Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

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Pieterk
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Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

Post by Pieterk »

Good day

I have some spilled oil on the garage floor this morning. I serviced the Jetta about a month ago and I am guessing the leak comes from the oil filter container and has now spilled over from thee plastic cover at the bottom of the engine.

Is it possible that the filter "cap" is not screwed on tightly enough (I don't have a torque wrench).

I think there is a rubber ring involved in the holder, I don't knwo whether it could be that I asseembled the ring and "cap" skewly and that this is the cause of the leak.

I will remove the bottom plactic cover tomorrow and it will become clear whether the leakage comes down the block from the oil filter holder or not.

Don't think it will be from the sump-plug but I will be able to sea.

Any advise on the possibility of an leak from the oil filter will be appreciated.

Thanks
Pieter.
Trishen94
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Re: Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

Post by Trishen94 »

Pieterk wrote: Sun Jul 11, 2021 12:17 pm Good day

I have some spilled oil on the garage floor this morning. I serviced the Jetta about a month ago and I am guessing the leak comes from the oil filter container and has now spilled over from thee plastic cover at the bottom of the engine.

Is it possible that the filter "cap" is not screwed on tightly enough (I don't have a torque wrench).

I think there is a rubber ring involved in the holder, I don't knwo whether it could be that I asseembled the ring and "cap" skewly and that this is the cause of the leak.

I will remove the bottom plactic cover tomorrow and it will become clear whether the leakage comes down the block from the oil filter holder or not.

Don't think it will be from the sump-plug but I will be able to sea.

Any advise on the possibility of an leak from the oil filter will be appreciated.

Thanks
Pieter.
Hi buddy. The oil filter housing does not need to be really tight I normally tighten my cars with my hand and then just nip it with the socket... On the bottom of the housing there's a small screw/nut type thingy and if u open it u find a small nipple(yellow or orange I could be wrong about this) used to take out the access oil just check that the nipple is pulled out. U could have possibly pushed it in when doing the filter change this can also cause a leak... Another possibility that I found on my old s3 is the entire filter housing was leaking the plastic gets brittle after years of being in there due to heat that could also be a possibility u may need to replace the housing or just the gasket, if housing seems fine. Keep us posted once you sort it out
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Callum229
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Re: Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

Post by Callum229 »

Failure points for oil on these tdis due to a service might be the following.

Oil filter housing that bolts on the block, the seal can fail on those. That happened to my dad's. Cheap and easy fix. A few bolts and a new gasket from Goldwagen, and you are sorted. My dad's gasket failed and it was a stream of oil leaking. Maybe as you tightened the cover on the filter, the housing flexed a bit on the block, springing a leak?

Oil filter cap, thread it wrong, it will leak, cap seal will be damaged, etc. Need a new cap. Always put cap by hand, this happened to my buddies car. You will know if it's leaking from the oil cap as you can feel around the housing, it will be wet.
Just tighten cap until it bottoms out and not tighter then that. The seal on the side seals the cap not how tight you tighten the cap.

Sump plug. Mines leaked but like a very slow drop. Always put a new washer, I think it's like R2 or something from Goldwagen. If it's leaking with a new washer, just tighten it more. Once I tightened mines slightly more, it stopped.

Thankfully though, none of these failures cost much to fix and can be done DIY.



Other leaks include -

Turbo feed and drains.
Camshaft seal.
Crank and rear main seal.
Tandem pump leak.
CCV flex pipe going to intake.
Boost pipe leak - noticiable power loss though.
Tappet cover leak.
Turbo leaking oil - shouldn't leave a puddle though, you will notice oil loss and drop of power. This can also cause a runaway. Remove boost pipe going to intercooler and inspect how much oil is inside, should only be a few drops. You will see lots of oil around boost pipes.







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Mods: Simple EGR delete, LED interior set up, LED rear footwell lights, LED Puddle lamps, LED Doorhandle illumination, LED License plate lights, LED Boot lighting.

2007 VW Golf 5 1.9 TDI DSG, no mods.

2007 VW Transporter 2.5 TDI 4motion, no mods.
Pieterk
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Re: Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

Post by Pieterk »

Thanks for the reponses from you 2 guys.

