Oil in air filter and leaking filler cap - help me diagnose my car

[Mattias87]

Hi!

Since two months back I am an owner of a seat leon mk1 1.6 16v (engine code AZD). Barely know anything about cars but am learning, so far I have changed the cam belt and the master clutch cylinder. Since a few weeks I noticed the car hesitating and almost slightly jerking in certain gears mainly around 2500 rpm so figured it was time for a service. I then changed the oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air filter. While doing this I noticed:

- Some oil on top of the engine, which I believe is coming from the oil cap. The cap has a little opening one of the sides (to relieve pressure?) where it could be coming from.

- About 1/4 of the air filter was covered in sludgy oil.

- When unscrewing the oil cap when car is running there is a very slight amount of oil spitting out.

My first though was that it was merely the oil cap that was leaking, perhaps as i said from the opening on the side - why is it there? However I realised this probably did not cause the problem with the air filter.
So I have googled and tried finding out what the problem could be and read that it could be a faulty PCV-valve, dirty throttle body and some dreaded threads blaming it on piston rings (which apparently would mean the end of the engine?)

The car actually runs pretty well, so I am hoping that I have caught this early enough. I do not mind spending time fixing it, but am a total newbie when it comes to engines so am hoping to get some good advice from this forum. Any ideas?

 

[Bigjohn84]

Welcome to the SCN mate, you air filter from just a new one mate, if they havnt been changed for a while they do get oily looking, oil cap shouldn't have slits on the side to let pressure out just Dosnt happen, and when you take the oil cap of when engine is running oil will splatter out lol, good thing to do is take the throttle body of and give it a clean, see how much oil deposits in and around it, you may need to reset the throttle body with VCDS sometimes you don't,, the PCV will prob be black same as the pipes, if your not gonna tune the car up then just replace them with OEM ones.

 

[Mattias87]

The air filter looked pretty decent apart from the 1/4 of it that was covered in oil sludge so I believe it has been changed at least fairly recently. Also the leaking of oil from the top is new.
Here is a picture of the oil cap (actually its the part under it that has the opening - anyone know what it is for?
ttp://s33.postimg.org/x6v6qunkf/20160608_232232_1.jpgm (had to remove the h in the beginning as I am not allowed to post URL:S to other sites with a low post count, just add the h and it should work)

Thanks - will give a go at cleaning the throttle body. However as I said I am a total newbie so did not really understand the rest of things you said. And if anyone feels like giving a walkthrough (with pics if possible) that would be very appreciated!

 

[Bigjohn84]

You can't post photos till you have 15 posts, best Google seat Leon PCV pipes and look there, so much to type mate lol

Have a read of this also

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=428107

 

[Mattias87]

Thanks for your reply mate!

I removed the throttle body today and it was covered in black. Also the thing it attaches to (intake manifold?) is pitch black. Will get some cleaner for this within the next day or two, but should not the intake manifold be cleanes as well and if so - how?

Also I believe there is oil coming from the crankcase breather and its tube (the tube coming on the left hand side from Belov the Engine and attaching to the air box).

No luck in finding the PCV-valve could anyone please Point me in the right direction? Have also been recommended to Clean the MAF-sensor (however these cars seem to only have a MAP sensor) any ideas where it is?

Anyone else have any ideas as to why I am getting oil into the air filter and spilling from the oil filler cap?

PICS:
ttp://s33.postimg.org/hlpm37lhr/20160608_232232_1.jpg - Picture of oil cap and fitting. There is an opening on the fitting - is it supposed to be there? Believe this is where oil is coming out of.


ttp://s33.postimg.org/tsxxyigsv/20160609_164747_1.jpg - Picture of the Engine. I Believe the hose in the top left corner is the tube from the crankcase breather - correct? There is some oil residue in this. Possible to remove and Clean both this and the crankcase breather? Also anyone who can Point me in the direction of the MAP/MAF and PCV-valve? Thanks.


As I have a low post Count I cannot post Pictures - but just att the missing "h" to the "http" and the Pictures should work.
Thanks all help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Mattias87]

Found a Picture describing some part of the motor. Seems there is an oil separator on the back of the motor, which is where the hose mentioned earlier comes up from and connects to the air box. Does that mean this oil separator needs to be replaced or can it be cleaned? Am guessing it is not meant to get oil up into the air box

 

[Bigjohn84]

First picture PCV this is under the manifold, it will be caked in crap, I've just took all this out to fit an oil catch can, second photo is under the mani when I took the breather pipe out, you can see all the crap. Third photo under mani were pipe is, forth photo throttle body cleaned, fifth photo, the pipe on the left on the induction kit is an oil breather pipe, shouldnt have any oil coming out it, I can't view any of your photos u will just need to keep writing to get 15 posts lol


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My engine bay Now

 

[Bigjohn84]

Best thing you can do is clean all the engine up the best as you can and then leave it a few days and then have alook and you will see were you problem is, it's hard just now when you can't post photos

 

[Bigjohn84]

There shouldn't be any oil coming out your oil cap it's just not right, it's meant to be air tight so the engine can get compresion, think you should change the cap, also the manifold is ok you don't need to clean that, I'm not sure about the 1.6 but the pipe on ur throttle body if there's loads of oil in that then you have a problem, could be a few things, best thing to do is clean everything up and then go and look a week later or a few days later, sorry mate but without photos up its hard to tell, maf sensor is on the end of the air box.

 

[Mattias87]

Bigjohn - thank you so much for taking the time to help me out. Greatly appreciated.

About your Pictures: I don't Think its the same in my Engine (an AZD). However I read that the PCV-valve is housed in the oil separator on the back that the hose that goes into the airbox comes from. Will try to remove and Clean it this weekend. Also read that this car does not have a MAF-sensor but a MAP-sensor that is on top of the Engine next to oil dipstick, will Clean this to.

About the throttle body: Which pipe do you mean it is that should not have any oil on it? The inside of the throttle body is Dirty with black soot and maybe old oil. Will Clean it this weekend. Same soot and build up on the pipe going into the manifold where the TB attaches.

About the oil cap: It is just so weird that it seems to be designed that way. The neck that goes up to the oil cap has a round Little opening. Will take it to the dealer and ask them what is going on.

When Reading up a bit it does seem that oil in the air filter is a common thing with these cars and that it is simply how Volkswagen has built the motor and should not be harmful. So maybe my problem is simply due to a leaking oil cap as you suggested in your first post. Or is there anything else you find worrysome in my descriptions? Cheers!

 

[Bigjohn84]

Yeh I have the 1.8 turbo mate so totally different engine didn't relise there lol manifold will be abit discoloured shouldn't be caked in crap tho meaning not pulling big clump of crap out, should have a light colour inside of it, really think ur cap is busted, like I said above its better with photos rather than decryption when comes to different engine to mine. You will get there just tidy everything up and keep an eye out.

 

[Mattias87]

So cleaned out the throttle body and also noticed the vacuum hose to the break booster was cracked. Car has run much smoother after cleaning but will have to replace vacuum hose. Also spoke to vag about the opening from oil cap. According to them there is supposed to be an airong tube there but they could not tell me where it should go. Anyone with an AZD engine who could take a picture of their oil cap with engine cover off? Cheers!

 

[Bigjohn84]

Well least you no mate, start an new thread asking about the cap you will get a better response