Major oil leak, really need some advice

skrusrnmz · Post by **skrusrnmz** » 19 May 2016, 10:45

Hi all, great forum! I often lurk but today am needing some major assistance.

Really sorry for the long post in advance.

I have a 02 V70 T5 I bought used with 90k miles about two months ago. Looked pristine inside and out. The car was bought from an auction and sold to me so there were no service records, but the carfax was really detailed. Regular service was performed throughout most of this car's life. At least until the last 10-15k miles.

I believe there were two owners before the car was sold at auction.

I have been driving it without issue for the last two months. Two days ago I was driving home from work (about 40 miles) and noticed my rear window was really dirty, ran the wiper a few times with liberal washer fluid use and it just smeared. I realized it was oil. Not too long later the oil light started flickering on and off along with the no oil pressure warning message telling me to stop safely. It was just flickering at this point so I knew I was getting low but not completely out.

I got to my local Autozone to get oil. Parked and looked under to see a steady stream of oil pouring out. I bought a 5 qt jug and poured about 4 qts in and drove home, maybe a mile. At home nothing was registering on the dip stick and oil was still coming out pretty good.

So my car basically dumped all its oil in about 40 miles of driving. I have had leaks in the past on other cars that would maybe lose a quart on a trip or something but not this catastrophic.

My first thought is clogged PCV system that blew a seal. What I don't know is what seal could have blown so bad as to blow out all the oil that quick.

I crawled around it yesterday and got really no where but more confused. I pulled the timing belt cover to see if it was coming from one of the cam seals. It was mostly clean up top (there was a bit of oil pooled on top of the head but the timing belt and cam pulleys were dry. That's where it gets weird, the front cam pulley seal was not seated, I could move it with my fingers, but the back of the pulley that should be drenched in oil was dry.

I pulled the pulley and reseated the seal, added a bit of oil and started it up. It's still leaking like crazy but I'm not sure where from.

I'm lost guys. I'm not sure where to start. I can do the work if I know where I'm going with it. I'm also in an apartment that frowns on that type of thing being done in their parking lot and I'm down to one car which doesn't work with a family and kids and school etc. so I'm thinking of just taking it somewhere. But where, how much, and are they trustworthy?

So, any advice on what could have catastrophically failed to lose that much oil at once? Or, any advice on where to go in the Hampton Roads, VA area (Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Hampton etc) to get it looked at and possibly fixed?

Thanks!
Francis

nsjames · Post by **nsjames** » 19 May 2016, 11:10

turbo hoses

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 19 May 2016, 18:42

I had almost the same identical thing happen- scared me to death...I was on the interstate trying to get home from 250 miles away...had to buy ramps and 2 jugs of 5 quarts of oil and barely got home... probably should have had the car towed. Anyway, the good news is it's not the end of the world, your engine or your Volvo. This is a classic case of the turbo oil return line losing it's seal. If you look it up on here, you'll see pictures of a metal pipe from your turbo to the sump (or oil pan- near the top of it)...there is an o-ring at the end of that metal pipe that seals off that pipe to the sump...that goes bad then all the oil going through your turbo (whether you're using your turbo or not, oil still goes through it) spills out rather than getting routed back to your engine. The fix is the o-ring kit for the oil return line... It's probably a 20 minute job!

Here is the oil return line- if I recall correctly, the turbo (higher) end is held on with a couple of torx bolts...the other end is just pressed into the sump:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... bo-9458504
You'll want to change out the gasket on the turbo end (you'll have to take it completely off to change the green rubber o-ring at the sump end):
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... is-3514546
I see this for the sump o-ring but it's not the genuine one- I would rather have the green one that is genuine (so look around- it's sort of thick and flat - not rounded on the edges):
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... r-30637866

If you want to do the repair yourself and you're in a hurry, I'd source the parts from the Volvo dealer...just give them a call. I'd bet they have them in stock. You don't have to replace the metal pipe portion, just the gasket and the o-ring.

Btw, here is a picture of the turbo end of that line:

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 19 May 2016, 19:01

I know this is not for your car, but the items are the same...I actually posted the parts for the 850/S70 but they're the same for your car. Thank God your car is not AWD- that line on those are very hard to reach and most people have to use a ratchet with a swivel head to do the job. Anyway, this is basic info...also check the links below that first page on this thread: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=41451
Another thing I just discovered from doing a basic search...although FCP doesn't sell the OEM VOLVO o-ring, eeuroparts does, and Volvo has changed the color of that part from green to now orange: http://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/7961/O-Ring-30637866/
I've had good luck ordering from eeuroparts too so if you can wait and want to order on-line, then there is nothing wrong with them- they actually get things to you faster than FCP from my experience.

This picture page shows you pretty much where everything is- make sure you clean the mating surfaces! Don't scrape with a knife to make grooves!
https://www.google.com/search?q=3063786 ... rVnMQkM%3A

JeffHicks · Post by **JeffHicks** » 19 May 2016, 21:46

I wouldn't be surprised if one of your front cam seals came loose. My '02 XC70 did the same thing.

Post by **abscate** » 20 May 2016, 03:55

Stream from front of engine is cam seal ( front of engine to right)

Stream from back of engine is turbo line.( rear of engine to left)

If you get out of this without major engine damage , by the way, donate to your favourite charity, as you cashed in a lottery chip.

If you see a stream of oil, it is tow truck time.

Post by **vtl** » 20 May 2016, 14:03

Replacing PCV and dropping oil sump for unblocking the oil return passage is job #1 when you've got a used Volvo, no matter how clean is the car inside and out. Volvo recommended Castrol and 10k mi OCI is what assuredly kills PCV.

Post by **1997volvo850** » 20 May 2016, 15:50

I drive a 1997 Volvo 850 and recently I started smelling burning oil inside the cabin and noticed I was putting off a significant amount of smoke at times. This normally happens when I sit idling for a while and then I start driving so I didn't pay much attention at first. I then noticed the ticking/clicking sounds of the lifters and checked the oil - which did not reach the dip stick - but no oil light. I knew there was a problem.

I hadn't noticed an obvious leak until I went out to the parking lot yesterday and noticed a pool of oil under my car - maybe like an 8 ounce cup - in front of the driver position almost immediately below the turbo. The oil has been apparently dropping onto the the hot exhaust causing the strong fumes I've been smelling.

After reading this post I'm suspecting the seals on the turbo oil lines since this is the main oil line in this area of the vehicle.

I'm 100 miles from home, and at the current loss rate, I will likely be able to make it home (while checking the oil frequently). Is there any way to reduce the leakage between now and when I get home to my garage and tools? Any of those liquid sealers that I could surround the fitting with to slow it down? can you say McGuiver...while likely making a mess I suppose.

MadeInJapan stated you "(you'll have to take it completely off to change the green rubber o-ring at the sump end)" - so I'll need to remove the metal oil return pipe completely in order to replace the O-ring into the sump. Correct?

And the only two parts I need are the green gasket(1) and the black/orange O-ring(1)? I'm just wondering why the parts on fcpeuro are labeled "lower" for both. Is there an 'upper' equivalent for the turbo end?

Sorry for asking too many questions. I want to make sure I understand the process before I attempt to perform it. Thanks.

nsjames · Post by **nsjames** » 20 May 2016, 17:40

no magic seal potion is going to fix it.
and attempting to seal an oil leak with anything on the outside is a futile endeavor. The oil just creeps under it and it will fall off.

Post by **abscate** » 21 May 2016, 04:05

If you are upstate, get the car to Brumsted in Ithaca and get it done. Address in the Mechanics Forum.

Don't risk an engine for a bit if oil and cash.

Near Albany , come see me ny PM