Technical Oil Leak Behind Central Dash Panel

[briangw]

I have a 1996 Barchetta. For a couple of years now I have had a small oil leak coming from behind the radio/heater controls. It would then run down into the passenger footwell under the carpet. I obviously didnt spot this for quite some time, so it was quite a mess the first time I found it. Having cleaned it up, I put a piece if folded up kitchen roll behind the panel, and this controlled it, every 4/6 months I would replace it. Kept my eye on the oil level in the tank, it didnt seem to go down much, and I assumed it got topped up at services.
However now my piece of kitchen roll is filling up every couple of weeks, and I need to fix this leak. Looking at an exploded diagram of the power steering system, I dont think any pipes go behind the dash inside the car, so what is this oil ? It also explains why the oil level doesn't seem to go down.
The only other oil it could be, would be brake oil. Now this worrying ! And also, isn't brake oil pretty nasty stuff, I've had this on my fingers and not noticed anything. It also doesn't smell.
Has anybody got any ideas ?

PS I also have the petrol smell and a faulty digital clock. I'm working on these with guidance from previous forum posts (it never rains but it pours !)

 

[Wiltshire Chris]

Worrying. Are you absolutely sure that it's oil? Coolant leaking from the heater matrix is a common problem.

 

[briangw]

Worrying. Are you absolutely sure that it's oil? Coolant leaking from the heater matrix is a common problem.

If it was coolant, the kitchen roll would dry out I think, and it definitely feels 'oily' to touch. I could always put some leak sealer in to the rad just in case.

 

[s130]

I think you have to identify the fluid / oil.

There are only a few fluids in a "B"

1) Engine Oil
2) Gearbox Oil (much the same as 1)
3) Coolant/Antifreeze (normally a water / glycol mix UNLESS waterless cooland has been used)
4) Windscreen washer fluid
5) Brake fluid
6) Fuel / Petrol

I think the first question you have to ask is did this occur well after you aquired the car?

Did the previous owner place an oil/other bottle in the engine bay in the scuttle area and knock it over? If so it would take a lot of time, warm weather, etc. for the contamination to drain through.

 

[briangw]

Did the previous owner place an oil/other bottle in the engine bay in the scuttle area and knock it over? If so it would take a lot of time, warm weather, etc. for the contamination to drain through.
I live in Spain and have had the car for over 13 years, so I can rule this out. Only been happening for last couple of years.

The fluid/oil has no smell, so I can definitely rule out numbers 4 and 6 ( although I do have a petrol smell and this has confused the issue slightly in that I assumed the smell was the fluid/oil leak until I realised there was no smell from the soaked tissue, and the smell only occurred when I filled up with petrol)

I cant see that it is 1 or 2 (unless there was a spill as you suggested)

It can only be 3, 5 or 7 (power steering)

I was hoping somebody had experienced something similar. Anyway I am going to try the rad seal first, as its a cheap and easy fix, and can be considered a preventative solution at worst. Although I have just checked the tissue that I removed last week and it still feels oily to me.

 

[s130]

Suggest you send your tissue sample off for analysis as to what the fluid is. I have my own methods for analysing (or at least compartmentalising) fluids but Health and Safety etc. prohibits me from detailing these.

 

[briangw]

Suggest you send your tissue sample off for analysis as to what the fluid is. I have my own methods for analysing (or at least compartmentalising) fluids but Health and Safety etc. prohibits me from detailing these.

I could try licking it

 

[s130]

I could try licking it

You said it, not me

 

[Davefridge]

Could you dip the tissue in water to see if the liquid is oil or water based?

 

[briangw]

Could you dip the tissue in water to see if the liquid is oil or water based?

Its definitely water. Worryingly a rather brownish looking water
I think its going to have to be flushed out and treated for rust as well as possible leaks

 

[Wiltshire Chris]

So it could be the heater matrix ? Useful old thread here:

HEATER Matrix unit removal | FIAT Barchetta

Hi, has anyone suffered a coolant leak inside the car from the bottom of the heater unit? I've had my 2002 Barch for 18 months and it's always leaked a little when the heater control was on anything but cold. Yesterday the little leak turned into a torrent. There was more than a litre of coolant...

www.fiatforum.com

 

[briangw]

So it could be the heater matrix ? Useful old thread here:

HEATER Matrix unit removal | FIAT Barchetta

Hi, has anyone suffered a coolant leak inside the car from the bottom of the heater unit? I've had my 2002 Barch for 18 months and it's always leaked a little when the heater control was on anything but cold. Yesterday the little leak turned into a torrent. There was more than a litre of coolant...

www.fiatforum.com

The tissue I removed still feels oily, and its a light oily colour not the mucky brown stuff I can see in the header tank. I am totally perplexed because I dont think there should be any source of oil between the bulkhead and the dash

 

[s130]

If you have blown a head gasket and there is any oilway to waterway leak then you can get oil in the water. If this happens then normally you will see the white emulsion in the racker box / cam shaft area.

We had a heater matix leak on out 2005 B back in July 2015 at 41K miles. As it was a very small leak I chose to try Radweld. Now, 2023 and 51K miles all is still fine. I guess / know at some point the leak may appear again and I'll have to make a decision. Radweld again or replace the matrix, a "B" of a job.

NOTE! I'm not normally a fan of the likes of Radweld etc. as exceesive use can gum up more that the leak you were trying to fix. They should only be used for small / pin prick leaks and certainly no more than twice.

You can get similar products for oil leaks but personally I would never use then as you have know way of knowing what they may be doing to the oil and librication.

 

[Wiltshire Chris]

One way to start fault finding could be to bypass the heater matrix as mentioned in the other thread. If the fluid stops appearing then at least you know where it's coming from. You can then start writing about the coolant/oil mixing that @s130 talked about