[inbits]

Went for a sunday drive for something to do today spent a few hours out in the bush nothing serious just some mud no deep muddy holes just bigger puddles and didnt get bogged.
On the way home probably the last 10-15 klms the car started making a strange noise under acceleration and when i got home i decided i would give it a tub before the mud sticks. When i popped the bonnet i noticed smoke coming off the headers and on closer inspection noticed oil on the bell housing and all over the front diff and gear box
All the oil levels are still good and it doesnt have a smell toit which has me confused

Can anyone identify what is wrong and if it will cost alot to fix?

Its a 95 model lwb vitara with a h20a and 4 speed auto completely stock

thanks inbits

[kenn]

United Arab Emirates..

[kenn]

Did it loose drive at all.
What colour is the oil

[tombutt]

looks above the sump to me maybe rear main

[inbits]

There doesnt seem to be any oil on the fly wheel through the inspection hole but its higher than the sump gasket.

I didnt lose drive just had a sort of deep hissing sound when accelerating hard to explain.
The only reason i noticed it was the fact i opened the bonnet to clean the car,
its got me worried cos i have only driven about 3500klms since i bought it.

inbits

[tombutt]

did you have the car in 4wdrive?

maybe try wipe it all off as much as you can top the oil up run it for a bit and see if you can see where its coming from

[alien]

now its been a little while, go out and check the oil level again...

thats a LOT of oil to lose, its got to have come from somewhere, and that somewhere aint gonna have much left =) haha

I'd bet the hissing sound was the oil under pressure spraying out onto the exhaust and hissing when it hit the hot metal.

Hopefully its something simple like the sump... otherwise it could be expensive!

[inbits]

when its running it seems to be dripping off the bell housing which led me to beleive it was the rear main but the oil has no smell which confused me so i thought id better get another opinion

If it is the rear main why would it let go all of a sudden with the amount of oil over everything i has me concerned

inbits

[inbits]

alien wrote:

now its been a little while, go out and check the oil level again...

thats a LOT of oil to lose, its got to have come from somewhere, and that somewhere aint gonna have much left =) haha

I'd bet the hissing sound was the oil under pressure spraying out onto the exhaust and hissing when it hit the hot metal.

Hopefully its something simple like the sump... otherwise it could be expensive!

Thats not what i want to hear after 3500klms

Ill go check it now

[tombutt]

could be coming from up higher but thats alot of oil to be coming from anywhere

[inbits]

Both the auto and engine oil are still on the full lines.

the amount of oil is what has me concerned

[royce]

get some oil to drip on a piece of paper and see if its engine or gearbox first

[inbits]

the auto fluid is red on the dipstick so im sure its not that the engine oil looks the same but it doesn't smell the same

[tombutt]

couldnt be a rear pionion seal or any seal on the front diff?

[inbits]

It could be but the smell of gear oil is very distinctive and it seemsto be dripping off the bell housing. Are there any other seals that could let go like this Iv'e never seen a rear main do this.

[Ben_Sierra]

Give it a good spray with the degreaser and clean evything off, then start it up and see where the oil comes from!

[tombutt]

theres not much on the back of the engine and yeah dripping of the bell housing you wouldnt think it would be diff and yeah we all know diff oil sticks trust me my car does as i killed another seal in the front of mine

unfortunatly to me the only seal i can think of thats there is the rear main

[steak_knife]

inbits wrote:

nothing serious just some mud no deep muddy holes just bigger puddles and didnt get bogged.

look's like eng oil & I'd be inclined to think rear main..

Old seal's & dirty water don't mix..

[inbits]

Ill do what ben_sierra said and look at it to be sure is this a usual occurance for just splashing through puddles? Id have thought it would take a dunking to do this

What is envolved with removing an auto is it the same as a manual

[Built4thrashing]

My advice is get ya mechanic to do it. If it takes you this long to figure out where it is comming from then i reckon you would be out of your depth trying to fix it. Most comon motor oil leaks on the back of a motor is the rear main or a leaking rocker cover. Worst case is it is a leaking head gasket but unlikely


Its a big job to do your self as t/case and box have to come out and that is a PITA in a Vit.


good luck

B4T

[inbits]

Im pretty good on the tools I just wanted to confirm as i have never seen this happen like it has.
Its pissing down rain and my shed is full of crap so i was looking at it in the rain
I dont trust mechanics with my cars and am quite capable of doing the job i have removed manual gear boxes to do clutches etc but have never removed an auto

inbits

[Built4thrashing]

probs with auto's is you have to drop the fluid no matter what. $WD's are a real PITA unless its a sierra as most have the t/case attached and weigh a fucking ton.

B4T

[LAY80N]

Auto's are simillar to removing a manual. But first degrease all the engine and driveline components, put the front end on ramps in the garage or whatever, spread newspaper under the car and run it. Look under the car and see where the oil is coming from, the news paper will catch it and give you an idea if you dont see it. Remember the laws of gravity apply to oil, so naturally you will see oil on the bottom of the motor. Follow the trail up till you find the acutal leak. I have seen owners pull their sierra box's out only to find the leak they were adamant was a rear main was acutally a distributor o'ring leaking.

Oh, and auto oil is red, but engine oil is honey colour when it goes into the motor and it slowly gets blacker as it gets worn.


Layto....

[inbits]

LAY80N wrote:

Auto's are simillar to removing a manual. But first degrease all the engine and driveline components, put the front end on ramps in the garage or whatever, spread newspaper under the car and run it. Look under the car and see where the oil is coming from, the news paper will catch it and give you an idea if you dont see it. Remember the laws of gravity apply to oil, so naturally you will see oil on the bottom of the motor. Follow the trail up till you find the acutal leak. I have seen owners pull their sierra box's out only to find the leak they were adamant was a rear main was acutally a distributor o'ring leaking.

Oh, and auto oil is red, but engine oil is honey colour when it goes into the motor and it slowly gets blacker as it gets worn.


Layto....

Im aware about the engine oil getting dirtier as it gets used the weight of the box and transfer isnt a problem and i would drop the oil before starting ill definitely clean it up and have a look at it when it dries up a bit.

thanks for the replys fellas ill report my findings when i have a better look at it

inbits

[inbits]

I done a as layton said degreased put it up on stands and ran it for 15 minutes, oil started dripping off the bell housing and running down the back of the sump and its also running down the inside of the thin metal cover on the front of the bell housing.
So im 95% sure its the rear main

Is there a particular brand of seal i should get aftermarket or do i fork out 93 dollars for a genuine suzuki one?
also with the h20 do the headers have to be comletely removed to get the transmission out?

thanks inbits

[tombutt]

yeah you do with a manual atleast it wont come out otherwise just undo it from the manifold and the joint near the gear box and it will come out as one piece

[jonno_racing]

might be grasping at straws but ps fluid?

[inbits]

nah mate definitely not p/s fluid it would be red aswell and its coming from the bell housing just gotta find the time to do it now

[joeblow]

you're auto had a little more fluid than it should have. when you placed some decent load on it the excess oil came out through the breather for the 4 speed just above the bellhousing. get someone who knows electronic autos and knows how to fill them correctly and it will not be an issue again. atf can catch fire so be very carefull. you will find that now the auto has expelled its excess fluid it won't happen again. rear mains on a H20 do not spray oil like that.......auto breathers do.

[Ben_Sierra]

Joeblow brings teh tech