I have a 2WD 2.0TD Auto 1990 Townie with 183k on the clock.
On a routine check the other day I noticed that the dipstick was about a centimetre out of the pipe. I pushed it back in and thought no more of it. Oops, now the engine is covered in oil and as the dipstick was even further out of the pipe. It starts to come out even after just a short run into town.
Is there supposed to be an 'O' ring under the cap/handle of the dipstick to keep it in the pipe or is the breather blocked, thereby pressurising the crankcase and pushing the dipstick out? Any other ideas?
[I disconnected the EGR vacuum pipe and sealed the end about 3 months ago. Is there any possible connection between this and the new problem? I'm struggling to connect the two].
Apart from this it is running very well and has done for the last 5 years, even better since disconnecting the EGR.
Assuming a breather problem, my next job is to disconnect the breather pipe from the rocker cover and hope to notice a reduction in pressure at the dipstick. If that works then it's got to be a problem in the large hose between the air filter and turbo. Is my logic correct here? Is there a valve that could be blocked?
Thanks in anticipation of a response.
- (#1758) Brian, 12 Jun 05 15:30
Sortof. Dipstick seals itself at the top (rubberised section). Pressure may be built up by blockages in the breather hose, yes, but more likely you've got an excess of blowby- rings don't last for ever, pistons DO crack.
Other than a buildup of carbon (unlikely) at the breather spigot on the inlet the big hose is unlikely to be involved...
- (#1758) David Miller, 12 Jun 05 22:49
I had the dipstick pushed up like this, engine covered in oil, during the final stages of No.1 piston cracking. Now don't panic. I'm not saying you've got a cracked piston, or worn rings.
Previous to that, for the 3 years I'd had the car, there was clearly a lot of engine oil being blown or sucked through that small breather hose and collecting in a puddle in the large air hose. I say "a lot" but it was only in the last 3 months that engine oil consumption rose noticeably - requiring more than 0.5 litre top-up between oil changes at 5,000km.
Initially I would just pull off the small breather hose with the engine running and the oily mist being blown out was just detectable. At the end I would rig a length of hose from the valve cover breather outlet to the outside of the car before starting up because what came out was so messy.
So, how fast engine oil is being consumed would be an important symptom in your diagnosis. And don't be afraid to run the engine without the small breather hose to see how much suck there is from the large air hose and what's being blown out of the valve cover - but a length of hose to divert that outlet outside the engine bay may be a good precaution.
The EGR job? Good to have done it but I think that there could be a connection. If the EGR valve itself it not closed then there will be less "suck" in the large air inlet hose - because some exhaust gas pressure will be added in there. The metal pipe vacuum inlet to the EGR assembly must be open to atmosphere so that, hopefully the gas valve inside drops back to fully closed.
- (#1758) Dave Mason (Sussex), 13 Jun 05 03:05
Hi Dave(s). Do you guys live on this site, what an instant response!
I've been investigating and did the following tonight:
[1] ran the engine[idle] with the dipstick out - fumes start coming out as the engine heats up but not excessive, can't really feel much pressure with a finger over the pipe.
[2] dipstick back in and took the oil filler cap off - reasonable pressure here.
[3] filler cap back on, took the breather pipe off the valve cover - pressure build up in the valve cover if you cover the spigot. You can hear it release as you take your finger off.
[4] no vacuum at the spigot on the air intake pipe. Dismantled the intake pipe. There's a small puddle of oil in there but nearly sucked my hand off, oops. Stuck a screwdriver into the spigot to check if it was clear. Came out covered in gooey black gunge. The breather pipe was not perfect but clear enough.
[5] Revved it like mad - fumes from the valve cover reduce, and the dipstick, and the oil filler. Must a be a point somewhere in the rev range where the positive pressure stops. I didn't bother to check if it went negative.
[6] I then did all of the above with the EGR reconnected - no difference.
Put it all back together and took it for a test drive with the bonnet up(how many vehicles can you do this with?) Took it round town and then thrashed it down the A14. The dipstick stayed put no matter what i did!(but I'm nearly deaf!).
Conclusion: the only slightly significant thing I probably did was clean out the spigot on the air intake pipe. Perhaps this was the problem all along.
There are no nasty noises or rough running suggesting any major engine faults. No blue smoke, in fact hardly any smoke at all since the EGR disconnection(MOT emissions went below 1(one)).
Hopefully everything will be ok now but I will keep an eye on things and keep you posted if I have any more 'learning experiences'. Thanks again for you responses, the site is fantastic.
Brian Wearing
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk
- (#1758) Brian, 13 Jun 05 15:09
If feeling diligent you could take this a step further by removing the metal pipe that goes into the intake manifold and removing all the sludge that will have built up as a result of the EGR. Mine's the same year as yours so may have similar mileage and condition. When I removed the complete pipework I found a build up of gunge and sludge that started from the entry to the manifold and up as far as the thin pipe that the vacuum pipe connects into, almost blocking it. The main pipe was about half blocked with the stuff. It may be a contributory factor to your pressure build up.
- (#1758) Ian Dunse (Derbs), 14 Jun 05 01:03
Ian,
I noticed some comments on Ace Answers to the effect that the EGR electrical connections need to remain. If the EGR system is removed completely i.e. no electrical connections, does it affect anything? If not then I'll start making some blanking plates(a la Jim Adgo). Is it difficult to get the device off?
Thanks.
- (#1758) Brian Wearing, 14 Jun 05 12:23
Electrical connections? Nah! only if you leave the EGR valve in place. To remove the lot you need to remove the pipe that runs around the back of the engine between the exhaust manifold and the EGR valve on the other side. A swine to get to without taking the manifold off first. I did mine whilst replacing the turbo gasket but not a long job if you are ever stuck for something to do an a Saturday afternoon :-)
- (#1758) Ian Dunse (Derbs), 15 Jun 05 00:42