P38 diesel oil leak/ oil usage

Evening all,

As some of you know from previous dramas, I have 1998 RR P38a 80,000 miles. Had it about 7 or 8 months.

When I bought it I changed all the oils and filters and has been running ok since i've had despite a couple of teething troubles.

I month or two ago I noticed an oil leak but was not too bothered about it as it did not seem to be using any oil. However, i've just happened to check the oil while i was changing the diesel filter and noticed that it's gone down from almost exactly "full" to just over half. I suppose i had to put a mug full of oil in it to bring it up to a more sensible level.

I am hope that the engine oil is leaking from the engine and not being burnt.

The oil leak seems to be from the front of the engine, on both sides and the oil the runs down the engine and onto the floor, say around the area of piston number one. It also leaks a bit from the oil filler cap which also runs down the side of the engine and i thought that initially this was the cause of the oil down the side of the engine, but now im not so sure....

I have put my palm over the open filler cap whilst the engine is running and there doesnt seem to be much in the way of crankcase pressure, although the engine was cold when i did this. I seem to remember that I have done this in the past and have not noticed it. I would not expect engine wear at 80K and judging by the condition of the rest of the engine and vehicle the mileage appears to be genuine and the service record was virtually up to date when i bought it.

I am tempted to buy a diesel compression tester kit and establish at least that the engine itself is not worn and in general good fettle.

Anyone had oil leaks on the P38 diesel or have any ideas as to what it might be.

Thanks in advance

Dai

Reply to
Dave R
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Throw a mug full of water on the ground where the car parks and ask yourself have I see that much oil. I doubt you have, it would make quite a mess oil doesn't evaporate, soaks in a bit but generally just stays. You'd notice large coloured rainbows if it was being washed away in the rain...

My money would be on it mostly being burnt. How many miles did it do to use that much oil?

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

I have a couple of problems with that. First one being my drive is like a building site and you wouldnt notice any small amounts of oil. Second one is that as the leak is from the top of the engine it's unlikely that the oil would leak out whilst parked unless there was about 10 gallons in it!

I'm pretty sure that its either being forced out whilst running either being burnt or forced out the gaps!

I may have misled you when I said that it was being forced out onto the floor. I was indicating the direction of travel of oil not that there was a big pool of oil on the floor

I'm now thinking blocked crankcase filter, what you reckon?

Im also thinking of borrowing a diesel compression tester just to be sure the engines not knackered

Dave

Reply to
Dave R

It sounds as though you're panicking over nothing!

If I read it correctly you've used about half the range between 'full' and 'fill' over a 7 to 8 month period - that's nothing.

Reply to
Dougal

Thats not that much really you know. Try one of the VW 19tdi units of a few years ago, you could use that much starting it up.

Reply to
Nige

You've lost a mugfull of oil in 7 to 8 months .. I used to put that much into my S3 every couple of days and hardly noticed any leaks ... ;)

Check the oil filter is seated properly, and that the oil filler cap has it's ring seal intact. The amount you're 'losing' is next to nothing, whatever engine it is.

Reply to
Paul - xxx

Accompanied by the sound of a chisel on slate Dave R, managed to produce the following words of wisdom

If a Land Rover doesn't leak oil, there's none in it.

Reply to
Pete M

A mug full isn't a small amount of oil when split on the ground, even a rubble drive I think you'd notice it with visibly really oily lumps rather than a few black stains.

A mug full over 6 or 7 months assuming 1,000 miles or so per month is nothing to worry about. Now it might be worth having a think about keeping an eye on the oil level if it was a couple of pints over that time.

True enough but if it leaks out with the engine running it still has to drain down the outside of the engine...

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

I probably have not been making myself very clear.

Like I mentioned, i have had the Rangie about 7 or 8 months. I check the oil regularly. The engine has not used a single drop of oil in the first six months of usage but the oil leak has increased along with the increase in oil consumption. What i need to try and establish is what is causing the oil leak. I'm pretty sure that it is in line with what the engine is using. I was thinking along the lines of a blocked breather, checked that this afternoon but was clear. In the end I have taken the innards out to be sure and see how I get on with that!!

I have had numerous land rover over the last 15 years, using one every day, as long as i could drive really; a series one, a series two, 3 series threes, two discovery tdis, a bobtail v8 2 door classic, a tdi range rover, a class 5 fiddlebraked v8 trialler. and now this P38, so i'm a fairly experienced Land Rover driver and am fully aware of the leaky attributes. Thats the thing that doesnt sit right with me with this one. All the previous LRs have leaked to a lesser or greater extent, from pretty much everywhere but with the P38 the only thing that leaks is the engine, and thats BMW!

Vehicles should not leak. Land Rovers included........

Reply to
Dave R

Accompanied by the sound of a chisel on slate Dave R, managed to produce the following words of wisdom

I have to say, mine doesn't leak... anything. I check the levels on everything on a very regular basis - this is about my 10th Rangie Classic - and other than the fuel level nothing seems to go down. The diffs are always full [1], as are the swivels, the cooling system, the hubs, the transfer box, the braking system etc. The engine doesn't seem to use any oil between services and even the greased stuff never seems to need much topping up. It does seem to be a freak though.

The only leak its had was from the transmission cooler, and that very shortly contributed to a very dead auto-box.

Where is the oil leak? If it's not burning it, it's got to go somewhere!!

Reply to
Pete M

Bill had one go on his Rangie Auto too, if we remember kids?

Reply to
Nige

You don'r know how big my drive is! ;-)

Yes, cheers, as i mentioned in previous post, the past 6 months or so were fine, its just been the last month or two that it has dropped. Hence my concern

yes, but it doesnt sit in my drive with the engine running all day, so its dripping out on the road i guess.

I have checked this evening and it doesnt seem to be leaking from the filler cap anymore after a few miles. i will keep an eye on it. I suspect that the innards of the breather may have been faulty

Cheers

Dave

Reply to
Dave R

Time to change the oil? There's a fair chance that the oil is "worn out" after the mileage you have done.

Reply to
EMB

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