10 12-30-2011, 11:23 PM

G'day Bulk,

what's the status of your leak? Solved it yet?