oil leak please help

[kornnut106]

hello i have a megane 2004 1.5dci 80hp recently the car started to sound like the exhaust had been blowing out (sorta) at the rear of the engine so i had a look around the CAT converter an noticed what i think is oil all over the top and sides of the cats connection (where the gasket goes) and oil on the black mas (pipe to air filter) pipe the connects to the turbo, it isnt alot but is enough for concern. First off i was thinking oh no my turbos going but it sounds like it always had and the black pipe to the air filter is sealed with a clamp thingy so iam just assuming that the oil couldnt get out of it and second the cat has a leak at a part i cant see but why would there be oil unless its carbon mixed with diesel basicaly iam asking what is it. just a re cap the oil is over the turbo black pipe and on the cat joint and has soaked i think small engine mount
PLEASE HELP LOL

[davelowe]

This morning I changed the oil and filter on mine. I also took off the engine under tray, removed the EGR for cleaning, cleaned the oil separator bottle and crank case breather tubing, and took off the inlet manifold pipe to use some of Wynn's EGR/inlet cleaner aerosol. Interestingly, this worked without setting any codes (had my ELM and laptop ready - I was expecting some).

Like you, I found oil on the cat and also surrounding pipework. Also mine has been doing this for a couple of years. It uses oil (about a litre) when towing the caravan over around 400 miles. My turbo sounds fine too. Over the last year it hasn't used any oil (no towing), but there is a slight smearing on the under tray probably from long runs under high load (uphill motorway driving).

One observation I did make is that when running the engine with the inlet manifold pipe disconnected was that the air from the intercooler was VERY slightly smoky (at idle and at 2k rpm) - but there was no oil present after I had held a rag over it for several minutes. I have removed the intercooler and it was clean inside.

The exhaust back pressure is good (blocking it with a rag and hand), and there is no undue smoke.

Personally, my opinion is that the turbo seals are worn letting oil past. I suspect that the boost pressure is causing this to be blown out of the pipework and thus out onto the chassis and surrounding places. The boost actuator is free to move and does move under different load configurations. Tightening the clips that secure the hoses has no effect. It's possible that the cat is blocked due to oil fouling from worn turbo seals on the turbine side (hence the clean intercooler).

Basically I don't know whether this is a cause for concern or not. Neither do I know what to check next. The vacuum to the actuator may be insufficient, the turbo may need attention or replacement, or the cat may have to go. The car otherwise starts and drives absolutely fine. To sum up, I don't think you need to be concerned, but I would be very interested to hear suggestions or any ideas for a solution.

[kornnut106]

thanks for your reply lol iam about to do everything you just said to see if there any improvement, i took the car too renault today for a quick look to my surprise the mechanic said that the turbos dont go that often he did say the breather pipe connected to the inlet pipe (pipe to the filter) could have shot oil over the turbo and cat area, he also said the id be surprised just how much oil can go through those parts espcialy the matt chrome trumpet shaped pipe on the hot end of the turbo where the egr valve is it just sounds odd but iam gonna have a go though my car sounds like an old diesel car whith a bit of a blow out lol he also claimed that the egr not working wouldnt blow the turbo, but if i changed the oil and fill it up to the max mark it can help blow the turbo all very odd, its gonna be akward but if i take inlet pipe off and wigggle the turbine shaft ,if it gives the turbo is for sure buggered hopefully not but any mor suggestions or any other ideas to this would be great i just dont see the car doing this inlet side only due to the fact it should just suck the oil past the pipe and not drip.

[davelowe]

One very interesting result of the Wynn cleaning test (removing the intercooler return pipe, was that (on the 1.9) you can clearly see and hear the EGR solenoid and valve operating. Frequently when cold, then less often as it warms up (under no load). It seems a good way to test its operation.

I almost guarantee that you will find crap in the pipework if it is the first time it has been cleaned. Whether cleaning it solves the problem, you will only see. Pay particular attention to the oil separator bottle which is designed to drain oil back into the sump and let blow by gases back into the EGR. My sump drain was totally blocked with wax last year.

Let us know how you get on.

[kornnut106]

will do thanks for the info again lol and ill post any updates if the cleaning helps.

[kornnut106]

just one more thing where is this part (oil separator bottle ) what dose it look like would it be the small disk like thingy connected to the inlet pipe and any suggestions how to get it of with out me breaking it lol cheers again.

[nathan black]

its not the disk but if you trace that pipe back to the front of the engine you will come to a black bottle roughly 1litre capacity and thats it.

[davelowe]

its not the disk but if you trace that pipe back to the front of the engine you will come to a black bottle roughly 1litre capacity and thats it.

What he said.

The disc like thing on the inlet pipe is probably the vacuum controlled engine cut-off valve.

On the 1.9 it's bolted to the engine with two 10mm size socket screws. You need at least a 250mm long extension to the wrench to get to it. Don't drop them onto the engine undertray - easily done. Use a magnet to get them off - or bung a bit of blue tack inside your socket so they stick to it when you withdraw them / put them back.

In this image it is immediately below the yellow oil filler cap (in fact the filler cap screws into it!) The cut-off valve is item C. The bottle has a hose at the right hand side and at the bottom. Item B will detach from the hose at the back and also unclip from the top of the bottle.



More images to help:

Location of inlet pipe and EGR:



Inlet pipe and EGR removed:



Dirty EGR before cleaning:

[kornnut106]

thanks for all those pictures lol i still cant find any bottle and only got the time to do an oil and filter change + air filter still need to get the egr etc cleaned but anyways i took pictures ,if yous could have a look and give advice that would be great ill upload them tommorow later on around 9pm problem areas etc would do it this morning but it wasnt my camera lol thanks for any advise just one more thing can i clean the egr with petrol iam gonna do the whole thing with that wynns stuff but have to wait to get it.

[kornnut106]

ill have to get the pictures up tommorow couldnt get the camera but i cleaned everything best i could and still no better the only thing thats helped very slightly is the oil change....now i start to worry its not looking good

[davelowe]

I know this is a bit of an odd ball, but do you have any split air hoses?

My new pet theory is that the oil return pipe from the turbo is blocked causing the leak...

Looking forward to the pics.

[kornnut106]

[img]https://img139.imageshack.us/img139[img]

you can see the oil on top of the cat converter and around the turdo..lol... outer caseing



turbo is nice and clean on inside but below you can see the inlet pipe that connects to it has oil on it



air filter inlet pipe that connects to turbo compressor side you can see some oil but very litte though none in the turbo??( opps wrong picture but roughly about the same amount of oil)






turbo shaft didnt have to much play but some , it had like a sticky gunge sound when wiggled but no metalic sounds that i could hear. I couldnt get at it great but it didnt seem to spin too freely but would go around still with my fingers lol you can see black marks where i stuck my fingers.



the turdo again lol






and a few more oily pictures






dont know what this part is but theres plenty of oil



the lower nut on this had been loose but i thightend it and no change to rough accleration (blow out sound)



egr is on the other side i cleaned the egr its in good shape



its the best pictures i could get with my camera still havent got the other cameras picture but dont think it will matter much.
still any ideas

[davelowe]

This makes no sense. Where are you based? I want to have a look and compare notes...

[kornnut106]

do my pictures confuse you or is it the way ive done out the post anyways id be in ballymena.... though not that you dont already probably know ( but just incase ) lol my engine is well different that the one you posted i appericate the help you have given so far thanks by the way

[davelowe]

Not confused by the posts. I'm not familiar with the topology of the 1.5 (aside from the technical note diagrams).

Thinking about the normal design, air comes into the turbo via the air filter, is compressed and sent to the intercooler, it then returns to the inlet manifold. On the turbine side, exhaust gases drive the turbine and exit to the cat via EGR.

On your photos, where is the oily pipe connected? Sorry if I didn't get it first time - slow reader.

BTW, that aluminium plate on your turbo - make a note of all the numbers. It is important if you want to match a new or refurb one to the original. I can't get at mine without removing it (barsteward car).