After a track evening on tuesday I was going to bleed the brakes yesterday to get them spot on again. The only problem with this is that when I went to do it I found a small puddle of oil on the ground on the drivers side at the front of the wheel arch. After taking the wheel off and removing the wheel arch liner I found oil on the lower horizontal part of the bumper (upper and lower surfaces), oil on the lower right hand corner of the intercooler (rear and right hand side only). There was also some oil spray round the wheel arch liner (wheel side). I could see no obvious sign of the leak (everything above half way up the intercooler was completely dry) with no sign of oil having ever been anywhere else. I checked the oil level and it had gone from max to min ( so I topped it up). All signs of leaked oil were also cleaned up to aid further investigation.

I am rather confused as to where the oil is coming from as I could see no source. I parked the car over night and more oil has dribbled on to the floor (not a massive puddle about 2-3 inches long by about half an inch wide). I will be looking at it again later today to see if I can see any signs of a leak again, I will also look in the boos pipe that goes from the turbo to the intercooler. Does anyone on here have any suggestions of what I could have done to my car or where the oil could be coming from.

I would suggest it was oil which had gathered in the intercooler and leaking out.....

Maybe your thrashing around the track pushed more oil/air through breather on the top of the rockercover and thus through the intercooler.

I bet if you take the pancake pipe at the back of the wheel arch off there will be sh*tloads of oil in it. Clean it all out, check all the rubber hoses are ok and replace the hoseclips on all the pipes in there with new ones then see if it's still losing oil in a week or so's time.

Also check the end tank at the bottom of the intercooler isn't cracked or damaged.

For it to go from max to min over such a short time is a bit odd, they all use a little oil to a certain extent but usually only over several hundred miles.

Edited 6 August, 201015 yr by chicken_eyebrow

could be the start of the turbo seals going and pumping oil into the intercooler ( worst case)

but to use that amount of oil would indicate the above

I haven't had chance to check the pancake pipe yet, but I did notice some oil starting to settle at the exit end of the exhaust :( I fear I may be getting a new turbo shortly.

I have ordered a new intercooler which will be fitted this week, will also make sure the pancke pipe is clean when I do this and keep an eye on the oil level after this is done. I went for a short drive last week and heard a new whistle so will go down the intercooler route before geting a new turbo.

Picked up the new intercooler today, will try and fit it tomorrow. Took the car for a drive today (to charge the battery up a bit) and saw no smoke coming out of the exhaust, at idle or under load. Tried whole rev range in a single gear as was suggested to me saw no smoke coming from the exhaust. When I parked up it dribbled more oil, I checked the dipstick and the level had dropped a bit. Car feels a bit flat but I'm guessing that is to do with the intercooler.

Will see if I can check the turbo when I'm doing the intercooler, will also look at the breathers.

Had the car up on a ramp today and in bits. I took the old intercooler off and the ducting which had a fair amount of oily gunge in it, fair amount of oil poured out the bottom of the intercooler when I took it off and there was oil in the pancake pipe. This was removed and cleaned out, the remaining pipes were cleaned out as best I could with them still on the car. The wheel arch liner and cooler ducting were then cleaned before refiting of pipes etc, along with a shiny new intercooler.

Car felt more responsive and livlier on the way home with improved economy. Gone were the flat feeling and sluggishness with poor economy. Will be keeping an eye on the oil level for the next week or so to see what happens. Hopefully this will sort out the problem (fingers crossed).

Got the car back today, after paying the hefty bill. New breathers fitted to the car, along with a new turbo :'( Will top up the oil in the morning and keep an eye on what happens with the level.

Then Its just the N112 fault to sort out and the electrical drain (aftermarket phone kit to be removed)

After a trip to Manchester and back on Saturday and a drive out on Friday 500+ miles have now been done on the new turbo. Checked the oil level earlier and no oil has been used connector on the N112 solenoid is now properly connected and the light has gone out.

Just the phone kit and a new windscreen to sort out now. Crack appeared on Saturday while driving to Manchester :( oh well one of those things I suppose.