GDM

Active Member
There is an oil leak around the alternator area on our TD5.

There are a few drips on the underside of the alternator and on the auto gearbox pipes running to the oil cooler. It doesn't look like ATF though and the top of the alternator is clean.

I need to get it cleaned off and check it again but are there any usual culprits for oil leaks in that area?

Glen.
 
Yeh 1st place to look is the front camshaft seal . It's a round disc with a o ring that just pushes in place . Cheap and easy to do for anyone . That's what I would check 1st . As when the oil comes out the fan blows it all over alternator and then works back covering everything
 
Agreed. Front camshaft seal. About 6 or 7 quid. When you undo the 2 clips that hold the bit of wiring that goes across the front of the seal it will probably just fall out.

Literally a 2 minute job to do.
 
...unless it's from the vacuum pump's oil feed, it has an o-ring... cos as we know the pump is together with the alternator;)
 
It shouldn't be the alternator, as this was replaced just over a year ago. I will check the camshaft front seal.
 
I had just the same problem a few months ago. Turned out to be the inlet manifold was loose. This lets the blown air from the turbo (with the oil mist from the engine breather) get blown out of the naïf old past the gasket and run down the engine block and alternator. Tightened the front three manifold bolts and was cured but came back again the other week so have now replaced the manifold gasket and problem solved. Engine runs smoother on tickover and lost it's slight hesitation on pick too.
My mate had just the same problem on his D2 so seems its a common problem.
 
I had just the same problem a few months ago. Turned out to be the inlet manifold was loose. This lets the blown air from the turbo (with the oil mist from the engine breather) get blown out of the naïf old past the gasket and run down the engine block and alternator. Tightened the front three manifold bolts and was cured but came back again the other week so have now replaced the manifold gasket and problem solved. Engine runs smoother on tickover and lost it's slight hesitation on pick too.
My mate had just the same problem on his D2 so seems its a common problem.

Thanks. I'll check this too at the weekend. I know that one of the inlet manifold bolts is missing but that is on the rearmost tract.
 
There is an oil leak around the alternator area on our TD5.

There are a few drips on the underside of the alternator and on the auto gearbox pipes running to the oil cooler. It doesn't look like ATF though and the top of the alternator is clean.

I need to get it cleaned off and check it again but are there any usual culprits for oil leaks in that area?

Glen.
Have a look at this post - could be the oil feed to the vacuum pump
 
I have finally got to have a look at the car.

The front Camshaft plug/seal is fine and the inlet manifold is not loose, although there is one stud/bolt missing on the rear tract.

The front of the alternator, behind the vacuum pump, looks to be slightly oily, so I suspect it must be the oil feed to the pump that is leaking. I will give it a clean off and see exactly where the fresh oil is coming from. It looks a bugger to get at!

Thanks for the help so far.

Glen.
 

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