VASK Forum (VW Audi SportKlub of NZ)

VOLKSWAGEN => Other Volkswagen => Topic started by: PHLEX on February 28, 2017, 10:05:51 AM

Title: 04 Touareg 4.2V8 water leak from above oil filter
Post by: PHLEX on February 28, 2017, 10:05:51 AM
Hey guys!

Has anybody had the slow water leak from above the oil filter? I have had to fill my radiator expansion tank back up a few times in my ownership so have gotten into the habit of checking it every couple of weeks and its getting low more frequently. I had my mechanic have a quick look when he was doing the last WOF and he said it was above the oil filter and recommended I remove the RH inner guard plastic and further inspect. Unfortunately this didn't show me much else other than the leak was above the oil filter and was tracking down the filter before dripping off the subframe. Off to google I went...

From the limited info I've found it seems to be a common issue due to an O-ring in a small water pipe. VW calls it an engine out repair but I found a video online showing a leaking alternator cooling pipe and said to remove the air box and inner guard to gain access to the back of the alternator so I can now at least get to it. I have confirmed mine is leaking from the engine side of the pipe which is retained by a single allen bolt.  O-rings are $8.25 each available ex Auckland so I have gone and ordered these today.

Has anybody done this before? Is there any tips or tricks? I don't mind working on euros because theres always plenty of info online if you get stuck but in this case there doesn't seem like much info!

Cheers
Title: Re: 04 Touareg 4.2V8 water leak from above oil filter
Post by: PHLEX on April 07, 2017, 02:50:28 PM
Just in case anybody ever comes up against this I figured it out.  Remove the under tray and inner wheel arch plastic and drivers side air filter. This provides enough space to get to the pipe which is in the back of the alternator going into the block. I spent an hour with a cut down hex key trying to undo the cap screw holding the pipe in and ended up giving up and using a pair of vice grips to carefully undo it. Total time to tear down was about 2.5 hours

Once the screw is out the pipe comes out easy. I had ordered O rings from the dealership but they sent me Oil Cooler O rings not alternator ones ($28 for the pair!!) so I ended up taking a sample to Mitre 10 and buying a universal pack of 10 for $3.70.  Took less than an hour to put it all back together once completed

[My pipe had been put back in without an O ring on one end, instead some black silicon had been used. This was very frustrating as the last time that pipe would have been removed was when Gazeley VW in wellington did the cambelt back in 2012 and the tech has obviously lost the oring and used sealant instead which worked for the first couple of years and then failed]