Oil leak from Motor

[AIB]

I have noticed that my motor may be leaking oil when parked. I can see small drops of oil on the floor of my parking spot right where the motor sits, the oil is pretty dark in color.

Could this be an IMS leak? I'm worried since I have a CS2 MY2005 and have read a lot about IMS leaks on the MY2005 911's which in turn lead to engine blow outs and engine replacements. :(

[AP 997S]

I have noticed that my motor may be leaking oil when parked. I can see small drops of oil on the floor of my parking spot right where the motor sits, the oil is pretty dark in color.

Could this be an IMS leak? I'm worried since I have a CS2 MY2005 and have read a lot about IMS leaks on the MY2005 911's which in turn lead to engine blow outs and engine replacements. :(

It's more likely an RMS leak. RMS and IMS I believe are exclusive of each other. An RMS leak doesn't mean you have a potential IMS failure.

Crawl under or raise the car and have a look. Typical RMS leaks are where the motor meets the transmission. Accumulated oil from an RMS leak will appear in that general area.

RMS leaks are usually none catastrophic in nature; just a nuisance.

[phillipj]

Allibalan,

It's probably your RMS (Rear main seal) Like AP said get under the car and take a look. I wouldn't be overly concerned. A small RMS leak certainly won't make your motor go ka-blooey.

Just get the seal replaced if it's the culprit. You still have a warranty?

[1schoir]

I have noticed that my motor may be leaking oil when parked. I can see small drops of oil on the floor of my parking spot right where the motor sits, the oil is pretty dark in color.

Could this be an IMS leak? I'm worried since I have a CS2 MY2005 and have read a lot about IMS leaks on the MY2005 911's which in turn lead to engine blow outs and engine replacements. :(

The difficulty is that it is next to impossible to diagnose whether the leak is from the IMS or the RMS without pulling the transmission.

If you intend to keep the car long term it may be advisable to inspect. It would make more sense if you were close to needing a clutch job, which would require the same labor.

Regards, Maurice.

[txhokie4life]

I have noticed that my motor may be leaking oil when parked. I can see small drops of oil on the floor of my parking spot right where the motor sits, the oil is pretty dark in color.

Could this be an IMS leak? I'm worried since I have a CS2 MY2005 and have read a lot about IMS leaks on the MY2005 911's which in turn lead to engine blow outs and engine replacements. :(

The difficulty is that it is next to impossible to diagnose whether the leak is from the IMS or the RMS without pulling the transmission.

If you intend to keep the car long term it may be advisable to inspect. It would make more sense if you were close to needing a clutch job, which would require the same labor.

Regards, Maurice.

and do the IMS Retrofit and RMS while you are at it.......

[AIB]

Allibalan,

It's probably your RMS (Rear main seal) Like AP said get under the car and take a look. I wouldn't be overly concerned. A small RMS leak certainly won't make your motor go ka-blooey.

Just get the seal replaced if it's the culprit. You still have a warranty?

My warranty is valid until the end of November (wouldn't be caught dead without a valid warranty). Sending the car to the dealer in two weeks (earliest appointment I could get), praying to good that its just the RMS....

Thanks for the advice...

[AIB]

I have noticed that my motor may be leaking oil when parked. I can see small drops of oil on the floor of my parking spot right where the motor sits, the oil is pretty dark in color.

Could this be an IMS leak? I'm worried since I have a CS2 MY2005 and have read a lot about IMS leaks on the MY2005 911's which in turn lead to engine blow outs and engine replacements. :(

The difficulty is that it is next to impossible to diagnose whether the leak is from the IMS or the RMS without pulling the transmission.

If you intend to keep the car long term it may be advisable to inspect. It would make more sense if you were close to needing a clutch job, which would require the same labor.

Regards, Maurice.

The plan is to trade it in for the new 998 as soon as its out... probably keeping the car for another year or so, my car is automatic so I don't have a clutch.... I guess I'm just going to let the mechanics at the dealer decide what to do after they check out the oil leak plus I'm going to make sure my warranty is always valid until I trade it in :)...

