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Why Is There Engine Oil In My Ecu?

senilykSkylines

By senilykSkylines,
in General Maintenance

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blk94r33 Mentor

blk94r33

Posted
Posted

Thats right. Any ideas? It appears to be coming down the engine loom. Car is an R33 gts25t 4 door 1997. Tuner has only come across a few cars that have done it and he is baffled.

Any oil leaks in the engine bay? As it could be leaking onto the loom and working it's way through?

senilykSkylines Collaborator

senilykSkylines

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Any oil leaks in the engine bay? As it could be leaking onto the loom and working it's way through?

Not that I can see, someone just pm'ed me and suggested it could be the air-con overflowing and it can have a yellowish tinge to it. There are also drips on the front of the left hand passenger's mat toward the firewall under a fan.

89CAL Grand Master

89CAL

Posted
Posted

Air con overflowing? This does not happen. Lower high pressure sure but not overflowing

Possibly meant the evaporator is blocked and icing up or the drain is blocked. Both could cause water leakage into passenger foot well

But if your sure it's oil the best thing to do would be to look in your engine bay for major leaks. As the ecu is on the passenger side, the only oil near there really is from your turbo lines and rocker cover, but these are a fair way from the main loom to the ecu. Check around power steering area. Put up a photo of the ecu and surrounding area if possible

bluey33 Experienced

bluey33

Posted
Posted

As above send pics through.

Have had cases of Coolant Temp Senders leaking and then the coolant getting onto plug and making its way UP the wiring to the ECU and corroding that pin and several around it.

Couldn't believe it first time I saw it but seen it a few times now (damn Audi's).

So check for leaks and post pics of ecu if you can.

If oil is on particular pin in ECU check what that pin is for.

But shouldn't be too hard to diagnose. It is only an oil leak at the end of the day

senilykSkylines Collaborator

senilykSkylines

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I'll have a look in the foot well and see if I can take some photos. Tuner told me it was engine oil... unless he was mistaken. I just don't see how it could be.

turael Enthusiast

turael

Posted
Posted

How's your aircon? Aircon lines have a lubricating oil in them for the pump. Could it be that?

If it's coming down the loom, just trace the loom back. Could it be (dirty) powersteering fluid? Unwrap the loom and find where the oil comes from that way. just rewrap it with the spiral shit and duct tape.

senilykSkylines Collaborator

senilykSkylines

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Just opened the kick board to see where this sludge is coming from. It is rather sticky and brown where it has been sitting for a while.

post-71520-0-83239600-1300341856_thumb.jpg

This is where something has been dripping onto the mat (I am assuming). Patch is at the front left hand side of the mat under the dash and a little on the edge where the computer is.

post-71520-0-80552400-1300341877_thumb.jpg

Oil on the ecu plug (Some might be form the tuner smearing around).

post-71520-0-80087100-1300341892_thumb.jpg

Thing above the drips on the mat.

post-71520-0-11112000-1300341907_thumb.jpg

Highest point I can find the brown liquid on the fire wall (see the brown patch) left of the wires. It is not far above the ecu but on the back wall.

post-71520-0-74628500-1300341954_thumb.jpg

You can see it running down and puddling on the floor near where the ecu sits.

89CAL Grand Master

89CAL

Posted
Posted

A/C Compressor is located at the front of the engine below the power steering pump from memory.... If it was from that it would have a definate fluro green tinge to it.

It must be traceable, Just try your best to look along the main harness. If you cant see it on the engine bay side then something may be leaking down the firewall?

Does your car noticably lose oil when you go to service it (Does the oil on the dipstick go down between services)?

senilykSkylines Collaborator

senilykSkylines

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

A/C Compressor is located at the front of the engine below the power steering pump from memory.... If it was from that it would have a definate fluro green tinge to it.

It must be traceable, Just try your best to look along the main harness. If you cant see it on the engine bay side then something may be leaking down the firewall?

Does your car noticably lose oil when you go to service it (Does the oil on the dipstick go down between services)?

Goes through no oil at all. I can't see any leak on the engine bay side. It is only part way up the firewall and then stops. I felt the outside of the loom up higher but it wasn't wet from what I could tell. What is the fan above the mat? It could be from that and could make sense.

If I unplug my tuned ecu will it reset it and loose the tune? I am quite keen to open it up and clean it out a bit. I don't mind a little leak if its not important, but I want to stop it getting into the ecu.

Edited by senilykSkylines
89CAL Grand Master

89CAL

Posted
Posted

fan above that mat is your A/C fan that blows the air through the vents in the car... The evaporator is in front of that and your R134a A/C refrigerant as atmoised liquid to cool your air down (so there is A/C refrigerant around this area, but as I said it should be a fluro green colour, Does your air con work in your car? Because a leak like that from the air con would make your air con stop feeling cool by now for sure)

Depends on the ECU

I can only confirm that a Power FC will not lose its tune if unplugged

senilykSkylines Collaborator

senilykSkylines

Posted
  • Author
Posted

fan above that mat is your A/C fan that blows the air through the vents in the car... The evaporator is in front of that and your R134a A/C refrigerant as atmoised liquid to cool your air down (so there is A/C refrigerant around this area, but as I said it should be a fluro green colour, Does your air con work in your car? Because a leak like that from the air con would make your air con stop feeling cool by now for sure)

Depends on the ECU

I can only confirm that a Power FC will not lose its tune if unplugged

Air con is cold but not as cold as my bosses' 96 stagea so I am assuming it is getting a little old.

  • 3 weeks later...
senilykSkylines Collaborator

senilykSkylines

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Mechanic told me today it is the VVT solenoid leaking oil down the engine loom. I will need to get it replaced. Is this a job that I can do myself? Where is it on the engine?

He reconed he had never seen it on a Nissan before and he thought it was mainly a Subaru problem.

Dan

Edited by senilykSkylines

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