| Author | Message | ||
     James Feller Experienced User Username: james_feller Post Number: 14 Registered: 5-2008 |
Hi All, I am getting a bit of oil seepage on either side of the under bonnet headlight channels on either side of the grill. ie you lift the bonnet and the black channels over the headligths are oily... if you look into the small space under the grill plate, I think I can see some split rubber pipes with oil seepage... two oil cooler pipes dissaper into this crevace... under the grill plate is it rubber pipes or pipes and washers? ie how simple is this to recify? | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 986 Registered: 4-2003 |
Quite easy James but get onto them quickly as they can burst. You need a metre of 5/16" oil cooler pipe from any Autopro or similar a handful of new hose clips - try and get Jubilee brand, a four litre container of Dexron - prefer Castrol, some Allen keys and a screwdriver for the clamps. You should also buy a question mark hose that feeds the back of the power steering pump available from the local agents. Undo the grille at the top, lift it off the car and go for it. Have a tray underneath as you will get more oil on the floor than on you. If you are very clever you will get some 5/16" plastic hose and rig up the system and pump some clean oil through the system to flush out the muck. I also like to install a small transmission filter in the return line down by the wheel arch You'll find all this in Topics! | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 988 Registered: 4-2003 |
I assume James you are referring to the power steering cooling system and not the main engine oil cooler??? | ||
| James Feller Experienced User Username: james_feller Post Number: 15 Registered: 5-2008 |
Hi Bill, Yep, it is power steering. I took a closer look last night as I assumed it was engine oil cooler but its the power steering ... I did not know I had a power streering oil cooler... the things you learn. It is being fixed today. thanks Bill I will report on how we go. | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 989 Registered: 4-2003 |
They are a little hidden bomb although if you change them every say 2 years they should never give a problem. I was crossing the street in traffic (walking) one day and a Shadow was waiting at the lights with the extraordinary sight of oil running down the grille. I went over to the driver and after convincing him I was not going to Hyjack the car told him. He just looked blank and drove off. So much for my interferance! | ||
| Paul Yorke Prolific User Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 172 Registered: 6-2006 |
AN early sign of the cooler leaking is darker / oily patches on the radiator in front of the engine fan. Watch out for rusting of the cooler themselves. They are exposed to everything where they are fitted and will rust if not treated often enough. As Bill has mentioned, this fluid does need changing and is often very neglected. Owners should check the colour of the fluid in your reservoir. It should be red. As time goes on it turns more golden, then brown , then black. By the time it's black it is wearing your pump and rack / box by acting as a very fine grinding paste. There's no helping some people Bill! But keep up the good work trying! | ||
| James Feller Experienced User Username: james_feller Post Number: 16 Registered: 5-2008 |
Hi Guys, Bill and Paul, Can report, Vawsers got straight onto it for me today. You should have seen the two little pieces of pipe... they would have been no longer than 4-6 inches and both were pretty perished and gunged up. I would suspect not changed since original. Within 5 mintues new pipes screw clamps et al were fitted and grill back in, done done! Paul, you raise a good point, steering fluid was red, it was flushed about 12 months ago in a big service I had done. It was interesting as I topped the reservoir up about 3 weeks ago, the level was just at the bottom of the dip stick ( no I did not over fill) and I thought then, 'I wonder where the fluid is leaking' as there was none on the floor... then I noticed the headlight channles were liberally greased up..... Oh well, hopefully all fixed now, wonder where my next oil leak will occur?? That motorist you alerted Bill hopefully torn off to a servo? I hope they had something done about it... | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 990 Registered: 4-2003 |
James/ All that remains is for you to go back to the people who did the oil change twelve months ago and kick arse or ass as appropriate. The tubes could not deteriorate in 12 months and whenever an oil change is done it is fundamental to check the hoses. While I realise this latest repair was expediant, if the 'grille hoses' were shot what condition was the 'question mark' hose and the low pressure return hose beside it. Maybe they changed those because they are easy to get at. While you are at it I would make quite sure of the integrity of the main pressure hose in case that is original. These tend to last until you are in a nursing home or until next week and when you empty the reservoir, driving is akin to steering the dining room table! And if you keep driving and destroy the pump with no oil that wallet wrench is going to be very painful. A remake by your local hose people is about $170 and hour to fit it, more oil bleed the air and you can then breath easy. Following on Paul Yorke's remarks I really do, as a very highly qualified amateur, try and impress on owners to keep an eye out for the likely things to go wrong that can cause so much heartbreak and wallet wrenching. In fairness to repairers they have to put up with a few querilous owners whose main concern is what will it cost. Understandable if we are talking about engine removal or transmission overhaul but for sheer maintenance trust the bloke who knows the foibles of these beasts and don't fight him. I know that you do not fit this category. I have actually had an owner tell me that he tells the 'local garage' only to change the oil because the filter 'can't be that dirty' and maybe every second or third change. The worse aspect about such maintenance is the serious damage that can be done to one of the dwindling stock of these cars left to us! There is not much room in this pulpit so I'll climb down. | ||
| Paul Yorke Prolific User Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 173 Registered: 6-2006 |
Bill you are quite right about some peoples short sightedness. "We'll save £30 on oil filters" seems to be their mindset, even if it will cost a £4000+ engine rebuild! The first thing I ask a new client is when were ALL the oils changed last. We then double check the quality of them all. What is supposed to have been done and were charged for, and what ACTUALLY got done are sometimes very different! Be wary of garages that run time bonus schemes for their mechanics! Their may not be much room . . . but you fill it well  Back to the hot tub now Bill??? | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 991 Registered: 4-2003 |
Paul - You have been peeking again! | ||
| James Feller Experienced User Username: james_feller Post Number: 17 Registered: 5-2008 |
Well the arse kicking did not happen, more forlorn look and 'guys what is this'.... Vawsers, they are the only people that touch my car..... not so much kick as the recification cost me a lunch for the boys. Whether it was an oversight or just wasn't checked 12 months ago it is done now. Though 12 months ago they were not leaking or if they were it was very minor....as I never noticed the oil till a few weeks ago. As it is only 3 bolts and the grill lifts out the 'too difficult' excuse certainly would not have come into it. Anyway, the fact is, its up to us the owners to keep an eye on things and while yes it should have been changed as routine these things can simply get over looked for nothing more than the old grey matter can dull with the steady stream of these motor cars into ones workshop... Nope, I never bother fighting the boys on maintence items and their costs. They have always been fair and reasonable and frankly good value from what they have done to date. What's a 'couple of bucks' in preventing serious fiscal woes, being 'cheap' in the basic servicing of our cars leads to disaster. Ok I am sick of the pulpit now myself.... I think I will let the visting Gods Rottweiler take over now he has been tugging my shirt for the last 5 mintues anyway.. |
