Golf GTI oil leak related to previous overheating?

[golfguysydney]

I have a 2014 GTI, purchased new, which I’ve had a TON of issues over the years, all covered under warranty and goodwill.

Some of the significant issues I had with the vehicle 3-4 years ago were with the cooling system. The water pump failed several times resulting in the vehicle overheating, and on one occasion the sensors also failed and the vehicle was driven for considerable distance with no coolant.

Today I noticed oil in the garage where I park my car - I’m the only one that parks there and it looks like it’s been leaking for some time as there’s both dry and fresh oil.

I’d like to know if an oil leak could potentially be attributed back to the faulty water pump, and the previous issues with the engine overheating? I voiced my concern with Volkswagen at the time I was having these issues as I was very concerned that the engine overheating on several occasions and to the to the degree it did that it might have damaged the head gasket? And in turn resulted in an oil leak?

My mechanical knowledge is pretty limited so any info would be really appreciated so I can work out the best way to tackle this issue with the dealer.

Thanks!

[h100vw]

No oil related to the Waterpump. Could be oil spilt during a top up? Other places it can escape from is the dsg filter or drain plug. If it has had a 60k service that's when the dsg gets serviced

[GolfRWag]

Maybe get your CCV (crankcase ventilation) system checked?
It lives on top of the rocker cover and I have read that earlier versions on the MK7 could be problematic. If the crankcase vapours can’t escape quickly enough (esp when boosting) it can pressurise everything and force oil past various seals.

[golfguysydney]

Thanks for the advice guys. I should have mentioned, its coming up for its 100km service, so 60km was done quote some time ago. The last service was late last year, and it looks by the amount of oil on the ground it could potentially have started around then or not long after?
If it had been leaking before the last service, I'd have thought the dealer would have picked up on it, but then again they have proven themselves to be incompetent over and over again so I probably shouldn't be so confident!

[Lucas_R]

Thanks for the advice guys. I should have mentioned, its coming up for its 100km service, so 60km was done quote some time ago. The last service was late last year, and it looks by the amount of oil on the ground it could potentially have started around then or not long after?
If it had been leaking before the last service, I'd have thought the dealer would have picked up on it, but then again they have proven themselves to be incompetent over and over again so I probably shouldn't be so confident!

Sounds like you are past due to start taking your car to a independent VW specialist mechanic rather than the VW dealership (who in my experience are useless too).

In Sydney, you have a bunch of choices when in comes to specialist VW mechanics - what part of the city do you live in?

[golfguysydney]

I'd love never to deal with VW or one of their dealers again TBH, but I also cannot afford the excuses and blame that can potentially arise from VW when trying to get things covered by warranty or goodwill when using an independent mechanic.
As much as I detest Volkswagen, its always been serviced by the same dealer so all issues and negligence can be attributed back to the dealer, hence my query as it would be good to go into the dealership knowing what I'm talking about to get this addressed under warranty (if it was related, which it sounds like its likely not)
The car will be gone by the end of the year, and I will never buy another VW again. Ever. Which is a great shame as this is my third late model Golf and I was previously a huge fan. Loved my MK5, but the MK6 and 7 have both been complete lemons both exceeding tens of thousands in warranty repairs.

[Lucas_R]

Fair enough - I understand. I had 2x Mk6 Golfs (a GTI and an R) and had issues with both. The R had some weird electrical gremlins, whereas the GTI was fine electrically but was plagued mechanically with issues. Now I have an Audi SQ5 which has been nothing but problems too. I dare say this will also be my last VW/Audi product.

Regarding the oil leak, it could be various things (rear main, sump plug stripped or oil filter not tight etc) ranging from mild to major. Very unlikely (near on impossible) to be related to the overheating issue you had several years back. Much more realistic for it to be a separate event.

[ABCD]

If the leak has been going on a while then presumably it is something pretty minor. If your plan is to move the car on at the end of the year then personally I would not throw good money at it to get it sorted. Arguably it would not hurt to get the car up on a hoist and try to find what is leaking and obtain a repair estimate but I reckon the aggravation a warranty claim with VW would create is just not worth it.

[golfguysydney]

Hi guys, thanks again for your advice and opinions.

Just a quick update. My local mechanic was kind enough to hoist it up this morning and have a quick look. In his opinion the gasket between the sump (and another part I cant recall) needs replacing.
He said that its common for them to become brittle over time, and its not related to any previous issues or negligence. He also quoted about $400 to replace?
I’m not particularly keen to spend the money right now, and the leak does appear to be much slower than initially thought (I've had cardboard underneath it at home over the last few days while using the car as per normal) and there's only a dozen or so drops on it, so was thinking it can be addressed at the next service in a few months (if I haven’t gotten rid of it before then).
Any final opinions would be appreciated.

[Lucas_R]

The sump (oil pan) bolts directly to the bottom of the engine block. The sump on the Mk7 is made from black plastic so it would have either a replaceable gasket or sealant to prevent oil from leaking. If this seal has perished or been damaged then this will certainly cause a minor oil leak.

If its minor (eg your only getting a few drips on your cardboard at night and the oil level is not noticeably going down) then it will be ok to leave for basically as little or as long as you like. Bear in mind that if you are planning on selling the car at the end of the year, you would probably be better off getting the leak fixed before the sale, otherwise be prepared to drop the price accordingly for the buyer.

You mentioned that your car is approaching 100,000km's so this is the time when you can expect to have to replace the odd part here and there in addition to regular servicing. Accessory belts, ignition coils etc will start to show their age if not already.