General Oil dripping from backbox?!

[tomfoster]

I have just gone out to use my Stilo and found a small pool of oil beneath it. I had a look underneath, and it seems like oil is dripping from the weld at the rear of the backbox. I've never seen this before and am a bit baffled as to possible causes...

FWIW, I recently had a new timing belt fitted and the garage pressure-tested the head gasket whilst it was in to check it was OK (at my request), so I don't think that could be the cause. Also, the car isn't overheating or driving anything other than normally, and there's no coolant loss.

I'd really appreciate some help!

 

[Yellow Peril]

Not saying it couldn't be oil, but very unlikley (particularly that far away from the engine). Much more likley to be condensation from within the exhaust system that has picked up carbon and turned black. In which case, nothing to worry about...

 

[Davren]

Could be the oily glycol fluid dripping from a rear suspension bush on to the exhaust.

 

[Yellow Peril]

Reason I said condensation is that, if I recall, there is a small hole in the seam of the back box to allow condensation to drain out...

And thinking about it, are you sure the exhaust back box is directly underneath the rear bushes? I'm sure the back box is further back than that.

 

[Davren]

Reason I said condensation is that, if I recall, there is a small hole in the seam of the back box to allow condensation to drain out...

And thinking about it, are you sure the exhaust back box is directly underneath the rear bushes? I'm sure the back box is further back than that.

No.. I'm not sure which is why I said "Could be....."

I don't know the exhaust route on a 1.4 petrol, but if it's a bush leaking, the glycol could be dripping on the pipe then running along the bottom of the back box, or the slipstream while driving could blow it to the back box.

My O/S/R bush started leaking while I was in Romania last year and the glycol had sprayed to the back of the car while driving.

 

[tomfoster]

Reason I said condensation is that, if I recall, there is a small hole in the seam of the back box to allow condensation to drain out...

Thanks for the replies - that's very interesting, as that was exactly how it looked; as though it was dripping from a small hole in the seam of the backbox. Whatever it was, it's left a very black mark on my drive and I've not seen it do this before in the time I've owned the car. Is there any reason why it would suddenly dump a load of condensation out?!

 

[Yellow Peril]

Did you leave it standing on the drive with the engine running from a cold start, or return from a very short drive, during which the engine didn't get a chance to warm up? Both these would do it...