Oily residue around pipe along front of car '03 Passat

[Betsy Og]

Seems to be a kind of oily residue around a thick pipe along the from of the car (just above the covershield under the car and behind the front grill), the right hand side if standing in from of the car looking at the windscreen. In front of the wheel so not brake fluid or leak from CV.

If I had to guess I'd say the pipe is air intake, which is why oily residue doesnt make sense to me. Maybe, come to think of it, its an AC pipe?

 

[mathepac]

No its probably a 1.9 TDI 95 / 100 / 105 bhp and the pipe IIRC runs between the turbo (at the back of the engine as you look at it from to front) and the intercooler (in front of the driver's side wheel-arch).

Engine oil leaks in usually as a spray from the EGR valve assembly which feeds unburnt fuel and toxic fumes into the air inlet from the exhaust system (emissions legislation). If you look on one of the VW/Audi/Skoda/Seat forums you will get details on how to clean the intercooler and the pipes out, but in general, it is nothing to be too concerned about as long as the engine-oil level is OK. It won't do the catalytic converter any good, but on a diesel, the cat acts only as a very crude soot trap. Take them all off I say, be done with them.

If the car is petrol, ignore the above and get automotive assistance ASAP!

 

[Betsy Og]

thanks for that, its a diesel no looks like no major panic - I'll get out me Haynes manual and see how many spanners are beside that job (for those unfamiliar the more spanners beside it the more expert you need to be - anthing beyond 2 or 3 and I tend to stay away).

Are you a mechanic and, if so, how come you're on the net?, you should be gettting covered in oil !! You're probably a swanky automotive engineer, drawing curvy lines on CAD or summat !! Thanks again.