Is this a fuel leak and is it serious??

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StuRox

StuRox

Well-Known Member
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Location
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Well, I noticed a puddle mark on the drive, and it wasn't an oil patch, so looked into further and noticed this:-

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As you can see when I wipe it clean, out it comes again, but this was when the engine was hot, and I haven't tried to see what happens when its cold yet.

Is this a common fault, as it looks like a worn plug of some sort - can this just be resealed, or is it major work to refit a new part?

And by the way, its a 1996 300 TDi Auto.

Many thanks for any advice you can give me :)
 
That's a core plug and its coolant that is leaking. You need to prise the old one out and the tap a new one in, after smearing the edge with a thin layer of sealant...I guess it would be sensible to drain the rest of the coolant before starting and then refill it after....
 
WOW, I love this site, thanks for the quick responses - always helps when you know what its called, as that was my problem, as my searches weren't helping me, as bringing up all sorts.

Again, thanks for the quick replies :D
 
Well, again, just want to thank the guys on the forum for advising what my leak was, so a new plug and 2 lots of coolant later, job done..

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This is what Forums are about - BIG THUMBS UP :D
 
ok, will do.

just got to sort out the oil leak now, although not major with the odd spots on the drive here and there, as I reckon coming from the seal around the Transfer box...so more of a major job......
 
If the core plug was badly rusted the others will be the same, and if you took the turbo off to replace that one it would be an idea to change the other two on that side. Make sure you have plenty of antifreeze, even in summer, it will prevent more rust happening.
 
It was only that one that was changed, as wasn't too bad, and never needed to remove the turbo, was done in situe
 
You might want to clean the others up and fill them with chemical metal as a preventative measure. If one has rusted through the others might not be far behind. Its up to you.
 
Just going back to the orginal thread, the plug now seems to be weeping, as it seems to be damp all around the new plug.

Been to the garage that replaced it for me, and first they want to do a pressure test to make sure its not leaking from anywhere else first. If not they will gladly replace the plug etc.

However they did say it could be the 'block' leaking, now given I am a newbie to the 300, how serious could this be, if it is the 'block'?
 
a small amount of water around the plug is ok for a week or two as they need to rust in to make a 100% seal but buy now this should be done the block could but have a crack but not likley bet all they do is stick a tub of rad weld in and all will be ok
 
Well, theis is what it looks like - hard to get a good pic - but you can see it seems to be weeping from all around the plug - and this is after a month, and about 1500 miles....

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Looks to me like the plug never stood a chance of sealing as it’s mangled from incorrect fitting, welch plugs need to be installed with correct size drift that fits the outer edge so as to not distort the plug. Good measure to also lightly emery the hole and also take the sharpness of the outer lip off the hole so as not to scratch the plug as it’s installed. A light smear of quality sealant around inside of hole for good measure never hurts either.
 
Well, its booked into the garage next Thurs, so will see what they have to say - as pretty obvious from just looking at it, that its not the block, but the actual plug......given where its weeping......but they will just want to cover themselves I suppose.....
 
Stu,

I've done a few of these in the past and on much less forgiving engines, your new one doesn't look to be seated far enough into the hole. The top rim of the plugs are usually seated just below the outer surface of the block and so long as the fitter used a sealant there's no way it should have leaked. I've nearly always found that cleaning the rust around the core hole means the new plug will go in just a little bit easier than it should, it's good to have a couple of sizes to choose from.

Don't let the garage fool you into accepting a bottle of Barrs-Leaks or Radweld as a fix, they often do you want the plug replaced. These plugs are designed to blow out if the block pressure is to high so if it's not a good fit it will blow out without much provocation.
 
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