Smart 450 oil covered driveshaft

[Minigirl]

Hi, I have noticed my smart 450 petrol 700cc has started leaking oil i think from the dipstick area, onto the driverside driveshaft which is then splattered all over the exhaust

Any ideas on what can be causing this? Thanks

[heinkeljb]

Very first thing you need to do is clean all the oil off!! Then you can see where the oil is coming from. Once you know that we can tell you how to solve the issue.

John

[mottofreee]

Justly . Cleaned well and watched where it started.
Oil flows from where it is, including whether the user has completed the oil on the engine and dropped a bit of oil beside.
There are many reasons for being oil there, a photo (a @ b) is welcome.

[Minigirl]

Thanks i cleaned the dipstick tube and the area and went for a drive and the complete tube is coated with oil again. I also noticed the cat heater (i think it is?) has wet oil on a part of it

I will try and get pics asap

[mottofreee]

I suspect the turbocharger drain pipe or the base at the base of the oil dump pipe. But the result will appear over time.

[Minigirl]

Cleaned the dipstick tube and the top of the dipstick before going for a drive heres the image

[Minigirl]

Returned with oil on it like this

[heinkeljb]

Clean the area again. Does the dip stick come out of the hole really easily? If so replace the "o" ring. You could try using a cable tie to hold the dip stick in place. The dip stick tube is known to come out of the hole where it goes into the block, so have you cleaned that area as well?

You should also check the top one way breather valve as it could blocked causing the crank case to be pressurised which forces oil out and any available hole.

John

[mikerj]

Definitely check the engine breather one way valve, this is an extremely common failure. I'd go so far as to say they will all fail at some point.

[mottofreee]

Replace check valve . https://www.evilution.co.uk/Engine/t...ipe_repair.htm
The valve is replaced periodically (at 10 years once?). It's not a waste to replace it since it needs to be changed anyway.

[tolsen]

I have cleaned top breather check valve on many petrol Smart cars. There is a wee complication removing valve from rigid plastic tube but easy provided you are sufficiently smart. Heat rigid pipe be pouring piping hot water over it. Then release pipe by pushing pipe from its end. Pulling on pipe will only make it grip hose barbs tighter.

[Thrumbleux]

I have cleaned top breather check valve on many petrol Smart cars. .

What type of valve is it - eg, ball, reed, other?

[tolsen]

What type of valve is it - eg, ball, reed, other?

Spring loaded disc check valve.

[Thrumbleux]

Cheers!

.....

[Minigirl]

Fitted a new o ring to the dipstick, it has a tighter fit now. Will go for a drive tomorrow and see

I think the oil where ever its leaking from is collecting on the engine mount on the right hand side and dripping onto the shaft from there

Thanks

[heinkeljb]

Check the oil filler cap is on correctly and that the seal is not split. Clean everywhere so you can see where the oil is coming from by going for a drive and stopping often to have a look.

John

[tolsen]

There should not be much pressure inside engine crank case so replacing dip stick o ring may temporarily cure the symptom but not the fault.