Hi folks,

I've got a Grand Voyager 2.8 CRD (It's on a UK 54 plate which is 2004), and started to notice an oil leak getting worse. It's done 140,000 gets serviced yearly and doesn't do towing or anything too strenuous just high mileage.

In the past I've had a slight oil leak, notice it on the drive mainly, and when over a pit I had a look and found a couple of bolts at the back of the engine sump finger tight. Based on my reading I found that most oil changes on these cars involve dropping the sump/base of engine to drain the oil (messy!), so I just assumed it wasn't tightened properly after last service and so tightened them up and left it. I did see the odd drop occasionally afterwards but thought nothing of it.

Until today, when I'd left for work was told there was a fresh quite big oil patch on my drive. At work (8hrs after arriving), pulled the car away and found a fresh oil patch there, wet enough that I could dip my finger in it and get coated.

So, looking under the bonnet (or hood!) found nothing obvious, looking underneath can see a slight drip-drip when I was parked up after driving home. The drip-drip is coming from the rear, I've tried to take a pic which I've attached to illustrate what I'm seeing.

The images are:
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Not very easy, but any ideas/recommendations?

Am also looking for any recommended garages/Chrysler people in the North-East too, but not hopeful for that!

 

It's impossible to say where is the leak only looking at the pictures...
Lift up the car for a close look...

 

Yeah, I agree, was just after any potential common faults for that age/year and mileage at the back (potentially) of engine. My suspicion of the sump seals is my current favourite thoughts but an educated guess is also what I'm hoping somebody else can suggest?

 

- Andy lad have you checked the spin~on oil filter can ?
- they sometimes rotate loose / not tightened by the junior who did the service
- that, if loose, would look like an end float bearing leaking when it isn't
- that also would drip right on to that cross member, just stick your hand in an try to tighten it up !

 

Thanks QinteQ, good thinking fella. Today being a bit better weather I had a climb underneath and all over the car to try and track it down.

Managed to get underneath but couldn't locate the oil filter, I've got the PDF open here and can see on the digram where it should be just couldn't spot it.

However, had to quickly take the car out and when I came back started to look again, and think I've found it.

Unfortunately, looking like the main crank seal possibly? I've uploaded another couple of pics. I'd already wiped the drip that was appearing from the piece pictures, but you can see its quite fresh on there and if I sat watching it I'd occasionally see another drip from it.

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What does the collective mind think? I'm guessing this is one heck of a job (engine out, etc) so whats the best option here. Any thoughts?

Cheers
Andy

 

Its hard to tell from where you mean , so the engine gets filled directly above the cam pulleys (well off a little) and fresh oil if its getting topped up a lot could just be making its way down that side, mine was the other end of the engine, the crank seal at the other end is about 6" in diameter, you sure your issue isnt that end, i found at the bottom of the gearbox/engine block there is a say 2mm thick plate between them and if prized gently my oil would weep out from there.
Mine was bad and it was a drip a second.

You have to take into account what else you may want to do when treating this problem.
For me i thought id do every job that was at the rear of the engine and looked awkward,
I ended up removing the engine and gearbox in 1 unit out of the top of the car with the front bumper and enforcer all removed, all rads drained and dropped washer motor scuttle all removed , sounds bad but it really isnt.
with it all out i put the motor on a bench and changed the cambelt water pump clutch crank seals blanked the egr (may have to re visit) removed the cat tidied all the wiring as the factory "assembled in Mexico" wrap looked just like a queslida or such. One of the things i found when mine was out was the gear linkage had a rubber missing so that solved a massive side to side movement issue, ive changed wishbone bushes (pain) and quite a few things ive forgot but im happy its not gonna go wrong for a while but it isnt cheap.

Ill list the prices and where from if required water pump was a shocker about 250 , i paid 80.

Tear it out lol.

 

Thanks for that VVVVVVVVVVVVVVm, I'm handy tracking stuff down but an engine removal and tear-down would terrify me, so defo not something I'd look into!

However, I might very well have been very lucky on this one. Popped it round to a friends garage who have a car lift, and he had a poke around and found one of the intercooler hoses was loose/damaged clip so he's re-attached and put a new clip on it, and so far no leak at all. So yep looks like you're both right, it wasn't where I was seeing the oil it was obviously travelling/splashing various places.

Next on the agenda though, is timing belt replacement. Going to get a few quotations for this as it's a big job and might see about getting the air conditioning clutch replaced as that's been faulty since purchase.

Thanks again for everyone's input :-)

 

The problem with belt is if your going to do the water pump, much more work and deffinatley do not change the water pump and housing , you only need the pump.with the engine in id drop the rear engine mount tilt the engine forward remove all the wiper box (dead simple) and just try and work round it, the engine will need the locking pins but if you go to a taxi repair place they should have plenty of pins about as every new bare engine comes with said pins fitted into the cams otherwise they can be expensive.

 

Thanks for the good info, unfortunately way beyond my capabilities unfortunately.

And I'd spoken too soon about the oil leak, it's back again, and even worse now I've found oil in the water expansion/refill bottle, so it's looking pretty bad news for my precious car :-(

It's currently booked into the Chrysler dealership in Teesside next week, basing it on them starting to look at the Oil Intercooler first and do an investigation on the problems. My wallet is going to hurt but to be honest it's a fab car and I'd rather get it sorted again than replace.

Will update the group on what is found as it may help somebody in the future!

 

When I had oil in the water, it was the oil cooler. Relatively easy to replace, just awkward position. Although part not cheap!
(Infact I had the old cooler off the 2.5, the chrysler parts guy thought that it was because mine is a 54 plate 2.8, and since the engine block is the same, they just put the old style on.
Just meant I had to get some new hose to make the connections.