Oil leak near transmission / rear main seal

[Husky]

I am not mechanically inclined but the first thing that I'd check is what oil is leaking. Engine oil or ATF. (I recall someone in this forum had a shop where they did a bunch of transmission pump seal or something similar leaking a while ago). Irrespective of the leak source, if the engine and transmission works without any issues, you can keep running it by wiping off and topping off the leaking oil. This can be tricky if the ATF is leaking as it is a little tedious to check the trans fluid level compared to the engine oil. The leak may get worse over time as the seals start to stiffen up. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to pour in a bottle of stop leak or something similar.

Mine is a 2.0T and I have a similar "seep" that is going on since ~50K kms or so. I've traced mine to be seeping at a location where the bell housing meets the engine. Strangely, it is not leaking from the weep hole at the bottom. The car now has ~130K kms and it has not gotten any worse. I just spray break clean and wipe it off each time I change the oil. I've also started noticing oil started to seep out of the timing chain cover at several places and the valve cover junction is starting to get moist at several places as well. Once I noticed these other leaks, I stopped worrying about them.

It's engine oil, not ATF.

 

[rmod]

Is it a 2.0T or 3.3T? Just curious. My guess is it's engine oil, but the smell (or lack thereof) would easily confirm that. Lots of issues with the 2.0T engines over the years. Our 2023 G70 2.0T is due this week, and I'm a bit concerned about quality issues as of late. It should be a bulletproof engine by now, but it's far from that. It seems bad enough if that happened in just one oil change, but I'd clean everything real good, and check it next oil change, before deciding if you want a dealer to tackle that extensive job or not. Good luck.

I have a 2.0T and I've noticed this seepage since the car had ~50K kms when I stopped going to the dealer. I thought of going to the dealer if it starts to drip on the undercover. Now the car has 149K kms and it is still the same and has not worsened. I wipe it off and it is back again in ~10 to 20K Kms.

I have no prior experience with the Theta II engines, but from all the things I have read and seen on the internet, it looks like there are some that are trouble free and keep going and some that fail for no rhyme or reason. As long as you use good quality synthetic oil and an oil filter that has a good bypass valve (some cheapo filters don't have the oil bypass valve which may starve the engine of oil especially in colder months) I think it should be good.

 

[JCtx]

Thank you. And yes, I always use OEM oil filters, especially the canister ones, due to lack of specification about the bypass valve. With OEM, it'd never be an issue. And with 5K-mile OCIs, you don't need anything else. Also I always use Mobil1 0/30 oil, which now is the viscosity both SF 2.5T and Genesis 2.0T call for.

 

[pulsar]

Just did another oil change this weekend. Always remove both undercarriage covers so I can see and inspect stuff easily. So far at 12k miles I have no weeping out the bell housing hole. Picture is exactly what things looked like when I removed the cover. Hoping it always stays this way.

 

[Husky]

Nice!

 

[Volfy]

Dunno if you guys do this or not, but I clean my engine compartment and undercarriage with engine cleaner every year or so. Not only does it make working on my cars easier and more enjoyable, it also makes spotting problem, like fluid leak, much easier to locate the source. Once the fluid leaks, it can travel and migrate, all the while leaving a gunky mess that make inspection and diagnostic more challenging.

I do cover up most of the visible electrical connectors with saran wrap and aluminum foil. Even though nowadays all car mfrs use connectors with water-tight seals, I prefer not to let the harsh cleaning chemicals get into them.

 

[jfo]

Dunno if you guys do this or not, but I clean my engine compartment and undercarriage with engine cleaner every year or so. Not only does it make working on my cars easier and more enjoyable, it also makes spotting problem, like fluid leak, much easier to locate the source. Once the fluid leaks, it can travel and migrate, all the while leaving a gunky mess that make inspection and diagnostic more challenging.

I do cover up most of the visible electrical connectors with saran wrap and aluminum foil. Even though nowadays all car mfrs use connectors with water-tight seals, I prefer not to let the harsh cleaning chemicals get into them.

I also do this for the same reasons. I clean any grime I see on the engine quite regularly so no accumulation and no issue with connectors, etc. Under the car only about once or a year now, during filter change. Since the car is new I have no other reason to get under there for repairs.

 

[JCtx]

I never spray my engines with any kind of chemical, or with any water (high pressure or not), for that matter. I just clean it when I change the oil with a microfiber rag, sprayed with distilled water. I don't need anything stronger 99% of the time, but if I do, I just spray Simple Green instead of water, and that's always enough. If you let the engine get nasty, then nothing short of a full wash/de-grease would do. By the way, when cars are new, they almost always have grease at places, typically around suspension parts, so it's important to clean that at the beginning as well.

 

[Volfy]

...change the oil with a microfiber rag, sprayed with distilled water...

Sounds like you are restoring a lost Davinci oil painting, not wrenching on your car.