Thanks for the advice....

Edited October 3, 2009 by Aliballan

[AIB]

I have noticed that my motor may be leaking oil when parked. I can see small drops of oil on the floor of my parking spot right where the motor sits, the oil is pretty dark in color.

Could this be an IMS leak? I'm worried since I have a CS2 MY2005 and have read a lot about IMS leaks on the MY2005 911's which in turn lead to engine blow outs and engine replacements. :(

The difficulty is that it is next to impossible to diagnose whether the leak is from the IMS or the RMS without pulling the transmission.

If you intend to keep the car long term it may be advisable to inspect. It would make more sense if you were close to needing a clutch job, which would require the same labor.

Regards, Maurice.

and do the IMS Retrofit and RMS while you are at it.......

Can you do an IMS retrofit with out changing the whole engine though?

[Jay]

I have noticed that my motor may be leaking oil when parked. I can see small drops of oil on the floor of my parking spot right where the motor sits, the oil is pretty dark in color.

Could this be an IMS leak? I'm worried since I have a CS2 MY2005 and have read a lot about IMS leaks on the MY2005 911's which in turn lead to engine blow outs and engine replacements. :(

The difficulty is that it is next to impossible to diagnose whether the leak is from the IMS or the RMS without pulling the transmission.

If you intend to keep the car long term it may be advisable to inspect. It would make more sense if you were close to needing a clutch job, which would require the same labor.

Regards, Maurice.

and do the IMS Retrofit and RMS while you are at it.......

Can the dealer do the IMS retrofit? I only know of LN Engineering that does the retrofit

[1schoir]

Can you do an IMS retrofit with out changing the whole engine though?

The IMS bearing and flange can be retrofitted in any M96 engine, although the engines that have a dual row bearing were impossible to do without a teardown until recently.

LN Engineering has developed a special tool which is now capable of extracting the dual row bearing.

Go to the LNEngineering.com website for a very informative video on what the dual row bearing looks like, etc...

Regards, Maurice.

[phillipj]

If you are under warranty I wouldn't worry about it. That's the beauty of the warranty ;) . As long as you have done the scheduled maintenance you are in good shape. Let us know what you find out.

[AIB]

If you are under warranty I wouldn't worry about it. That's the beauty of the warranty ;) . As long as you have done the scheduled maintenance you are in good shape. Let us know what you find out.

Wouldn't be caught dead with it!!! Will definitely keep everyone posted with what I find out...

Thanks...

[AIB]

The dealer tells me its one of the seals that has a very minor leak and advised to let it be for now since its a very minor seal and since to change this seal they need to pull out the motor and the gear box. I think he's talking about the RMS (they don't even know what its called but they assured me its not a big deal at all). I mentioned if they could verify if it was an IMS leak and they said that this leak is nothing major and that I should change it once it starts leaking more heavily ? My response was to renew my warranty which ends next month from today :)... so thats what we did.

Quick question do the brakes effect the steering of the car even when your not pressing them? They mentioned that all my brakes need changing (not the pads but the whole set) because the car vibrates when they press on the brakes. However my main problem had been light steering and slight vibration at high speeds (over 80 km/h) not under braking. Could the brakes be causing this vibrating steering problem when I'm going at high speeds? They have already checked all my steering components and have assured me that every thing is top notch... Freaking light steering feel at high speeds is driving me crazy, it almost feels like I'm not in full control of the car!!

[phillipj]

Sounds like you should check the balance of your wheels first. The vibration is much more likely coming a balancing issue on the fronts than the brakes. Sounds like your dealer just wants to make some cash on you (gee what a shock for a dealer..)

