oil leak

I have had a small oil leak for a little while. I had it looked at by a mechanic and he said it had to do with some sort of crack. He said it was a benign oil leak and i would just have to deal with it or have the thousands spent on rebuilding the part. but it has now become worse, is there a cheap fix or a way to seal it or should i just sell it. I am in the military and rarely have time to work on it, but i just cant stomach anything other than a Porsche.
Please help

the location of the leak?

Often a leak comes from the RMS but the leak is seldom serious to warrant immediate attention.

There are other oil leak sources. Camshaft plugs, oil filler tube (though this can also be a vacuum leak and the engine's behavior can be affected). Another oil leak is the AOS but again this can be a vacuum leak and the engine will let you know there's a leak.

Spark plug tubes can leak and then there is the FMS (front main seal). Another place is the oil/water heat exchanger.

Now a crack is rare, at least a crack in the engine that allows oil to leak out of the engine. So I'd like to know where this crack is.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

okay im going to take it to a self service car wash a spray underneath it to clean it so i can properly identify the oil leak and photograph it. I am leaning to RMS. I just got alarmed when i saw the smoke from when the oil leaked onto the muffler.
thx for the help,

The one oil leak my Boxster had that put oil on the passenger side #1 O2 sensor and could have put oil on the exhaust system came from a failing AOS, though that was the only symptom (and it was not one I expected) the AOS was bad.

If the oil leak is putting oil on the exhaust system the leak is higher up than the RMS. It may be an AOS bellows hose or some other hose that runs from the AOS to the intake, or it may be a spark plug tube or a camshaft plug (those greenish 'rubber' plugs at each end of both heads). Or it can be a camshaft cover leak.

Sincerely,

MarcW.

I had a leak from a spark plug tube which dripped directly onto the exhaust at the O2 sensor. 50 bucks and an hour on the lift, easy DIY project. Check out pedro's garage for the procedure.

Another common leak that can put oil on the exhaust and cats is the cam cover. The sealant used by porsche for a while was causing problems per my dealer tech. I had to have my passenger side cover resealed. Also had one or two spark plug tubes leaking.

Skyline,

I recommend doing as much information gathering as you can. There are 34.7 places the Boxster engine can leak oil. They range from a $2 fix to a new block. I would recommend buying some engine degreaser (or any degreaser) from your friendly auto parts store. Take both rear tires off, and both wheel well plastics off [ 20-30min of work, not much time ]. Then also open the engine access from the top [ Pedro has a how-to on this [www.pedrosgarage.com] ] 10min job.

1. Before cleaning, inspect the engine as good as you can from the top, and each wheel well. Take images with your digital camera. Try and find the leak and photograph it. Dont use your phones camera, it sux.
2. Clean up the engine with the engine cleaner / degreaser. follow the directions, use sparingly, rinse and repeat.
3. Run the engine for 10min or so, revving up a few times. Make sure your car is on jack stands and secure. ZERO ACCIDENTS please.
4. Reinspect for leaks, if you see anything that looks like a leak, please photograph it.
5. You may not find the leak in step [ 4 ], you may have to drive it for a week or two for the leak to show itself. Thats ok. Just repeat this procedure after a week or two.

You will only need to invest 1-2 hours total, and you will have a clean engine bay either way.

Post images of the leak when you find it and also describe where the leak is and the board will gladly discuss your options and estimate repair costs.

*Check your oil level frequently, you dont want to run out of oil!