UKC

The other day, after some prolonged heavy rain, I noticed an oil slick on the standing water around my front off side wheel. I could not see any obvious evidence of an oil leak but I will get it checked out as soon as possible. The slick was about a foot square and was noticeable again today. I could not see any trail of oil on the road where I had driven.

Anyone care to hazard a guess where it might be coming from? I'm wondering if it's from the axle/wheel bearing.

In reply to mypyrex:

From the wheel area might be bearing, outer CV, or possibly brake fluid (check master reservoir). Remember one drop of oil in water spreads out a lot.

May also be being washed from another part of the car in the rain.

Try putting a sheet of white paper under the area in the dry. Any drips should show up.

In reply to NottsRich:
That's what I thought. Always looks worse...

Don't think so. Always the same place relative to the wheel.

What's "dry"?
Hoping it's no worse than maybe the rubber "boot" needing replacing. Car's only done 79000.

In reply to mypyrex:



Perhaps it could be that the place relative to the wheel is where the grease/oil makes it's way onto the ground from, though?

In reply to Timmd:


See what you mean.

In reply to mypyrex:

Most likely a drip off the under tray meaning it could have come from pretty much anywhere under the bonnet. The only oil as such out as far as your wheel is in the damper and they can leak but it tends to form a greasy mess with road dust rather than drip off. I don't think you'd see grease in water like you do oil.
jk

In reply to mypyrex:

Ahh Land Rovers... Putting oil back in the ground since 1948.

Check your cv joints, it could also be leaking from the differential too and running down the axle shaft. LR's are notorious for leaky diff seals.

After that its either the engine, gearbox or transfer, but I would imagine these are situated well away from where the slick is.

The colour of the oil might also be a tell. Transmission and drive-line oils are often coloured differently to engine oil. MTF94 (Gearbox) is normally red. EP80 (Differential) is gold/yellow. Engine oil is thinner and would be very very black. Of course the state of the oil will change with use.

In reply to GarethSL:


Like my little ol' MG midget. If there's no oil under the car there's no oil in the car

In reply to GarethSL:
Are there no after market seals which improve things for Land Rovers?

Seems odd to me that they're known to leak and there possibly aren't any.

People make parts for Volvo P whatsits and Citroen DS's and all kinds of vintage things...

In reply to Timmd:
>Seems odd to me that they're known to leak


Well, I am now on my third Freelander and I've never had any more problems with them than I've had with other cars. This is the first time in fifteen years that I've had any hint of a leak.

In reply to mypyrex:

I think it's important to remember that a Land Rover is never leaking oil.

It is simply marking its territory.

In reply to shaymarriott:



See my 16:37 post

In reply to mypyrex:


Fair enough, I'm from a mechanical/engineering family (in parts), so these things bug me it seems. 'Why hasn't somebody come up with something?' I get very vexed at cheap clothes pegs.

In reply to Timmd:

' I get very vexed at cheap clothes pegs.' So don't buy them?

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:


I don't anymore and remain unvexed by them.

But they still exist, they're a short term means of making money which don't serve function adequately from breaking easily, and then get thrown away.

We're going to drown in a sea of cheap broken things...

In reply to Timmd:

What I get upset about is when I see parents who obviously don't have much money buying cheap toys for their kids which you just *know* aren't going to last beyond Christmas day.

Bit like the OP with his Discovery, I suppose...

In reply to mypyrex:

Sounds like a cracked seal, new ones cost very little although the labour required to replace them could a bit as it is a couple of hours to replace them. While carrying out the replacement it is a good opportunity to check/replace your cv joint and repack/replace your bearings as all these items will be coming off in order to access the cracked oil seal.

In reply to Rob Exile Ward:


They're in a bind I guess, with having to follow the pressure of buying, do they only buy one thing which costs or buy a few more so things feel more exciting?