parthiban Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 The Mercs at the dealers today for a service, got a call a short while ago saying it has an oil leak which needs investigating - was a little unconvinced so asked whether it was a weep or a proper leak, to which they replied there is a considerable amount of oil. I questioned if there was that much oil coming out, why is there nothing on my drive, which was fluffed off with some comment about underbody covers. Asked for photos to be sent by email, said yes but nothing has arrived so far (this was a few hours ago). What are we thinking, could there be a genuine leak or are they just scamming for additional work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMARTLY Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Well if they were scamming they'd have to cut a pipe or loosen the sump now. Did they say where it was coming from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Well I wouldn't be paying Merc prices to investigate a leak , any garage could do that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parthiban Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Well if they were scamming they'd have to cut a pipe or loosen the sump now. Did they say where it was coming from? That's the worst part, they haven't actually looked at all - just said there's a lot of oil around the sump. The investigation is yet to be carried out, and they will be calling late morning tomorrow to let us know what the issue is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parthiban Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Well I wouldn't be paying Merc prices to investigate a leak , any garage could do that Agreed, not ideal. Particularly when I think they're making it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parthiban Posted April 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 The video finally came through, and looks like it might be legitimate. Although the leak doesn't look quite as severe as originally described. A few screenshots below, what is most likely the cause of this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMARTLY Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Is that the sump? Maybe the gasket is leaking or is it anywhere near the oil filter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Leaking sump gasket it looks like , remove and refit no more than 1 hour but if they already filled the oil you'll be looking at the cost of that as well as the gasket or sealer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 That's nothing to worry about.... At worst all it needs is the sump bolts tightening up a notch because the gasket has hardened over time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parthiban Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 You're all correct, they confirmed this morning that the sump needs to be removed and resealed. So no major expense, well by Mercedes standards, £190 or so (most of that is the inspection time). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Just nip up the bolts =£0.... I've done this 100's of times when servicing cars as part of the Tony service. Remember over time the cork or rubber gasket goes hard so when the sump does though a heat cycle it leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parthiban Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Just nip up the bolts =£0.... I've done this 100's of times when servicing cars as part of the Tony service. Remember over time the cork or rubber gasket goes hard so when the sump does though a heat cycle it leaks. Yep, that's the Mercedes way unfortunately. Although I got the impression they'll be removing the sump and replacing the gasket, not just tightening it up? Had a good nose around a £120k matt silver G63 that was in the showroom, definitely one for the dream garage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Just nip up the bolts =£0.... I've done this 100's of times when servicing cars as part of the Tony service. Remember over time the cork or rubber gasket goes hard so when the sump does though a heat cycle it leaks. You usually use a liquid sealant now so that wont work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 True but this is an older car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parthiban Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Is the liquid sealant why it could have failed? The Lexus is older and hasn't had a leaky sump. The Merc is 10 years old which is old, but nowadays cars don't seem to suffer these kinds of issues much. In fact watching "how it's made" it's surprising how much glue is used in cars now, in some instances even metal to metal is glued rather than welded. Have glues moved on so much that they are as strong and long lasting as a weld or is this going to impact longevity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 True but this is an older car. Aint old enough to use cork gaskets LOL ! Most of the engine is sealed with liquid sealant , its rare to use a gasket nowadays these liquids are so good and manufacturing tolerances are so accurate to produce flat sealing faces that why you rarely see a leaking gasket Sometimes things just fail though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Looks like there's a rubber gasket to me.... Isn't the sealant normally orange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Any colour , most car makers use their own Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Well i assume it's stays pliable so maybe a little nip on the bolts will do the deed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPhoboS Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I would have just taken the car home, bought new oil and RTV Sealant (I use V-Tech black), plus the rubber gasket if it has one there and do it myself The longest part will be cleaning the surface properly to ensure the new RTV sticks nicely to it (I've just recently done this for my rocker valve cover and drilled out the old grommets, popped in ones that wont die after a couple of years). Clean up the pan after re-fitting and torquing the bolts, fire it up after the sealant has cured (24hrs), ensure it's not leaking after idling for a bit. Go for a short drive, check it again... then a week later for any signs of leaking, sorted.Ask them what they have done specifically though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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