Mystery Oil leak.....Help Please!

[tandlehill]

Hi everybody

Just a quick query to see if anybody else has had a similar issue.

I have had my oil light come on a couple of times during the past couple of years, didn't think too much of it as nothing was eevr mentioned at service and I just thought it was normal oil usage. At the most recent service the mechanic told me to keep an eye on the oil as there was a leak somewhere but he couldn't trace it, just found oil over the engine that shouldn't be there .

I've had a good look around and there seems to be a deposit of oil at the front of the engine, somewhere around the area where the dipstick is located, I also noticed that on a coupls of occasions when I have been parking up at work and select reverse then apply the throttle there is sometimes a little puff of blue smoke, very briefly and I can't be sure if it is oil or just the exhaust when I rev (I've only seen it in the rear view mirror and haven't got anybody to watch or smell it yet!) but it isn't very cold so I don't think it is normal exhaust fumes.

Any ideas what this might be... and more importantly is it something I should be worried about?? Obviously something needs attention or it wouldn't be leaking in the first place!!

Thanks

Tony

Edited 22 July, 2011 by tandlehill

[KenONeill]

I'm wondering about a blocked crankcase breather or a badly installed catch can mod, and/or a start to a valve stem oil seal or turbo oil seal leak.

It really needs examination of the car to do more than theorise from what you've said so far though.

[keitha]

I had a difficult to find oil leak on my 1.8t turned out to be the cam cover gasket on the rh side where the gasket has two D shaped protrusions the gasket was hard and shrunk with heat and age got a new one for 20 quid fitted in half an hour now all is good

[KenONeill]

Cheers for that dude; I take it that you'd agree that confirming that as the source of the leak requires physical inspection of the car?

[Andy_VRS]

I had an oil leak thought it was the pipe leaking on the aftermarket FMIC i fitted... it's not it's the turbo the alloy housing on the top the round bit you can see been cracked/split