I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

[Gaz B]

I have had the oil light flash on quickly whenever I've been stopping the car and switching off the ignition over the past few days but it hasn't come on whilst driving.

So I bought some oil today thinking it needs a bit of a top up before its 72,000 mile service on Monday. But after topping up the oil, leaving the car ticking over for five minutes and then taking it around the block earlier this evening, guess what I came back to on the pavement!

Please visit this link for pictures of my predicament.

http://www.garybrowne.co.uk/leakybravo.htm

Any diagnosis of the problem would be appreciated! How bad is it!?!

 

[Tom]

When EXACTLY does the oil light flash?

 

[Gaz B]

Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

Hi Tom,

It comes on and goes off normally when you start the ignition.

Stays off during the journey!

Then over the past few days, as I've come to a halt and go to turn the ignition off it flashes up again quikly.

This evening before I topped it up though it stayed flashing on and off at the end of the journey.

I must emphasise that it hasn't comes on at all whilst driving/stopping at junctions etc...only at the end of a journey when I'm turning it off!

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

It comes on before or after you turn the key to turn the engine off?

 

[Gaz B]

Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

It's just before I turn it off!
As you can imagine I pull into a parking space, stop the car and turn the key as I'm putting the hand brake on! All within about 5 seconds!

 

[Gaz B]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

I've just added 2 more digi pics at the bottom of the page linked in the first post, that show just how much oil has been lost in only a few hours of the car standing idle.

As you can see from these pics....most of the oil is gathering by the drivers side front wheel, but most of the plastic underside tray is saturated with oil.

What could be causing it to lose so much so quickly, even though the car still starts and runs!?!

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

You didn't overfill it did you? I'd say crank end seal has gone. Get it to a garage.

The light coming on as you turn the key means its loosing oil pressure very rapidly, probably through the end seal.

If it is loosing oil there, it will be all over the cambelt which is REALLY BAD.

Get it to a garage.

 

[Gaz B]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

Well the car is booked into a garage on Monday for the 72,000 service, cambelt change, and "to have a look at the possible oil leak I thought I had"...the bloke I spoke to is gonna think I was taking the **** when I told him that, once he sees whats happened to it now!

I will have to beg and plead to see if they can get it in earlier...like tomorrow!

Cheers for the info anyway, don't suppose you'd like to hazzard a guess at whats involved and a very approximate cost if it turns out to be what you've diagnosed!?!

I'll let you know what happens anyway!

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

Well, if the cambelt is coming off anyway that saves you some cost.

Basically they need to take the end pulley off the engine and replace the seal. The big question is if that is the fault why did it fail. That may be harder.

 

[Gaz B]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

Well thanks again Tom, I appreciate your responses...gives me something to go on anyway!

 

[Gaz B]

Car repaired - Thanks 'carrsy'1 for the recommendation!

After Thursday nights 'Oil incontinance' my Bravo is now back and running better than ever.

Thank you carrsy1 for recommending Premier Autuomotive.

They were so helpful when it came to rushing my car in on the Friday morning and sorting me with a courtesy car in such a short time.

Prices were also very good.

I had the 72,000 mile service including cambelt/alternator belts changed,
Oil leak fixed. This included replacing both the front main oil seal and the R/C Gasket.
MOT,
Also my handbrake was loose, (lever wobbled side to side), so it needed attention to pass the MOT. They had to remove the mounting panel and weld it back in place,
Sourced and fitted 2 new front tyres (Pirelli P6000's) and adjusted the tracking.

The price?

Labour - £242.48
Parts - £224.57 (£120 of this was the tyres)
Oils etc - £15.48

Vat - £84.44

Total - £607.72 (Not easy on the wallet, but not bad considering the work they undertook)

Overall I felt I got a fair price and a higher than average level of customer service and workmanship!

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Car repaired - Thanks 'carrsy'1 for the recommendation!

Sounds like you had a pretty good deal to me...

Glad to see your cars back to normal...

Daz

 

[Gaz B]

Re: Re: Car repaired - Thanks 'carrsy'1 for the recommendation!

Just been out driving and I noticed something else....they sorted out my sunroof too. Was noisey at speed but they must have adjusted it....I didn't ask them to so good attention to detail on their part!

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Car repaired - Thanks 'carrsy'1 for the recommendation!

Good good! Was a simple fix afterall!

 

[Gaz B]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Car repaired - Thanks 'carrsy'1 for the recommendation!

Yes thankfully it was nothing to drastic! Thanks again for replying the other day Tom!

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Car repaired - Thanks 'carrsy'1 for the recommendation!

A leaking endseal is quite drastic

 

[Ian]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Car repaired - Thanks 'carrsy'1 for the recommendation!

If you can't pronounce the problem, it's usually bad. Same with what you eat, or should I say what I don't! What I can't pronounce I don't eat, simple

 

[Pete]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

Tom
Just a small technical point. The oil pressure is governed by the condition of the oil pump, big end and cam bearings. All oil seals do is retain the 'loose' oil in the sump and cam box.

Pete

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

I don't eat prawns cos' they look at me funny.
Or as Janet would say " they look at your WHAT?"

 

[Tom]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I take it this is bad! Tech help plz!

Sure thing pete.