Just had a look at my engine bay after driving my car a few miles, and noticed oil on the metal plate under the coolant cap, by the time I could take the photo the oil had kind of gone, it smelt and looked like oil, and was a clean oil colour, I am pretty sure it was oil, it was thick and not like the coolant at all.

I removed all 3 pipes that connect to the top of this plate and the coolant looked clean, also removed the coolant cap and the coolant looked ok

It looks like it has come from the top pipe and as you can see in the photo has leaked down around the base of the coolant cap.

In the 2nd photo I have shown where the oil was

Any advice would be great, thanks Matt.



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Have you checked the oil recently or had it serviced? As the dipstick could have been laid with the oily end resting on the top. Just looking at angle in relation to inlet manifold and area covered.
Try it to see if it leaves a similar area.

 

I checked the oil the other day, but did not rest it on there, and it was not there before I drove the car today, but when I returned home it was there, could it be possible some how, that engine oil is leaking into the coolant at the turbo?

 

Doubt it. Looking at the pictures the two rubber breather pipes from the intercooler metal pipes. The one going down the back of the header tank looks to have a mark on it Level with the back edge of the top. I wonder if there is a small hole there.

 

are you sure it was oil and not coolant as oil just doesn't dissapear by itself but coolant will evaporate if left on a hot surfice.

 

Ok will check this in a min, thank you

and if it appears again i will try and take a sample from it

 

As bigarf said oil does not just evaporate. Have a look round the airscoop to see if there is any sign of similar product.

 

probably dirty rad water? very much doubt it was oil

 

Thats coolant that has evaporated and left the deposits from the antifreez.

 

+1 for coolant, leaking from turbo hose (the top one) or cap.

 

OK cheers guys it really left like oil though when I touched it

Maybe it was coolant which has been leaking onto that plate for some time and i've never noticed before and that is why it's become rusty looking hmm...