L405 Engine oil leak / fumes in cabin

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Graculus

Well-Known Member
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Location
Ubique
Well as threatened a couple of weeks ago, I resolved the engine oil leak on my 4.4TDV8 today... @Mark Piercy is to blame for this thread as he wanted proof of me doing 'stuff' ;)
Six months ago I replaced the oil cooler assembly which had been leaking for some time prior to buying the car - parts were provided by the trader I bought the car from. The smell of burning oil was still there a few weeks later so I removed the contaminated exhaust crossover pipe insulation and replaced with exhaust wrap tape - all good for the next five months or so.
Then the smell was back - checked the undertrays, slight misting of oil and traces around both sides of the bell housing, checked the turbo oil feed pipe with a mirror, no signs of any leakage (I replaced the 'O' rings when the oil cooler was replaced), had a look down the sides of the oil cooler / EGR cooler and there was signs of leakage - I'd previously cleaned this area whilst replacing the oil cooler so it was evidence of a new leak. The only probable cause of the leak is the EGR cooler base gasket, if it was the seal around the crankcase breather outlet, there would be evidence of oil leaking further up, not just in the 'V'.
Anyway, pictures....

Once you've got the wipers, scuttle, bracing bars & radiator finishing trim out of the way, it's essentially the same as the L322
IMG_20240410_084707_lmc_8.4.jpg

In the above photo, the 'doughnut' is already removed (got carried away and forgot photos!)
Opinions on EGR's are varied, whilst I don't think they have any positive effect on anything, I wouldn't blank & map out - the residue (or lack of it) in this mainly town driving car shows it's not as bad as most would imagine it could be.
IMG_20240410_084700_lmc_8.4.jpg

There's quite a bit of stuff to move, what I would say is that move everything that'll be in the way, don't fight your way past or through stuff - bungees, straps, even a few sacrificial cable ties will save frustration and cost in replacing broken bits, also be careful what you're leaning on , it's a long way from the front bumper to the back of the EGR!.

This is the EGR actuator, you can see the oil mist and some oil to the right of it on the cooler
IMG_20240410_091008_lmc_8.4.jpg

Oil never leaks upwards, so it's already looking like the EGR cooler to engine gasket isn't the culprit.

Here's the bracket masking the source of the leak
IMG_20240410_091544_lmc_8.4.jpg

Underneath it....
IMG_20240410_092740_lmc_8.4.jpg

Oil cooler removed - drain down the coolant and the oil filter before starting to minimise cross-contamination.
IMG_20240410_093514_lmc_8.4.jpg


Here's the turbo oil feed, the 'O' rings get brittle & leak, LR only sell them with the pipe.
IMG_20240410_093509_lmc_8.4.jpg


You can get the correct size in Viton, use red rubber grease to ease them in and prevent dragging
IMG_20240410_112124_lmc_8.4.jpg


The next part was to split the oil cooler and find out why it was leaking
IMG_20240410_094220_lmc_8.4.jpg


Fairly conclusive, the gasket wasn't fitted correctly when assembled.
IMG_20240410_094322_lmc_8.4.jpg

So clean it all up, new gaskets & seals, re-assemble.
IMG_20240410_121916_lmc_8.4.jpg


Vacuum filling the coolant circuits is always the best way, hold test for 10 mins is also a good leak-check and can also pull in any connections that haven't been fully fitted.
IMG_20240410_131802_lmc_8.4.jpg

After that, run test, leak check, a good spray with degreaser before washing down with a hose not a jetwash.
On a side note, I always (on my own vehicles) use Nyogel dielectric grease on any engine bay electrical connectors that have been opened after a good blast of brake cleaner & compressed air, not only does it prevent corrosion but it also helps minimise contact fretting.

So not the job I thought it'd be, thankfully I'd ordered every seal & gasket, even though I didn't anticipate having to strip some of them.
With hindsight(!) the continuing smell after the oil cooler replacement that I thought was just existing oil on the insulator was clearly a new leak, replacing the insulation gave me the grace period until it'd soaked through again, it's made worse by lack of visibility in the area where the leak leaves the oil cooler.
 

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Situations like this highlight the difference in buying genuine or OEM/pattern parts, if it had been a genuine LR part (and I was sure it was defective before stripping it) I could have taken it to the dealer under parts warranty for them to replace. As it was, the OEM part was supplied to me by the trader I purchased the vehicle from, at no cost to me - so other than a protracted parts warranty through the trader which would have resulted in the car being VOR for a few days as a minimum, the best option was to replace the seal and clean up the mess.
The brand I currently work for (for the next five working days before moving elsewhere!) have a two year parts warranty, we do more parts warranty replacements than you'd expect - oddly enough, oil coolers are near the top of the list....
 
The quality of some aftermarket parts is shocking.. It's the biggest waste and consumer of materials just like the manufacturers themselves.. We pay tax for all kinds of recycling and waste. The car manufacturers just drum this crap out. Don't get me started.... 🤭
 
I was self-employed for a while - I'd only ever fit genuine parts purely for the parts warranty process. I worked all over UK, EU & Scandinavia so warranty repairs would have cost me a great deal in both time & money. If a customer was insistent on aftermarket parts, I'd happily fit them if they self-purchased, that way (barring any workmanship issues) I'd have no liability for the warranty of the parts. I was averaging £15k pcm in parts (including service items & fluids) so warranty liability was potentially a significant cost if I'd have gone down the aftermarket parts route.
 