On the following response of Trisben94 I need clarity, please:

"On the bottom of the housing there's a small screw/nut type thingy and if u open it u find a small nipple(yellow or orange I could be wrong about this) used to take out the access oil just check that the nipple is pulled out."

When I removed the old filter the "stick" that is attached to the bottom of the filter was still stuck in a hole on the bottom of the housing, and I guess it stopped the oil from draining out of the housing. I had to pull it out with a pair of pliers. I attached the new "stick" to the bottom of the new filter and had difficulty in lowering the filter all the way because I could not see the "stick" slotting into the correct position. At the end the filter was low enough in the housing so that I could screw on the cap onto the filter housing.

Are you referring to this area INSIDE and on the bottom of the housing where I could have accidentally pushed down a nipple or are you referring to this "stick" that extends from the bottom of the filter? I only saw a hole in the bottom of the housing where the bottom of the "stick" should fit in.

As for replacing/inspection of the seal that bolts the housing onto the engine block:

Difficult to see/get to the housing where it bolts unto the engine block with all the piping in the way, or even to see if the oil is running down the side of the engine block, due to all the piping in front of the filter housing. Should I/can I remove whatever is in my way (this in a pencil pusher asking, not a mechanic :-)


Horrible and frustrating job to remove the plastic cover beneath the engine and sump to get to the sump nut.

Many thanks.
Callum229
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Re: Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

Post by Callum229 »

I don't think there is a nipple inside it or outside. I think maybe the newer vehicles have those.

The stick extends out, has nothing to do with oil leaks on the outside of the engine, if the stick fails, it will just bypass the filter and oil won't be filtered internally.

There is an oil cooler below the housing that bolts to the housing, maybe that has a leak? Highly unlikely though, due to a service.

Rather remove the cover and inspect properly, could just be something simple.

The air filter unclips off, then you should see your oil filter housing, you should be able to fit your hand there and check for oil. There will be coolant lines in the way though but underneath without the cover, you should have a clear view of the housing and should be able to see the leak as well as the bolts that hold the housing in place.

Most people run without the under cover, my dad has his off for about 10 years. Still lying above in the garage ceiling.
2007 VW Jetta MK5 1.9 TDI DSG,

Mods: Simple EGR delete, LED interior set up, LED rear footwell lights, LED Puddle lamps, LED Doorhandle illumination, LED License plate lights, LED Boot lighting.

2007 VW Golf 5 1.9 TDI DSG, no mods.

2007 VW Transporter 2.5 TDI 4motion, no mods.
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Re: Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

Post by kingr »

I suggest starting from a clean state to identify your leak. Get some brake cleaner and old rags/towels and clean everywhere you see oil, this can be boring/tedious but it's worth it to identify your leak source. then start the car and monitor where the leak is coming from, use a torch to inspect dark areas in your bay.

If you don't like diy, take it to someone to do it for you.
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Re: Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

Post by missioner »

Did you replace your sump plug washer or the whole sump plug with a new one?

It's not a good idea to reuse the old one, new plug is about R20 from goldwagen.

The washer distorts and can no longer make an oil tight seal into the sump if it's been reinstalled a few times. The oil the leaks out when the engine heats up and the viscosity decreases.
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Pieterk
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Re: Oil leak after servicing Jetta 5 tdi

Post by Pieterk »

Thanks for all the advice which, of course is appropriate in different circumstances, but it was not what caused my problem.

Pure logic (and intelligence :-) ) alone does not always do the trick, its seems.

After finding out what I did wrong, I googled the question and it seems that okes made the same dumb mistake as I did; years ago.

It seems only logic to push/roll the O ring upwards over the thread so that it sits under the lip of the seating surface of the cap. Big mistake!

There is a groove above where the thread ends where the O ring should be placed and then there is still a little bit of space left before you reach the lip of the seating surface.

No, I did not figure it out myself, but with that knowledge, and looking ate the cap, it it evident what I did wrong.

All these trick of the trade....
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