[1schoir]

The dealer tells me its one of the seals that has a very minor leak and advised to let it be for now since its a very minor seal and since to change this seal they need to pull out the motor and the gear box. I think he's talking about the RMS (they don't even know what its called but they assured me its not a big deal at all). I mentioned if they could verify if it was an IMS leak and they said that this leak is nothing major and that I should change it once it starts leaking more heavily ? My response was to renew my warranty which ends next month from today :)... so thats what we did.

Quick question do the brakes effect the steering of the car even when your not pressing them? They mentioned that all my brakes need changing (not the pads but the whole set) because the car vibrates when they press on the brakes. However my main problem had been light steering and slight vibration at high speeds (over 80 km/h) not under braking. Could the brakes be causing this vibrating steering problem when I'm going at high speeds? They have already checked all my steering components and have assured me that every thing is top notch... Freaking light steering feel at high speeds is driving me crazy, it almost feels like I'm not in full control of the car!!

Ali:

If you are applying the brakes, they have absolutely no effect on the steering unless one of the pistons on one of your calipers is "frozen"/stuck in an extended position. In that case, that side's brake pad can be continually applied until it wears away, especially if the frozen piston gets further extended and stays stuck there until the next time you apply the brakes. That is obvious to diagnose because the brake pad on the frozen side will be much further worn down that the one on the opposite side of that same rotor. Additionally, when you step on the brakes and let go of the steering wheel, the car will pulll to one side and will not track straight.

If the dealer is telling you that the "car vibrates when they press on the brakes", then if it's not the ABS kicking on, one or more of your rotors is warped. That happens more often with rotors that are worn down to near their allowable limit. If the rotors are relatively new, you can have them turned on a lathe to shave them down to remove any "lateral runout" and they will work as good as new. Most don't bother with cutting the rotors anymore because replacement is relatively inexpensive, but don't let the dealer soak you if you don't need to have them replaced.

What is even more obvious is that if the dealer feels the car "vibrating" when the brakes are applied, you should be able to duplicate the condition. Otherwise, it's just their financial imagination running wild. :P

The lightness in the steering feel at high speeds is another issue.

Regards, Maurice.

Edited October 16, 2009 by 1schoir

[AIB]

The dealer tells me its one of the seals that has a very minor leak and advised to let it be for now since its a very minor seal and since to change this seal they need to pull out the motor and the gear box. I think he's talking about the RMS (they don't even know what its called but they assured me its not a big deal at all). I mentioned if they could verify if it was an IMS leak and they said that this leak is nothing major and that I should change it once it starts leaking more heavily ? My response was to renew my warranty which ends next month from today :)... so thats what we did.

Quick question do the brakes effect the steering of the car even when your not pressing them? They mentioned that all my brakes need changing (not the pads but the whole set) because the car vibrates when they press on the brakes. However my main problem had been light steering and slight vibration at high speeds (over 80 km/h) not under braking. Could the brakes be causing this vibrating steering problem when I'm going at high speeds? They have already checked all my steering components and have assured me that every thing is top notch... Freaking light steering feel at high speeds is driving me crazy, it almost feels like I'm not in full control of the car!!

Ali:

If you are applying the brakes, they have absolutely no effect on the steering unless one of the pistons on one of your calipers is "frozen"/stuck in an extended position. In that case, that side's brake pad can be continually applied until it wears away, especially if the frozen piston gets further extended and stays stuck there until the next time you apply the brakes. That is obvious to diagnose because the brake pad on the frozen side will be much further worn down that the one on the opposite side of that same rotor. Additionally, when you step on the brakes and let go of the steering wheel, the car will pulll to one side and will not track straight.

If the dealer is telling you that the "car vibrates when they press on the brakes", then if it's not the ABS kicking on, one or more of your rotors is warped. That happens more often with rotors that are worn down to near their allowable limit. If the rotors are relatively new, you can have them turned on a lathe to shave them down to remove any "lateral runout" and they will work as good as new. Most don't bother with cutting the rotors anymore because replacement is relatively inexpensive, but don't let the dealer soak you if you don't need to have them replaced.

