Hi All -

Just notice my 2010 TDI (15k miles) is leaking a bit of oil!!! I noticed it on my driveway when it was fresh this morning. After further inspecition of my drive, this is not the first evening this has occured.

I took a peak underneath, but with the lower cover on, I couldn't identify the leaking area. However there was visible oil underneath. I checked the oil level which is in range.

Any ideas on typical oil leak issues on a v6 tdi? It is still under the original factory warranty, so I will get it fixed, but the more I know before going to my clueless dealer the better.

Cheers,
Ryan

First place to look is at the oil drain plug. If the drain plug, or more importantly, the crushable (copper) gasket is not replaced at each oil change, you are almost certain to develop a leak there, and it's virtually 100% preventable.

Go back to whomever changed your oil last, and let them pull the fascia down, and have a look...sps

 

Thanks! I had it serviced a couple thousand miles ago at a VW dealership (MI) while I was traveling. I don't really have a chance to get it back to them, but hopefully the local dealer can rectify the situation.

I sure hope you are right as this will be a quick and easy repair!!

 

+1.....from time to time I also experience oil leaking/dripping from the oil drain plug a few hundred or thousand miles after an oil change. The crushable gasket I was getting from the dealer was not copper, but aluminum I believe and I didn't have an issue with them ever leaking. When I bought a bunch of thicker copper ones for a $1 and used them I started experiencing the leaking problem. When I do notice the leak I just get under and tighten the drain plug a little and the leak stops. I usually get another half turn on the plug.

I think it is that when I/we/they change the oil and tighten the drain plug and use a thicker copper crushable gasket it doesn't crush to the true shape needed to seal the oil plug/pan. After a while of heating and cooling it becomes more amenable to sealing, but is not as tight as it should be, so you get a very slow leak.

 

Also check your power steering fluid level. I had a slow leak from the servo pump due to a faulty hose connection. Had me stumped for ages until I took away the front bumper to take a closer inspection of where the oil was dripping from .