1999 S70 GLT Oil Leak

dmb41 · Post by **dmb41** » 22 Nov 2010, 14:01

I took my S70 to a repair shop to have the ignition cylendar replaced and when I got the car back I noticed it was leaking a small amount of oil right below the oil filter housing on the front passenger side of the car. It had never leaked oil, so I took it back and the mechanic took a look and decided it was because the O-ring in the filter came dislodged, so he replaced it and sent me on my way. I got home and noticed that it was still leaking. So, I ordered a new plastic housing for the oil filter of FCP and installed a new filter, O-ring and the housing. It's still leaking. I called the mechanic and he will not take responsibility for the leak, so I guess I have to try to figure it out myself. Not sure how to argue the "he said, she said" thing with a mechanic. I doubt I could win anything in court and I am not sure if it's worth it anyways.

Long story short, I need to figure out what's leaking oil. It 100% was not leaking anything prior to taking it in and they claim all they did was replace the ignition cylendar. So, I need to figure out what could have happend before dropping it off, picking it up, and driving it home that caused it to leak. I crawled under the car and the plastic housing was wet, but the surrounding area was also very saturated as well. I wiped everything down and waited a while. It did start to leak again but I can't see where it's coming from. The plastic housing was dry to the touch, so I don't think it was coming from there but I am not 100% certain. Does anybody have any clues of where to start? Would pictures be useful?

Also, I do want to mention that I also noticed the engine is making a barely audible, but weird sound since the leak began as well. I thought it was just a belt that may need to be replaced, but it's possible it may be related as well but not sure.

Post by **jblackburn** » 22 Nov 2010, 14:44

There are two oil cooler lines into the radiator on that side of the car that go into an oil thermostat at the front of the engine block there (actually, I think it's on the rear of the engine on a '99). Are either of these leaking at the crimps?

dmb41 · Post by **dmb41** » 30 Nov 2010, 13:59

It appears that the oil leak has stopped after about a week. I have checked after driving every day and it is no longer leaving drops on the ground. Not sure how that's possible but I've put around 500 miles on it since the last time I noticed the spots on the ground. After reading some threads on changing the oil in an S70 with the paper filters, several people stated the importance of filling the filter with oil prior to screwing it back on. I neglected to do this as it was the first time I had ever seen the paper filters (I've always used the twist one variety). Is it possible this may have been the culprit? Other than that, the only thing that has recently changed is the temperature has dropped considerably. However, the car is parked in a garage, so it doesn't get too cold at night. I will continue to keep an eye on it, but right now it seems ok.