What is even more obvious is that if the dealer feels the car "vibrating" when the brakes are applied, you should be able to duplicate the condition. Otherwise, it's just their financial imagination running wild. :P

The lightness in the steering feel at high speeds is another issue.

Regards, Maurice.

Thanks for all the info... Here's what happened: They call me and tell me that my car pulls to one side and vibrates when they apply the brakes and found that something other than the brake pads (I dont know what its called but its more expensive than brake pads) needs to be change because its bent or damaged or something, but he advised that we will change it only until the brake pads are worn out because to change this part I have to buy the whole brake set (I'm sorry if I'm not using any mechanical terminology but the guy was speaking in arabic and I have no idea how to translate the part names to english), and he says I have to change all four brake sets for all the wheels. So I just say okay we'll see when my pads are worn out and figure I'll look into it when that time comes. When I tell him if they completed my warranty renewel everything changes and they insist to renew my warranty I need to fix this issue ($2,000!!!! only for the brake sets Plus $1,800 for warranty re-newel). They even insisted they have to fix the oil leak and have to pull the motor out to fix (but this is under the current warranty).

I'm no expert but I smell a rip off. The problem is my Porsche is a MY2005 C2S and I want to have a warranty valid as long as I have it since this model year is known for IMS failure. What can I do to check this brake issue myself????

[AIB]

Sounds like you should check the balance of your wheels first. The vibration is much more likely coming a balancing issue on the fronts than the brakes. Sounds like your dealer just wants to make some cash on you (gee what a shock for a dealer..)

Already done balancing twice and had the dealer fully check my steering components twice.... I'm up for my warranty re-newel and they did the whole check up and didn't find anything wrong with the steering components, and trust me the dealer here will find anything wrong with your car when they know you will have to fix it like in my case now.... They did mention something they want to try to do to the wheels, its not balancing but its something else (I really have no idea what it is, something to do with balancing but more to do with wheels???? I know I'm making no sense but they always say these things in another language and they don't know the translation in English).

I agree that they are after making some money off of me... They even tried to make me fix the light on the mirror inside my visor in order to be able to get a warranty re-newel...Unbelievable...

[phillipj]

At least the dealers are consistent internationally! :clapping:

Seriously,

I hope you can find the problem. There are not too many things that can make the front end shake. Control arms, bushings, alignment etc.. You could have a bent wheel. Maybe that is what they are talking about.....

Let us know what happens..

[1schoir]

Sounds like you should check the balance of your wheels first. The vibration is much more likely coming a balancing issue on the fronts than the brakes. Sounds like your dealer just wants to make some cash on you (gee what a shock for a dealer..)

Already done balancing twice and had the dealer fully check my steering components twice.... I'm up for my warranty re-newel and they did the whole check up and didn't find anything wrong with the steering components, and trust me the dealer here will find anything wrong with your car when they know you will have to fix it like in my case now.... They did mention something they want to try to do to the wheels, its not balancing but its something else (I really have no idea what it is, something to do with balancing but more to do with wheels???? I know I'm making no sense but they always say these things in another language and they don't know the translation in English).

I agree that they are after making some money off of me... They even tried to make me fix the light on the mirror inside my visor in order to be able to get a warranty re-newel...Unbelievable...

Ali:

First test the brakes yourself to see if you can reproduce the "vibration" that they describe yourself. If you find that the car "vibrates", or pulls to one side, or that you feel a "pulsation" in the brake pedal when you apply the brakes (and it's not the ABS system), take your car to an independent mechanic.

Any competent mechanic can replace the brake pads, rotors ("brake discs"), wear sensors, etc. on a Porsche 911 WITH THEIR EYES CLOSED!!! It's that simple and that straighforward. The brakes were very well designed by Porsche for ease of replacement.

Do not let them rip you off. I'm sure there are a few choice words in Arabic for what it appears they are trying to do to you! :censored:

Regards, Maurice.