Phantom PDK Gearbox Oil Leak!! A total mystery

[JezKaye]

I went to RPM technic for a service recently, following a track day. They said there was a significant oil leak from the PDK gearbox. They could not identify the source and cleaned it up. Since I have a little time left on my official Porsche warranty, I booked it into Porsche Hatfield.

They looked at it and said they could find nothing wrong. We agreed that they would coat the gearbox with a kind of talcum powder which would reveal the source of any leak and I would take it for a test drive and they would have another look. I drove it myself for an hour an half on the A1M, using frequent gearchanges, hard acceleration with high revs in low gears and hard acceleration in higher gears from low revs, constant running at 5k rpm and as many different styles of driving possible. All within the speed limit of course.

Drove straight back to Porsche Hatfield where they raised her up on the customer ramp, removed the undertray and the Workshop manager, service manager and myself inspected the gearbox. Nothing! Clean as a whistle.

They have agreed to look at it again with 500 more miles on, which I will be able to do by the end of next week as I am on track at Brands Hatch GP.

Clearly Porsche Hatfield get 10 out of 10 for service and I am sure RPM are not making the whole thing up. So what is going on???????????????

Any thoughts welcome

Jez

 

[Lancerlot]

Spillage or overfilling?
Regards,

Clive

 

[ralphmusic]

It might be sweating that RPM spotted but difficult to believe they didn’t properly describe it. Also odd Hatfield didn’t discuss the possibility with you. Anyway IF it is this, Porsche have a replacement oil pan which they used to replace under warranty IF there were oil drips, but not if just sweating. My sweating (sorry I saw a drip) oil pan pictured below was replaced under warranty.

Suggest you send this image to Ollie at RPM and ask if it looked anything like this...

The "old" pan was matt black (when clean) and the upgraded pan was aluminium silver.


Ralph

 

[JezKaye]

Thanks for your reply. I don't top up gearbox oil so I can't really be sure about overfilling or spillage, but I'm sure if RPM did top up gearbox oil they would'nt have made a mess of it

 

[JezKaye]

Thanks Ralph. OPC Hatfield did mention it could have been sweating. But I guess RPM are aware of that and would not have described it as a significant oil leak if it was just sweating.

 

[Lancerlot]

Not sure what "sweating" is. Would that be referring to a porous casing or gasket leakage?
Was the oil leakage positively ID'd as transmission oil or might it have been displaced engine oil? []
Regards,

Clive

 

[JezKaye]

Lancerlot, RPM Technic were certain it was gearbox oil. I'm no mechanic and have never done anything practical! (Not too bad at thinking, though and driving). But my understanding is that the oil pan at the bottom of the gearbox, becomes porous due to salt deposits from winter roads, leading to a very mild form of oil leakage called 'sweating'. However, in my case, this mornings hard test drive didn't reveal any sweating either.

 

[ralphmusic]

Mine was spotted when it was in Germany having a different engine fitted. It had done c3k miles since last on a ramp and I arranged replacement before returning to UK. Suggest keep an eye on it as if it is sweating it is only a marginal loss of oil but will need fixing.

 

[richardfleming]

Lancerlot, RPM Technic were certain it was gearbox oil. I'm no mechanic and have never done anything practical! (Not too bad at thinking, though and driving). But my understanding is that the oil pan at the bottom of the gearbox, becomes porous due to salt deposits from winter roads, leading to a very mild form of oil leakage called 'sweating'. However, in my case, this mornings hard test drive didn't reveal any sweating either.

I find it hard to believe that after a few years driving a sump will go porous due to road salt - maybe 10 or 20 years - but this soon? surely must be a gasket or bad casting at worst?

 

[JezKaye]

I agree, it is surprising they are even talking about sweating with a car this age. It was a garage queen with 20k miles to show for the first 5 years, but then during my ownership in the last 2 years it has covered another 23k miles and 17 trackdays, but I have no idea what should be expected

 

[richardfleming]

never heard of this before - I (and you too by the sound of it) remain suspicious of the 'sweating' - even on a 43k mile / 7 year car - unless it's your daily driver through many winters in the highlands? still think sump manufacturing/fitting/gasket fault more likely - might be worth a second opinion at an OPC/other place on that?

 

[JezKaye]

The most reassuring part is that OPC Hatfield have agreed to inspect it with me present again after another 500 miles and have kept the case open under warranty. Which is completely fair. I will do 500m in a week as I have a track day at Brands Hatch GP next week. I will report the outcome.
Thanks to everyone for your interest

 

[JezKaye]

So I've been back to Porsche Hatfield today following my track day (Brands Hatch GP = Insane fun) and there is definately an oil leak. Here's the link for photos (I've no idea how to get these images into this post).

https://imgur.com/a/4ICSUrS

I will now wait to see how Hatfield deal with this. I have to say the service manager has been fantastic, welcoming me back without any delay.

What do you think they will do? repair? replace gearbox?

Cheers

Jez

 

[ralphmusic]

Not the PDK oil pan then

Right Click/Control Click (Win/Mac) on the image on Imgur, select Copy Link, paste link into Box opened by selecting the small icon Picture+ and you are done...

 

[richardfleming]

thats around the edge of the sump - so very likely gasket/sealing issue I'd have thought.

 

[JezKaye]

thanks for posting the pictures, im so useless with tech! So what do you think guys? repair or new gearbox?

 

[richardfleming]

not sure it's either looking at the photos again. can't really tell from the angle but the top photo shows a big rubber tube clipped to the gearbox well above the leak. and the hose has oil on it and the clip higher up and that whole side of the gearbox up above the hose. Which suggests to me the leak is higher up and running down the hose and outside of the gearbox from somewhere higher?

but thats all guesswork - best to see what the OPC find and let them sort it properly - at least there's no doubt about the leak now - they'll sort it I'm sure.

 

[JezKaye]

I'm sure they will sort it. But I am biting my nails, as I don't want to miss the PCGB track day at Silverstone 24th Aug!

 

[JezKaye]

So Porsche Hatfield have just called me and said it's not serious enough to investigate further under warranty and its just 'sweating'. Help!!! This feels completely unacceptable, but no idea how to deal with it.

 

[ralphmusic]

Sorry but what is sweating?