What caused this lower engine oil leak on a 2000 V70?

Post by **FireFox31** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 11:05 am

For years, my 2000 V70 manual has had an oil leak on the lower passenger's side of the engine. Now that I'm getting more confident with replacing engine gaskets, I'd like to finally repair this.

Please help me determine what's leaking. After 17 years and 200k miles, what is likely to leak in the areas shown below? I think the leaks are primarily around the crankshaft harmonic balancer (damper) pulley and the seal around the entire oil sump. Are these things which a novice could repair? Can you point me to any posts which detail these repair procedures?

Seen from the front, the underside of the engine has lots of oil splatter on the passenger's side.

The front of the oil sump had a few millimeters of oil and debris caked on its entire width. I assume the horizontal seam above the oil sump is leaking down, causing debris to stick to it.

Seen from the rear, the horizontal seam above the oil sump has light oil seepage; nothing like the front. The oil cooler looks like it's leaking. Really, I think the leak is higher up.

Here's the crankshaft harmonic balancer (damper) pulley shown from the front passenger's wheel well. I had already cleaned the oil from its lowest sections for this picture. No oil is spilled above the pulley, telling me the crankshaft is the leak source.

What could be leaking around the harmonic balancer? Could the repair job be completed by a novice like me?

Is it common for the seal above the entire oil sump to leak? How can that seal be removed and checked?

Thanks for your input. At 200k miles, I want to resolve these engine issues so it can go another 100k miles and beyond.

Post by **erikv11** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 12:08 pm

First thing to check is for oil under the plastic cover on top of the engine plugs/coils. Basically all of the oil leaks shown could be from leaking around the oil cap seal, making its way down the timing belt side of the engine. Or even a front cam seal (less likely).

Except for the passenger side the oil leaks on your car's engine seem verrrry slow, which is typical. The only way to understand the source(s) is to clean it well, with degreaser and some kind of rinse, and see if/how fast the leak evidence comes back. The other spots could trace back to the passenger side leak(s), as well.

Post by **FireFox31** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:15 pm

Thanks for the tip. A few months ago, I found the oil cap seal was cracked so I replaced it with an IPD robust one. There was some oil around the plugs/coils which I cleaned. I will look to see if there's a path the oil could have taken from the top to the bottom passenger's side. The belt area of the engine looks clean above the balancer, as shown in the last picture I posted.

I just read the Haynes section about removing and resealing the sump. Requires the engine to be out. Clearly not something I'm going to do. But darn, there was so much crud built up on the front of the sump!

Post by **abscate** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:20 pm

What is your oil consumption like? Are there any wet spots or is it all just oil crust?

Post by **erikv11** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:31 pm

The sump pan you can remove out the bottom and reseal without pulling the engine, but it is a hassle and a very rare job to do just because of oil leaks. However dropping the pan is a common job to do when it is because of the oil tube pickup seals inside the sump need replacing. At 200k yours are likely on their way out, but until the ticking up top gets bad and/or the oil light stays on for a few seconds at startup, you probably don't want to be drop the oil pan.

Post by **abscate** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:44 pm

I've got that same seep which shows ABOVE the pan seam and I haven't managed to track it down or isolate it yet. It is worse if I fill crankcase to top of dipstick line. I am also turbo so I have some oil lines to deal with

Post by **abscate** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:59 pm

Some discussion on my turbo 99 here' with,pics

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=81390&p=443121&hilit=V70T5M#p443121

Post by **scot850** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 3:42 pm

One issue to watch out for is that some people replace the oil dip-stick with the wrong one. Couldn't figure why on one car I had to always add more oil than recommended to get to the full line. Eventually figured out the issue and fitting the correct dip-stick tube returned the oil level to the correct point. Obviously running too much oil is an issue (which many repair shops seem to ignore and overfill anyway - creating future work?).

The best advice is to clean it all off and see where it re-appears. I had a similar issue with oil everywhere on the engine of an 850 I had. There was crusty oil everywhere. I spent ages while doing the PCV system service removing all the oil oil and dirt. Once the engine was re-assembled and run, the oil no longer leaked. It was all down to old issues and lazy repair guys not cleaning it off previously. Most of the issue had been caused by blocked PCV system, cracked PCV pipe and leaking oil filler cap (which had leaked all along the gallery area on the top of the engine and then down the back of the block).

Neil.

LOB · Post by **LOB** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 4:27 pm

I replaced my oil pan without lifting the engine. I used straps to bend the servo oil-pipes away and above the edge of the subframe. I did not disconect the steering servo oil pipes from the mounting-rack, just the three clamps holding the pipes. My car has 80k miles and my motor bushings might be less deformed/ compressed than on a 20k miles car but I found the operation quite easy.

Post by **FireFox31** » Thu Sep 28, 2017 4:31 pm

Some useful threads that I found:
Same problem as mine, but ultimately may have been oil cap leakage. erikv11's advice was right that time.
Lengthy oil pan removal thread, with engine in the car.

My oil consumption is terrible, but I do have a cylinder burning oil. In mid May, I had an oil change. 3650 miles later in late July, the dipstick showed the oil was critically low so I added two quarts. 3400 miles later in late Sept, the dipstick barely registers oil (45 mins after a 5 min drive; I'll check again when it's cold in the morning).

The funny thing is, before my spark plug blew in May (see thread above), I never noticed bad oil consumption. I rarely checked my oil, but never saw the oil light come on, and always got my oil changed around the times that I should have.

The front of the oil sump was covered in thick, dry crust. The oil below the balancer was all wet and mixed with debris. Oddly, I haven't noticed any puddles of oil on the ground below the car. I frequently drive for 350+ miles non-stop, so perhaps it only sprays off when the car is running. That would explain the expansive oil spray on the subframe.

It seems unlikely that my oil cap leak ran all the way down to my balancer. I replaced the cap gasket in May and cleaned all the oil from around the plugs. I checked today and no new oil has spilled from around the cap. The oil below the balancer is freshly wet and the oil cap hasn't contributed in four months.

erikv11 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:31 pm However dropping the pan is a common job to do when it is because of the oil tube pickup seals inside the sump need replacing. At 200k yours are likely on their way out, but until the ticking up top gets bad and/or the oil light stays on for a few seconds at startup, you probably don't want to be drop the oil pan.

I just started the car, the oil light went out an instant before the other lights, and I heard no ticking. Can you describe the ticking that I'd hear? When would I hear it and from where does it come.

I have cleaned off all the oil shown in the pictures. I planned to drive another 700 miles (that 350 mile drive there and back) and check it again.