Oil leak E300TD

[Parrot of Doom]

I've got a reasonably serious (1 litre per 200-300 miles and a real mess on the road outside my house) oil leak at the front of the engine. It is from a pipe union with what I presume is an oil cooler on the front right of the engine bay, just behind the front right foglamp.

You can see it on the left pipe into that rad - a closer pic here:

Apologies for the low quality, lying on your back is never a great place to take pics!

Has anyone had a leak like this before, and is it possible to repair or replace the union without replacing the cooler? It only leaks when the engine is running. I'm presuming that undoing that pipe will dump the contents of the engine into a bucket?

While I'm at it, that other pipe is a rusty mess - anyone know what it contains?

 

[230K]

Hi Parrot

This should help. http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/69639-e300td-oil-cooler-leak-advice-please.html

Havent seen you on MBClub in ages????

Regards,

230K

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Thanks, that's a very helpful link. I haven't posted on there in ages, a couple of people didn't like my rather low opinion of traffic wardens...

 

[simon_wall69]

I've recently used a couple of your old 'how to's'. They have been very useful, so many thanks for that, Parrot.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

****** hell those pipes are tight. God-like strength is required to undo them. We removed and then tightened the leaky one today, with PTFE tape on the thread, but after 5 miles it peed the oil straight back out leaving a long thin slick on the road , so I went on't'bike to ECP and got a new rad, pipes from the dealer tomorrow. The thread on the rad was fairly slim, so we reckon someone has had that leak before and tightened it up to halt it. It may just be the pipe but better safe than sorry, I have a 400 mile drive on Sunday.

****** car

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Ok well everything went back on, the engine was running fine for a couple of minutes, until I accelerated up a short hill, lost all power, and the engine died. Now it won't restart. Oil level is around the min mark, I can see oil spitting around the timing chain, but the engine will not start - it acts as though its getting no fuel, keeps turning and knocking, but nothing.

So either I've upset something, or the engine is dead. Any clues? There aren't any non-return valves or anything on that oil cooler, are there, in case the pipes are connected the wrong way around?

 

[Parrot of Doom]

I'm wondering if its getting any fuel. I wonder if I've caught the fuel shutoff valve wire as I've been fumbling around in there, or perhaps its chosen this moment to die - a few times lately its been slow to shut the engine down. I can't see the engine having died so quickly, it still turns easily enough, and the low oil pressure/level indicator isn't on.

 

[roadhog]

My guess (and that's all it is) would be something you've disturbed while in there, too much of a coincidence otherwise.

I haven't got that cooler on mine and I don't know what's near it, just didn't want you talking to yourself.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

All sorted now. The car was parked on ramps all night, there must be a minor fuel leak that allowed air to be drawn up to the fuel filter. Car runs on what's in the filter and lines, encounters fresh air, and stops. A couple of minutes turning the engine over soon brought it back to life.

I'm a bit relieved!

 

[roadhog]

I'm a bit relieved!

Don't blame you. :lol: