Urgent advice needed oil explosion?

[Dubboy]

Hi there,

I have a 07 plate fabia with a 1.4tdi pd 80 in it,and today my wife calls me saying that the oil light has come on flashing and said the car stalled ,so she coasted on to our drive luckily enough .

So this confused me because I had checked the oil on Sunday before a long drive home and everything was fine.

Anyway when I got home I notice a pool of oil running down the drive,

So I opened the bonnet to find oil has sprayed all over the front of the engine bay,

To me it looks like the cap on the oil filter has come undone or has been blown open ?the cap is sitting a bit wonky and the oring is sticking out.

I made sure this was tight when I did the oil change a few months ago could this be the problem ?

Has anybody experienced this?

What else could it be and what shoul I look at checking to get this sorted?

All help appreciated thanks dazz

Edited 3 March, 2015 by Dubboy

[snig71]

It does look very wonky, I would imagine you shouldn't see the seal at all, so you best take it off and refit properly, unless the threads knackered?

[Dubboy]

I don't think so to but why would it suddenly releave itself of oil after a few months and a few thousand miles?

Strange.

[trundlenut]

Has the cap been overtightened and now split?

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[Dubboy]

Just went and had a look,took the cap off inspected it and it looks fine ,so I put it back on and tightened it down fine and its sitting better.

It was November when I did the service so why would it suddenly happen,do you think its been working itself loose ,because I might of not done it tight enough?

Anyway do you reckon I could drain out what's left and refill with new and it should be alright?

Cheers dazz

Edited 3 March, 2015 by Dubboy

[bluecar1]

initial thoughts looking at those pictures are the oil filter housing cap is not the source, it looks to clean I would expect more oil around it for the amount of oil lost

 

it looks like it is coming from lower down, there looks to be a water cooled oil cooler below the main filter housing,

 

I would be cleaning round the filter housing with paper towel etc and then see if for some reason there is a crack / leak and working round the engine, there are few places where the oil is external to the engine, oil pipes to the turbo bearing, oil filter housing, engine breather pipe,

 

other possible locations though unlikely cam cover seal, head gasket or sump seal

[trundlenut]

initial thoughts looking at those pictures are the oil filter housing cap is not the source, it looks to clean I would expect more oil around it for the amount of oil lost

it looks like it is coming from lower down, there looks to be a water cooled oil cooler below the main filter housing,

I would be cleaning round the filter housing with paper towel etc and then see if for some reason there is a crack / leak and working round the engine, there are few places where the oil is external to the engine, oil pipes to the turbo bearing, oil filter housing, engine breather pipe,

other possible locations though unlikely cam cover seal, head gasket or sump seal

Either way, the cap isn't on properly.

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[bluecar1]

Either way, the cap isn't on properly.

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I agree, but I think a red herring for the source though due to time and lack of black stuff all over it from what I can see

[trundlenut]

I agree, but I think a red herring for the source though due to time and lack of black stuff all over it from what I can see

Looks like what ever is leaking is fairly enthusiastic so a quick and dirty way would be to top up the oil and start it for a short period and see what happens.

The photos are terribly clear though.

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[Dubboy]

Most of the oil is over the fan and mostly like its sprayed forwards,no signs of oil around the case or rocker cover.

Maybe it's one of the oil hoses split that come out of the bottom of the filter housing.

Cheers dazz

[bluecar1]

the hoses I think are coolant filled not oil, so unlikely, bit of a clean up and then some fresh oil might show where the leak is

[GeneralPurpose]

It's the oil filter. Seen this many times. It looks as if the 'o' ring is positioned incorrectly and the top is cross threaded. It can take a while for the oil to show. Refit correctly, but check the threads are ok on the filter top. Lube the 'o' ring to make sure it seats ok. Top up oil and have a clean round before testing it on your drive by idling and if ok, take it for a short test drive. It's easy to cross thread these filter tops. So be careful. Also don't over tighten. 25 to 30nm at most. 

Edited 4 March, 2015 by Estate Man

[Dubboy]

Well had a clean up and top up the oil and made sure the cap was seated properly ,then I ran the engine until it was warn and no signs of anymore oil leaking.

I haven't taken it for a drive yet because I want to clean the under tray of all the oil as I don't want it getting on to the brake disc.

But all looks fine so far.

Cheers dazz

[seboni121]

My oil filter cap was over tightened by my vw dealer and fkd the thread up ! So I replaced it £13 I think and did it myself no issues now, I'd change the cap personally

[Dubboy]

Gonna get one when I'm near my local TPS

Cheers dazz