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Hi, While trying to fix the oil leaks, starting with the leaks along the oil line that goes to the front cooler, I realized that majority of the oil drops behind the front wheel is coming from here.
Oil not only drops to the floor, but it flows down into the trunk floor, but only when I drive the car.
The black cable is a part of the wire harness. Your oil cooler oil lines are on the other side of that panel, inside passenger side fender well. I would take your fender liner off and inspect your oil hoses. My bet is one is leaking and dripping on the wire harness which is then oozing into the trunk. This looks like a serious leak. I would inspect right away.
Thanks, I have taken off the wheel housing panel off to investigate, oil line looks to be okay and dry with no play around the metal crimp, and looking at the angle of the opening for wire harness inside the trunk, I am not certain how so much oil can leak into the trunk in such a short time. The oil inside the trunk seems to be very thick and sticky, unlike the oil that i find on the garage floor.
However, since this oil ingress only happens when i drive the car, I am planning to take the car out for a short drive. I have cleaned the oil lines and the cooler so that oil leak would be more visible too after the drive.
This is really strange. For that amount of oil to get past the harness grommet, I would have guessed the area around the oil cooler would have looked like a BP oil spill. Run the car until the thermostat opens up (i.e. oil starts flowing to the cooler) and check those fittings again.
Mystery solved, I took the car out for a drive without the side sills and the wheel housing panels to see where the leaks are coming from.
It turns out that the oil lines are leaking, around the area right above the front wheel where metal pipe ends.
As it shows in the picture, the cable and the oil tube meets somewhere above the front tire, leaking oil will run down the cable into the rubber grommet which has a hole. oil leaks into the trunk through the hole.
Now this leaves me with two questions,
Can I replace the softer part of the oil line and re crimp the metal bracket?
or do I have to replace the whole oil line including the metal pipe?
Is this something that I can replace at home or would it be better have it done by a professional?
I recently fixed this same issue on my car. Remove both oil lines, including the hard lines, and send them Elephant Racing in Santa Clara, CA. They can replace the flex lines with either OEM cloth-wrapped hoses, or the RS type metal-braded hoses. Very reasonable and good folks to deal with. Included is a pic of my setup with the metal-braded hoses.
I haven't done it, but I have read threads where people are having their local hydraulics shop do the repairs. They are using their original fittings and having new hoses crimped on. New crimps of course. I would remove the hoses and take them to someone local and see what they say.
I will be flying there next week for a business trip, but it will be a lot of work
Guess I will take Derek's advice and look for a local hydraulic shop near Seattle,
BTW, did you have any problem removing the metal hose from the oil cooler or the thermostat?
I suppose I should have a big oil bucket ready
Just make sure they are the rounded crimps that the hydraulic shop uses, they are "Cohline" fittings, not the heavy duty hydrauilic crimps more commonly found on earth movers etc as they will not seal long term.
Just make sure they are the rounded crimps that the hydraulic shop uses, they are "Cohline" fittings, not the heavy duty hydrauilic crimps more commonly found on earth movers etc as they will not seal long term.
Good luck
See my thread on the oil line replacement. Elephant is a great resource. Likewise, your local Parker hydraulics shop has the hose, Cohline fittings are sourced separately.
04-18-2016, 04:01 AM
Oil leak inside the trunk.
