hi everyone,

i have a 2003 5AT sedan (not the 2003.5) and just installed the md 5/16" plenum spacer along with the z tube about a week ago.

just two days ago i noticed the car was leaking oil. it doesn't seem to be leaking a *lot* of oil, but i think it leaks more oil when i push the car harder.

do you guys think i missed something during the plenum spacer install that would cause this? i really don't want to take off the spacer

thanks!

 

I would recommend taking the spacer off and checking it to see if oil is getting past it on some part. At least then you will know if its the spacer or not

 

Oil or coolant? I don't see how spacer could cause oil leak unless the PVC hose was loose...but that would be miniscule and you'd hear / feel vacuum leak.
I would check the coolant hoses connected to the undersiade of the throttle body as they may have gotten a bit loose.

 

wonder if he remembered to hook up the crank hose back to the plenum

 

two hours ago, i drove my car up to work, pushing it pretty hard (even though it's only a 10 mile trip)
it was my lunch break just now, so i went to check the hoses by the throttle body and nothing seemed unusual and i check by the other hoses on the right side. (i had a white cloth with me, and i just wiped to see if there was any liquid). nothing seemed loose, either.
i checked under the car, and there was no dripping...

i hate phantom leaks.
i'm going to try and be more observant in my garage over the next couple of days.
thanks for the input guys.

 

leaks as in you physically see a leak or you're low on oil?

the plenum spacer has nothing to do with the car's oil system unless (like someone else said) you have the PCV outlet hose disconnected.. but you'll def notice that..

If you have a coolant leak you should be able to smell it when you pop the hood and see a trail (leave something like dryed up heavly mineraled water would).

did you recently do an oil change? check if you have double gaskets on your oil filter.. even the oldest techs miss those sometimes cause they're doing it too fast.. also check if your oil pan bolt is all the way down.. it can even be your oil pan gasket.. but whatever it is you should notice a build up in dirt around the area

 

I have been wondering if these NA mods might some how be influencing the pcv into allowing blowby during low duty to high duty resulting in greater oil consumption or influening the pcv to not allow blowby which would create a back pressure in the crank resulting in oil being pushed up aroound the piston rings or out some seals..

I am not a mechanic but I have studies the show manuals a litle as well as the air and fluid flow schematics and the aforemention hypthesis' is all I could come up with.

the pcv is a spring loaded check valve and actuates to open or closed based on the plenum vacuum pressure. So if the pressure is atificially increased or decreasd the spring may bia to open or closed more frequently.

I'd really love to hear back from the seasoned vets.

 

Double gaskets?

 

i had this happen on my 240 once.. remove the old filter but the gasket remains beind. install the new filter on top of the old gasket... wait for the oil to rain down.

 

i change my own oil. i changed the oil on the g about 1500 miles ago. i just think it would be weird for it to start leaking from the oil pan now and not sooner.

and i've never heard of double gaskets either...i usually just take off the old filter, oil up the new filter a tiny bit, and screw the new one on...hasn't failed me yet, but maybe it has??

i thought it was coolant originally too, but the stain on my garage floor doesn't look like a coolant stain.

i left a tray under it to collect and i'll see what turns up tomorrow.

 

basically the double gasket problem is the gasket from the old filter gets stuck on the car not on purpose but just by accident so if you dont check the old filter you could end up with 2 gaskets and trust me the pressure build up will cause the oil to pump out from around the filter.