Turbocharger Oil Leak: Causes & Fixes

Hello everyone! I'm new to this forum and I'm already posting about a problem:
I noticed some oil leakage at the bottom of my B4, so I decided to give it a thorough engine cleaning. After a few days, I checked again and found the following:
The oil near the transmission comes from the direction of the turbocharger and either leaks out of the pipe (see arrow here and here) that leads away from the turbo, or at least runs along it. There is also oil leaking from the pan at the bottom of the transmission (along the red line). Is this transmission oil or ATF? It looks like a new seal might fix it.
and coming from in front of this tub, there is also oil (see arrow }here}), but I have no idea what component that is.

Could it be the turbocharger? Unfortunately, I'm not really an expert. Can I still drive the car? This seems pretty urgent.

Hello,

I think the oil might be coming from a crack in the pressure pipe of the turbocharger. That's what it was like with my Golf IV TDI. After a long highway drive, there was a small oil stain on the ground the next morning.
I had it repaired at a Volkswagen service center. The invoice stated 'Pressure line replaced' for 120 euros.
So, it seems that some oil always makes its way from the turbocharger into the intake manifold and is then burned in the engine. In my case, this has been happening for about 45,000 km, and I have very little oil consumption. If the oil settles at the bottom of the engine, it might appear to be more than it actually is.

Best regards,

Frank.

That already gives me a bit of hope! What does the pressure pipe look like exactly? And where does it run from to where, so I can check it out.

That already gives me a little hope!! What does the pressure pipe look like exactly?? And where does it go from start to finish, so I can check it out.

Hi there,

It's possible that the intercooler is slightly leaking. There's always some oil present in the intake system between the crankcase ventilation (which ends before the turbocharger) and the cylinder inlet.
This oil vapor originates from the engine and then accumulates in the piping system. It is possible that the boost pressure forces it out of the system through a point that is not completely sealed.

Greetings.

Eike.

I suggest you try sealing off the intake manifold. Remove the air filter housing, insert a glass or similar object into the hose and tighten the clamp. Disconnect the hose at the top of the intake manifold and seal it with the lid of a spray can or something similar. Before closing the lid, install a tire valve in it. Then you can apply pressure and check for leaks.
Regarding image oel6: Isn't transmission fluid and ATF (automatic transmission fluid) the same thing?
A new patch should fix the problem.
Regarding image oel7: This is the connection between the transmission and the engine. The clutch is located there on the housing. It could be a leak from an oil seal on either the engine or the transmission shaft. Alternatively, the oil may have simply dripped down from above and accumulated in that location.

You can most accurately determine the exact source of the oil on the air filter housing by examining it after it has been removed.

So, I took the air filter box off today.

Then I noticed that the hose which goes from the turbocharger downwards http://praxismayer.dyndns.org/motor-talk/oel4.jpg is not properly secured at the top of the turbo (although the clamp is tightened, the hose is loose).

There were also oil stains on this hose, and the oil likely ran down along it.

What kind of hose is this? Could it be the source of the leak? Does oil actually flow through it?

"That's the hose that connects the turbo to the intercooler. I don't quite understand your question."
Inside the hose, you'll find intake air mixed with oil mist from the crankcase ventilation system, which is perfectly normal. However, if oil is leaking out, the hose is faulty and you should repair it quickly. Otherwise, you could experience anything from a loss of power to turbocharger damage.

So that you understand the question: I'm a complete novice when it comes to fixing things.

I removed the air filter housing and noticed that the hose was a bit loose and that oil was dripping down it. This made me wonder if there's actually oil inside the hose that could be leaking out.

Okay, I'm going to go down to the pit now, completely remove the hose, verschandeln the radiator and the hose, and then tighten everything back up.

Okay, I'll verschandeln the area again and check if there's any oil on the floor. Is this something that's okay, or would you recommend a beginner like me to go to a workshop instead?

Everyone starts as a beginner, and if you can think logically and aren't completely clumsy, it shouldn't be a problem.

Okay, so I unscrewed the hose connected to the intercooler at the top of the turbo and checked it for any visible damage. Since I didn't find anything, I reattached the hose securely.

At the bottom near the intercooler, I couldn't remove the hose because there was absolutely no space around the turbo and the intercooler.

What now?

I then rinsed everything again with a pressure washer and will check it again on Saturday.

If oil continues to leak somewhere, I will probably have to take it to the workshop and have them fix it.

You can easily do that yourself. They probably can't do much more than tighten a clamp or replace a hose.

There can't be anything more than a punctured hose causing that problem, right?

I'd like to swap it out, but what can I remove? There simply isn't enough space to unscrew the hose from the coolant reservoir.

Well, the leak could also be coming from somewhere else. But in a workshop, parts are usually just replaced without further investigation.
The best way is to print it yourself, as I described above.

I can't imagine it being that tight in there. Surely a small screwdriver or ratchet would do the trick!
If necessary, remove the liquid cooling system.

I just took the car for another spin, and I noticed that as soon as the turbo kicks in, there's a louder and louder hissing sound, like air escaping from a hose under pressure.

Are there any other hoses that could be relevant, or is this the one I've already removed from the turbo to the intercooler?

and what is the name of this hose so that I can order it from a reputable supplier?

A common occurrence is the connection between the LLK (likely referring to a specific type of connector) and the pressure pipe, which is also a hose.

http://web.utanet.at/langzaur/B4_94.gif
Here is an overview .

Best regards, Robert.