Citroen C5 (2001 - 2008) - 04 2.2 oil leak from HDi auto

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Tue 29 Apr 2008 14:55
04 2.2 oil leak from HDi auto - EdHunter
I've been offered an imaculate C5 which has a small oil leak from the oil cooler next to the radiator. The cooler is covered in dirty thick residue.

The oil cooler looks factory fitted but Citroen say it does not have one as standard.

I can't see the pipes to and from it so I cant tell if it is transmission or engine.

Any advice about this? I thoght it might be a transmission cooler but the car has no tow bar.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 29 Apr 2008 15:29
04 2.2 oil leak from HDi auto - Screwloose

Is it an oil cooler, or oil leaking from the intercooler?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 29 Apr 2008 16:59
04 2.2 oil leak from HDi auto - EdHunter
Thanks for replying.

I have no workshop manual. Citroen dealer said that they don't sell one. The small rad is on the passenger side of the car. The water rad and the aircon condenser are on the driver side. Between these rads and the engine is a kind of ovally thing that I thought was the intercooler.

Looking at the small rad I cant find any small pipes near it at all. It seems to have ver wide (3 inch) hoses connected to it. Maybe it is the intercooler, but then where does the oil leak come from?

Confused.

(Anybody know where you can buy a manaul for this motor?)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 29 Apr 2008 18:00
04 2.2 oil leak from HDi auto - Screwloose

3" hoses would seem to confirm that it's the intercooler - and they are always very oily inside from turbo mist. Tiny boost pressure leaks are not a problem, but often leave oil stains.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 29 Apr 2008 18:20
04 2.2 oil leak from HDi auto - EdHunter
Thanks ScrewLoose, I think I see the air path now. The inlet is under the wing to the filter (nect to the battery) then round to the back of the engine where the turbo is. Then returns to the front by going down under the sump and up into the bottom of this intercooler then out the top of the intercoler and into the engine. As well as that there are some T connections where part of the air goes to other places including the ovally thingy I said before. So some of the air seems to bypass the intercooler thru this ovally thingy.

Plumbers night mare.

Its all too greasy to see where the leak is blowing out. Do you mean that the turbo might still be OK even if it is putting oil into the air flow?

Will suggest getting it steam cleaned to see it better.

Edited by StrawMan on 29/04/2008 at 18:21

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 29 Apr 2008 18:33
04 2.2 oil leak from HDi auto - Screwloose

Turbos usually blow oil; they have no need of oil seals.

99.9% of their vast oil feed just falls back into the sump; if a smidgeon blows past the shaft and gets into the engine intake - who cares. [Stops it rusting...]
Reply | Report as offensive | Link