possible oil leak
 

Was starting work on replacing on my passenger side outer cv boot last night and i noticed a tiny dot of what looks like black engine oil on the epoxy floor. I crawled under the car and noticed some fluid had gathered around the silver metal housing with the bolts on the bottom of it in the picture below (this is not my picture - just a reference). I could not feel/see any oil sitting around cutout area.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachments/x...02-4-4i-x5.jpg

What could this be? Valley pan? Valve cover gaskets? Oil seperator? The car does sit quite a bit, but I do start it and/or drive it at least once a week. What should I check for? Seems to be running fine, no smoking, etc...

looks like vally pan to me.

But isn't valley pan coolant? If it is, how urgent and difficult to replace? How can i tell for sure? I know this has not been replaced yet. Car is prob going into shop next week.

Check the oil separator and lines. Looks just like what mine did when it was time to replace the lines.

OK - did you diy? is it a bitch job? Where is the oil seperator anyway? You happen to have a link to a writeup?

It is a PITA. There is a DIY here some where. The oil separator is on the back side of the passenger side of the engine. The best part is you can remove part of the firewall to get better access (it shows how in the DIY). The hoses that run to it are on top of the engine and easily accessable after removin the engine cover.

So replacing unit is a bitch, but replacing the lines is not? Or is both a pain? Whats more likely? You had to replace only the lines? Is the only way to check by removing the engine acoustical cover?

thx

i believe i may have same issue. last time i went in for service the mech told me and showed me leak from under the car. He said it was the head gasket and some other gasket. At the time, he did however change the hoses that had pretty much melted under the engine cover.

anyone know if my issue is the same?

Melted? Are you sure you didn't have leaky valve cover gaskets? That is a common problem and fairly easy to fix.

are those the two ~30mm dia hoses that run behind the engine? Had mine changed once already. Will have to check them again before heading east. If they feel soft, flexible, thin, then it's time to change them.