fpena944

Had my car in the shop today and I'm being told I need a new RMS.

Checked the car out and yes it has some residue but it's been that way for as long as I can remember it. Also checked my garage floor and again a little bit of stickiness but not anything I would call a leak.

How much oil is too much in order to say that a repair is needed?

Schnell Gelb

Of greater concern is the amount that finds it's way onto the friction plate of the clutch.Surely a new uograded RMS was fitted when you fitted the LN IMSB ?
Are you sure it is engine oil and not gearbox oil from the front seal of the gearbox ?

fpena944

I'd have to look back on my records as it's been several years but I would hope they would have replaced it back then.

Not sure what the source is myself but I'll get under it tomorrow and see. If it was gearbox oil though wouldn't it have that awful smell? I don't smell any of that in my garage but I'll check it and see what I find.

relinuca

Per Schnell Gelb's posting, the Main Input Shaft seal is frequently and an often overlooked culprit, especially on high mileage 996s. But gearbox oil and engine oil each have distinctive odors...to an experienced Tech.

When is an oil leak serious? Too many factors to accurately answer in abstentia. But fluid leaks seldom cure themselves.

relinuca

extanker

if it was my car and from the way you describe it i would leave it alone for now.......you will know when the time comes to fix the leak .

Imo000

Don't worry about it, the leak is very minor. Have them change it when times comes for a clutch job. The seal has to pi$$ out oil to get to the friction surfaces.

Astro

I've wondered about this issue as well. Last fall while I had my car getting fixed for other issues, they mentioned the RMS was starting to leak. I noticed a few drops of oil in the garage and at work when it was parked. Interestingly enough now that it's been stored for the past 5 months there have been no drops on my garage floor. I drive it this past weekend and still nothing. Maybe it sealed itself ? But I think I'll consider it if/when the clutch needs to be replaced.

fpena944

I'll take a look at it tonight. When I posted the message last night it was too late to look further into the issue. My plan is to clean the engine and see if there really is a major leak and then figure out the source of it.

And yes my car is quite high in mileage so I expect things to be happening but I just wasn't sure at what point do we say, "This is bad!"

That's what I was thinking too. If I had a puddle under the car in the garage then absolutely I'd look at fixing it but what I found underneath was just a sticky residue that to me didn't seem any different than what the car has been doing for a while.

I had the clutch changed about five years ago so it might be a while before it happens again.

I've heard of instances where the seal will expand when sitting for a while and temporarily address the leak but as someone else mentioned the rarely go away for good.

Ahsai

Just show us a pic. I would say if a drop of oil is formed and hanging, I call that a leak and that should be fixed for IMS/RMS.

808Bill

Dammit, now I can't get "Woodchucks" off my mind...

Schnell Gelb

If the oil stinks -a you confirm- it is more than likely gearbox oil, NOT engine oil.The mainshaft seal fails slowly so you have time.BUT check the gearbox oil level and prepare for a gearbox-out adventure and "while-you-are-in-there" list

fpena944

Ok - after work tonight I'm under the car!

Macster

Regarding when to address an oil leak my auto tech buddies told me that when the oil makes a mess of the driveway under the car or worse makes a mess of the hardware under the car -- hardware like hoses, wiring harness, rubber suspension bushings, etc. -- that is a good sign it is time to address the leak.

My info is an RMS leak won't get severe but it can start to make a mess not only of the pavement under the car -- at home you can use a large drip tray to catch this -- but from the engine/transmission back. In the case of the 996 since the transmission is ahead of the engine the engine oil can possibly oil parts of the engine, get on the exhaust, and that ain't good.

Thus when the RMS leaked in my 2003 Turbo and the oil was beginning to work its way back I had the RMS replaced even though the clutch was fine and indeed proved to be just fine when the transmission was removed from the car to replace the RMS.

Bear in mind the RMS leak may be an iMS end flange/bolt leak so when the RMS is replaced the IMS end flange and its bolts should be replaced too.

dkraige

Mine does the opposite: it leaks if the car sits, and then it stops leaking if i drive it frequently. I've experienced the same with fluid leaks on other cars. I think driving the car can cause the seal to swell slightly and seal tighter; then as it sits it dries out and shrinks a bit, increasing the leak.