I have a very small drip front right. Not enough to need a top up between services, but just enough to cause embarrassment on my friend's drives! The local guy [France] reckons its the oil cooler and suggests that I leave it alone and park on grass. V6 tdi though.

Took the undertray off today which was soaking wet.

I had a good look around and found a few drips.

Does anyone know if this looks like a leak from the oil cooler?
I have no idea where it is other then that its on the left side of the engine (when facing the front of the car)

http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/u...n/DSCN1272.jpg

Either that or the secondary sump gasket. The sump comes in 2 parts.

Thanks! :)

My workshop has nicknamed both my 8's the "Exxon Valdez" for some reason.......

Fixed two since I've had the silver one. Only a couple left surely.

Will sort the leak one day just can't be arsed with putting it on the ramp when it's chilly.

Did 600mile trip to france today with the car loaded to the brim, it was riding so low the bilsteins looked basically bottomed out at the rear constantly. Far from ideal but we had so much heavy stuff to take that this was the only option.
There was me and my girlfriend and at least 400kg luggage in the back and 200kg on the roof bars as well as half a tank of petrol and the 90l LPG brimmed.
It still pulled like a train though!!

Anyway, all the motorway driving seamed to make the oil leak creep its way back on the the cats which where smoking mildly when stationary after a long stint.
Seamed ok though but i was a bit concerned every time I stopped to pay the toll fees and saw smoke coming up the side of the car..
amazing what a tiny leak can do in the long run.
Hopefully it won't get any worse.

If there's smoke and the leak is that far forward I would suggest the cam cover gaskets are to blame.
As suggested, there's PLENTY of places the V8's leak from but cam cover gaskets pour oil straight onto the exhaust manifolds, when used normally this oil gets blown around the engine and drips off but on long journeys the oil collects to the point that it cant just dissipate and actually starts to burn off from the manifolds.

Worth a closer look - just don't be tempted to put any kind of fluid that miraculously cures leaks in the eggine, these can cause even more issues with timing variators and relief vlaves etc!

Thanks Ben, I spoke to the previous owner earlyer for other reasons and he confirmed that one of the cam cover gaskets was leaking and they didnt replace it when they did the cambelt because it was on back order :mad:

So that confirms at least one place its leaking from.. Ill keep an eye on it.
Cheers.
Bo