Hi All

I thoroughly cleaned and dried around my sump on Sunday morning (as well as getting a slight tighten on sump bolts) to try and help diagnose a small (engine) oil leak from my 2001 1.4 MPI. Definitely no oil above sump on block etc.

Obviously my bolt tightening didn't help :-(

Oil was visible just now sitting on a couple of the 10mm sump bolts but had certainly also collected at the lowest point below where the gearbox and engine join and a thickish metal bracket sit. It does look as though there is a paper gasket in between the 'box and engine here. Also, I'd say there is old looking staining behind this bracket/area.

So, anyone help me decide if it's the sump gasket or could it be quite likely something where the engine/'box meet? I hoped it would be obvious because of how well I cleaned everything!!

It's always hard to tell with oil leaks.

Obviously, the easiest thing to change is the sump gasket.........so that's what I'd do first.

If it's leaking where the engine and gearbox meet, then things could get nasty. Possible crank shaft oil seal?....along with contaminated clutch? = £££

Yes let's hope it's the sump. Unless it gets worse I'm not in a major rush to fix, especially as oil just changed before I bought it recently) but I would've liked to know where the leak was coming from. The car was bought for practical reasons just now and may be kept in the longer term if I feel happy to spend a little on it. It seems like the basis of a good car.