 

[rmod]

My routine to clean the engine bay is spray Simple Green, pressure wash and compressed air dry at the connectors and alternator. This takes 10 mins to do after which I take it for a spin for ~30 mins. I usually do it once a year in the beginning of spring.

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[Lucid70]

So I go to my mechanic to get a typical oil change and he shows me a video of what is going on under my car (that I thought was fine). Apparently I have a slow oil leak. This is practically a new car considering it just hit 14000 miles. Is this typical for this model? Or hopefully someone can shed some light on it. I will be putting in a call to the nearest dealership Monday.

 

[slab]

I know this is an old topic, but I finally did my own oil change and took a look at my main seal. Didn't look awful and there wasn't alot of evidence on the underbody panel. Photo attached... I was also a little concerned about the minor amount of corrosion here and there compared to my last ride (320i).

Anyone think this looks about the average amount of seepage for us? I haven't had any issues with the drivetrain, but she's only at barely 34k.

 

[Slip_Angle]

I know this is an old topic, but I finally did my own oil change and took a look at my main seal. Didn't look awful and there wasn't alot of evidence on the underbody panel. Photo attached... I was also a little concerned about the minor amount of corrosion here and there compared to my last ride (320i).
View attachment 56879
Anyone think this looks about the average amount of seepage for us? I haven't had any issues with the drivetrain, but she's only at barely 34k.

What year is your car? 2019?

Those look like drips but if there was nothing on the under panel, then maybe it's very slow and those drips don't fall...

 

[slab]

What year is your car? 2019?

Those look like drips but if there was nothing on the under panel, then maybe it's very slow and those drips don't fall...

It's a 2019 3.3, and it didn't appear to be actively dripping at any great rate, what was on the cooling 'fins' appeared old. Yeah a little residue on the under panel, but hard to say if it was that or a messy dealer oil change? I think it's definitely not the worst from what I've seen and heard here and cleaner than my old Honda's or Ford's.

 

[Slip_Angle]

It's a 2019 3.3, and it didn't appear to be actively dripping at any great rate, what was on the cooling 'fins' appeared old. Yeah a little residue on the under panel, but hard to say if it was that or a messy dealer oil change? I think it's definitely not the worst from what I've seen and heard here and cleaner than my old Honda's or Ford's.

Yeah, lots of cars with this issue and the vast majority are fine. I wonder if there is a specific circumstance that causes oil to spill over and leak down the valley between the engine and transmission.. I've seen several people wipe theirs off, never to see it again... My 2019 had it but minor.. Haven't checked my 2023 yet.

 

[pulsar]

It's a 2019 3.3, and it didn't appear to be actively dripping at any great rate, what was on the cooling 'fins' appeared old. Yeah a little residue on the under panel, but hard to say if it was that or a messy dealer oil change? I think it's definitely not the worst from what I've seen and heard here and cleaner than my old Honda's or Ford's.

Just wipe down any film so it’s clean and next time you can see if it looks worse, same or better for any oil weeps.

 

[nash1290]

We don't have enough evidence to say that it's either common or uncommon. When I asked people to check their own cars, no one did. We only have 3-4 confirmed cases within the forum because there have only been 3-4 people that are actually aware of what the underside of their own car looks like. My car was leaking, but it drove great, shifted great, and had no symptoms.

I was going to start a poll asking people to post their mileage along with a picture of the underside of their bell housing; but, after seeing that no one cares enough to check their own car, and the fact that I had given up on my own, I figured it was pointless.

I have a 2024 g70 3.3 prestige. Just purchased it 2 months ago brand new. It was a leftover prior year model. The car has 3k miles on it. Went to do the first oil change and guess what? I have the leak! Taking the car back in for repairs next week. I've attached some photos.

 

[pulsar]

I have a 2024 g70 3.3 prestige. Just purchased it 2 months ago brand new. It was a leftover prior year model. The car has 3k miles on it. Went to do the first oil change and guess what? I have the leak! Taking the car back in for repairs next week. I've attached some photos.

Yours is way more than mine has been. Still watch mine on every oil change and have just been getting a weep with some oil film only. Never an actual drop or anything on the undercarriage cover. I’m out of warranty now anyway so would have to get real bad for me to pay out of pocket.

 

[nash1290]

Yours is way more than mine has been. Still watch mine on every oil change and have just been getting a weep with some oil film only. Never an actual drop or anything on the undercarriage cover. I’m out of warranty now anyway so would have to get real bad for me to pay out of pocket.

I've had so many issues with this car in the short amount of time I've had it. Im working with a case manager now on my options. I love the car but this happening at 3k miles blows my mind. It's clearly a manufacturer's defect. I just hope the dealerships service department knows what there doing.

 

[smooth_operator]

Probably different oil leak, but I have oil on this part (no clue what is the source).