Help - Oil everywhere!

[rdrr]

After some spirited driving today in my 89 Carrera 3.2 my oil warning light came on. Pressure was in its usual range (about 2 at idle). I stopped the car and turned off the engine. Had a look and there was a puddle of oil, but it did not seem to be leaking with the engine off. In the engine compartment there were signs of oil spray which seemed to have come from somewhere behind the throttle body.

I'm hoping this might be a loose oil line, but I could not see anything loose. Any opinions on what could be the cause?

I'll try to upload some photos later.

[rdrr]

OK, got some photos of the engine bay. You can see oil spatter on both sides of the engine bay, but there seems to be more on the left.

Any thoughts?

[rdrr]

I've been reading. Could the cause be the crankcase breather hose?

[svandamme]

oil that high is a pressurised leak in some hose or pipe or fitting
which is good news as that means relatively easy to fix once you figure out where it's from...

probably a busted oil pressure senseor
dunno what else is pressurized on the late motors
can't be the cam lines, at i don't think so , the cam lines couldn't spray to the back of the engine...

you might be able to see where it's spraying with the engine running...
else you'll have to track the leak from looking at the splatter marks.. CSI style...

[livi]

Being a ROW - thread, I thought I´d chip in.

Ehh......ehh.....what Stijn said..

[rdrr]

Stijn, I was hoping someone would say that. I've been chanting "please let it be just an oil line, please, please, let it be just an oil line...." since it happened!

I will have a closer look at it tomorrow and will post the results.

[1972_911T]

Possibly also the thermostat seal? that is in this area and is subject to high pressure.

Steve

[JohnJL]

Oil pressure wouldn't be effected by the breather vent I think. I could be wrong. How's your oil level?

[kühn tune]

It's the oil pressure switch on the crank case behind the air filter. It is the switch for the light (which explains why it came on) and they are bad about cracking around the top and spraying oil all over the back of the engine. Tou can change it with the engine in the car, but it's a mother to get to.

I shamelessly took this picture from "Simon's Porsche 911SC Site"

[Gunter]

Second that.
Oil Pressure Switch (Which is just a ground for the oil light in the dash, one single wire)
It's right where the oil breather cap sits; hard to get at, some people do a partial engine drop for this.
With engine running, use a mirror and light to look at the switch and the whole area around it as well as the oil thermostat top-plate for leaks.
Also, check that the breather hose is tight with a clamp.

[azasadny]

You can get to it by doing a "partial engine drop". For me, the partial drop was much easier than the full drop because I didn't have to completely remove the engine then fight with getting it lined up right and getting the tranny mounts to line up. While you're in there, replace all vacuum and fuel lines and all clamps...

[kühn tune]

I've replaced them by just taking the air filter off, no engine drop. It should be easier for you since you have that cone filter. It's back there, but you can do it.

[mschuep]

Originally posted by kühn tune
I've replaced them by just taking the air filter off, no engine drop. It should be easier for you since you have that cone filter. It's back there, but you can do it.

+1, you can do it without a partial drop, 1-2 hours and you're back in action...

[rdrr]

thanks for all your responses. The oil level was about 1/3rd on the dipstick when I checked it a day earlier.

The Oil Pressure Switch certainly sounds like the likely cause. I will take a close look at it later today and post the results. Hopefully I can manage the fix without a partial drop.

[slodave]

The oil pressure switch is circled lower left. Right above that is the thermostat (three wires are going over it). I also think you can replace it with removing your intake stuff up to the throttle body.

Dave



EDIT: Ignore the item circled in red. This pic is from a different post.

[Gunter]

Originally posted by slodave
The oil pressure switch is circled lower left. Right above that is the thermostat (three wires are going over it). I also think you can replace it with removing your intake stuff up to the throttle body.
Dave

Not quite!
Yellow circle is the pressure switch, correct.
Red circle is NOT the thermostat, it's another oil temp sensor and sits on the oil breather cap.
The thermostat is located right above the yellow circle under the oval plate with 2 small nuts, partially visible.
The thermostat is mechanical and sits under the oval plate.
It acts similar to a radiator plug. It's about the size of a large egg and is sealed with an O-ring which can leak.

The breather cap seal, oil thermostat O-ring and oil pressure switch are the usual suspects when leaks occur in that area.

That's why I recommend to do an easy partial drop and replace all three items.
It's cheap insurance!

[dickster]

Hi

I had the same problem recently, and others said its an easy fix to replace that sw (common failure) and no drop required.

[Gunter]

Originally posted by dickster
Hi

I had the same problem recently, and others said its an easy fix to replace that sw (common failure) and no drop required.

After more than 30 years of Mech. Engineering I would say this:
If I had a Dollar for every exaggerated statement made by armchair experts, I would be very rich.
Easy? That's a relative term.
What's easy for someone with very good mechanical skills can turn into a nightmare for someone else.
Go ahead, see how "easy" it is.
Muck around without a partial drop, replace the switch and find later that the leak comes from the thermostat, or breather cap.

PP has some very, very good people helping out but also a lot of wrong info and BS.
Cheers.

[Duckworth]

It's not considered as 'professional' type of fix to incorporate the following suggestion, but I wonder if others privately have thought about doing it :

Namely, scrapping these ground switch lights and putting a washer and bolt. . . that's it . . . No more leaks of this sort to cause a mess. ...

You still end up with oil pressure readings - and provided you watch them a little more often - you're safe and sound without the light.

These items are notorious leakers of oil - they're 'just waiting' to gush oil all over the engine at an inconvenient time.

95% of folks may not like this suggestion - but if you have a fetish for simplicity and reliability - then you may see the merit.


___________

'82 SC sold
'80 928

[svandamme]

Originally posted by Duckworth
It's not considered as 'professional' type of fix to incorporate the following suggestion, but I wonder if others privately have thought about doing it :

Namely, scrapping these ground switch lights and putting a washer and bolt. . . that's it . . . No more leaks of this sort to cause a mess. ...

You still end up with oil pressure readings - and provided you watch them a little more often - you're safe and sound without the light.

These items are notorious leakers of oil - they're 'just waiting' to gush oil all over the engine at an inconvenient time.

95% of folks may not like this suggestion - but if you have a fetish for simplicity and reliability - then you may see the merit.

simplicity yes
reliability no

the oil warning light , and oil pressure gauge exist seperately because having oil pressure warnings redundant , is a good thing...

one sign could be perceived as "oh , it's probably just an electrical glitch" and keep driving anyway...

but if you have both the gauge go to 0, and the warning light light up, i think there are few people who will dismiss it and not turn of their engine...