I was self-employed for a while - I'd only ever fit genuine parts purely for the parts warranty process. I worked all over UK, EU & Scandinavia so warranty repairs would have cost me a great deal in both time & money. If a customer was insistent on aftermarket parts, I'd happily fit them if they self-purchased, that way (barring any workmanship issues) I'd have no liability for the warranty of the parts. I was averaging £15k pcm in parts (including service items & fluids) so warranty liability was potentially a significant cost if I'd have gone down the aftermarket parts route.
That I understand being a small garage... A minefield sometimes😩
 
Well as threatened a couple of weeks ago, I resolved the engine oil leak on my 4.4TDV8 today... @Mark Piercy is to blame for this thread as he wanted proof of me doing 'stuff' ;)
Six months ago I replaced the oil cooler assembly which had been leaking for some time prior to buying the car - parts were provided by the trader I bought the car from. The smell of burning oil was still there a few weeks later so I removed the contaminated exhaust crossover pipe insulation and replaced with exhaust wrap tape - all good for the next five months or so.
Then the smell was back - checked the undertrays, slight misting of oil and traces around both sides of the bell housing, checked the turbo oil feed pipe with a mirror, no signs of any leakage (I replaced the 'O' rings when the oil cooler was replaced), had a look down the sides of the oil cooler / EGR cooler and there was signs of leakage - I'd previously cleaned this area whilst replacing the oil cooler so it was evidence of a new leak. The only probable cause of the leak is the EGR cooler base gasket, if it was the seal around the crankcase breather outlet, there would be evidence of oil leaking further up, not just in the 'V'.
Anyway, pictures....

Once you've got the wipers, scuttle, bracing bars & radiator finishing trim out of the way, it's essentially the same as the L322
View attachment 314662
In the above photo, the 'doughnut' is already removed (got carried away and forgot photos!)
Opinions on EGR's are varied, whilst I don't think they have any positive effect on anything, I wouldn't blank & map out - the residue (or lack of it) in this mainly town driving car shows it's not as bad as most would imagine it could be.
View attachment 314661
There's quite a bit of stuff to move, what I would say is that move everything that'll be in the way, don't fight your way past or through stuff - bungees, straps, even a few sacrificial cable ties will save frustration and cost in replacing broken bits, also be careful what you're leaning on , it's a long way from the front bumper to the back of the EGR!.

This is the EGR actuator, you can see the oil mist and some oil to the right of it on the cooler
View attachment 314664
Oil never leaks upwards, so it's already looking like the EGR cooler to engine gasket isn't the culprit.
https://alzaabiautocare.com/blogs/how-does-oil-change-improve-vehicle-performance/
Here's the bracket masking the source of the leakView attachment 314665
Underneath it....
View attachment 314666
Oil cooler removed - drain down the coolant and the oil filter before starting to minimise cross-contamination.
View attachment 314668

Here's the turbo oil feed, the 'O' rings get brittle & leak, LR only sell them with the pipe.
View attachment 314667

You can get the correct size in Viton, use red rubber grease to ease them in and prevent dragging
View attachment 314675

The next part was to split the oil cooler and find out why it was leaking
View attachment 314672

Fairly conclusive, the gasket wasn't fitted correctly when assembled.
View attachment 314673
So clean it all up, new gaskets & seals, re-assemble.
View attachment 314676

Vacuum filling the coolant circuits is always the best way, hold test for 10 mins is also a good leak-check and can also pull in any connections that haven't been fully fitted.
View attachment 314677
After that, run test, leak check, a good spray with degreaser before washing down with a hose not a jetwash.
On a side note, I always (on my own vehicles) use Nyogel dielectric grease on any engine bay electrical connectors that have been opened after a good blast of brake cleaner & compressed air, not only does it prevent corrosion but it also helps minimise contact fretting.

So not the job I thought it'd be, thankfully I'd ordered every seal & gasket, even though I didn't anticipate having to strip some of them.
With hindsight(!) the continuing smell after the oil cooler replacement that I thought was just existing oil on the insulator was clearly a new leak, replacing the insulation gave me the grace period until it'd soaked through again, it's made worse by lack of visibility in the area where the leak leaves the oil cooler.
I have started to notice oil on my garage floor. It seems like a few drips everynight. Oil is coming dripping out near the passenger side front tire. I don't have ramps or anything so it is hard for me to see under the car but it looks like there is a ribbed (about 1/2") hose that sort of hangs down a little by the bottom of the car in line with the rear of that front tire but about 6"-8" from the egde of the car.

That hose is wet with oil. Can't really tell if the hose has anthing to do with the leak or is just being leaked onto.

Any thoughts on things I should have my mechanic check? Anyone else have a similar leak in this area?

Thanks.
 
I don't have ramps or anything so it is hard for me to see under the car but it looks like there is a ribbed (about 1/2") hose that sort of hangs down a little by the bottom of the car in line with the rear of that front tire but about 6"-8" from the egde of the car.

That hose is wet with oil. Can't really tell if the hose has anthing to do with the leak or is just being leaked onto.

Is that the FBH exhaust? sounds about in the right place for a LHD car.
But as above pics would help.

J
 
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