[KeyRenRF3]

2003 Laguna Initiale 2.0 IDE Petrol Manual, 31k miles.

Some history:

When the car was 6/12 months old it leaked gear oil badly. The dealer diagnosed a blocked breather pipe and sorted it out. No further problems.

Back at the end of last year (when the car was just over 3 years old) I had a new clutch fitted, by a Renault main dealer (very expensive job). A week later, it leaked gear oil everywhere, which was traced to a badly fitted driveshaft gaitor - the garage admitted fault and put it right as well as (grudgingly) offering compensation (which I have not yet taken them up on).

A week later, the gears started whining in the high 30's in 4th. The dealer investigated and said it was normal and not to worry, and indeed it hasn't caused any problems (none that I can tell any way).

However, I have now noticed leaking oil again. It seems to be from the gearbox again, possibly in the vague vicinity of the driveshaft but it's hard to tell. It is however dripping oil onto my drive in exactly the same two places as last time.

I am calling the dealer this morning to insist they see me on Saturday morning, but just wanted some advice.

If it is due to the driveshaft gaitor etc. I guess the dealer will have to bear the cost.

However, if it's a blocked breather pipe again, I doubt it can be their fault (although they did have the gearbox out to fit the clutch). If it is something like this, and I have to foot the bill, what are the chances of a Harmony warranty covering it (I assume slim to none), and is it a big expensive job (does the box need to come out to sort it) to unblock the pipe?

I guess, it could be any number of things, but given the history one of these seems likely.

Very annoying though - especially on Easter weekend when I could end up being without my car!

 

[chris m]

The breather pipe is at the top of the engine from the crankcase to the air filter, it's a 2 minute job to remove and clean.

 

[KeyRenRF3]

Thanks. That puts my mind at rest a little that if it is that again and I have to pay that at least it won't cost too much.

What would cause the breather pipe to block if indeed it is that?

I am hoping that it is a problem with th edriveshaft gaitor again, or something else linked to the gearbox being removed and put badly back together for the clutch, but I haven't had much luck with this car so am also preparing to be told it's not their fault and is not covered by warranty.

 

[KeyRenRF3]

Dealer responsible can't see me until next Tuesday, so I am going to get a local specialist to check it over on Saturday.

I just want someone to tell me how drastic it is. Then if it's not too bad I can just take it in in a month or so when my MOT is due and save the hassle of an extra visit, but if it's bad I can get it dome ASAP.

I can do minimal driving if need be and can probably even leave it standing for a couple of weeks until I get get there at my convenience so as long as it's not pouring out (which it doesn't look like it is) I might buy some time.

 

[madnoel10]

Wrong Breather

Hi Chris - I think keith is referring to the gearbox breather - not the engine one you refer to. Keith get it sorted soon as low oil level in the gearbox could cause serious damage - it could also be a drive shaft gaiter leaking but only can be seen from underneath. Good Luck.

 

[KeyRenRF3]

Thanks.

So how difficult is it to check/clean the gearbox breather pipe if that is again the cause? And what would cause a blockage?

Like I said, I am off to the specialist on Saturday morning, so will get the low down then. I have extremely minimal driving to do until then - maybe 6 miles max.

The driveshaft and previous leak from this point were the dealers responsibility (6 months ago at most) so if it's leaking again I will hold them fully responsible as well as for any associated damaged caused. I also have a signed disclaimer from them that any future issues relating to the problem will be their responsibility.

I am hopefull that whatever it is it hasn't lost enough oil to cause damage. There is no additional whine, no stiff gears etc, and no obvious sign of imminent problems. The leak is (from when I noticed it) minimal to say the least - just a few drops each day, though I don't know how much it's leaking out while I'm actually driving.

I am also working on the assumption that the worst which can happen is the oil will leak to a level in theory no lower than the bottom of the driveshaft seal, which is not at the bottom of the gearbox as far as I am aware?

 

[madnoel10]

leaky gearbox

If it's the breather pipe it should be a simple fix - it could have been blocked by road dirt. If it were mine I wouldn't drive it any further than is absolutely necessary as the gearbox could be low in oil resulting in serious gearbox damage. When running, the oil in the gearbox is forcefully agitated over all internal working parts and will be thrown up to the area were it is leaking. Remember oil is not there just for lubrication it also has the important function of keeping the box and its components cool. So low levels not only reduce lubrication but also cause high temperatures. Even if you have a guarantee from the garage there may be doubts as to whether it would stretch to a new gearbox if required - plus there is all the hassle and inconvenience of the vehicle being off the road. Good Luck!
P.S. I would suspect a leaking seal rather than a blocked breather. Keep us posted of your progress or lack thereof.

 

[KeyRenRF3]

I must admit I am suspecting leaking seal as well at the moment - as that is what happened last time - the dealer srewed up the re-assembly after the clutch fit and the seal leaked.

On that occasion there was what seemed like a lot of oil on my drive, but when they investigated it had lost very little, and certainly not enough to cause damage I was assured.

This time, the oil is even less than last time, so I am hopeful that the loss is minimal.

The only worry is that I drove about 100 motorway miles at the weekend, and noticed the leak the following day, so it could have lost oil on the motorway I don't know about.

I unfortunately cannot avoid driving it at the moment - I have to get home from work tonight and then have a quick unavoidable errand to run. That will be it until Saturday morning when i will drive it to the specialist.

If it's lost a lot and it is something the dealer needs to address, then I will get them to at least top the oil up so it can survive a few more days as it looks like Wednesday morning now before I can actually get to the dealers to get it looked at. Hopefully though it's either something simple, something which can be bodged for a while, or something which they can repair (and I can pass the cost onto the original dealer).

If it is a leaking seal, are there ANY occasions under which a 6 month old seal could leak and be classed as wear and tear? I am thinking that it this is the problem, even if the garage denies responsibility, they fitted a new seal when the last one leaked, and therefore the work should be under warranty still as it's only 6 months ago (if that) - granted I did not pay for the work because it was as a result of their error, but still, it is a 6 month old seal.

I'll keep this updated.

 

[mag]

My 2006 1.6 16v Scenic II is leaking oil from the Gearbox Breather Pipe while on the motorway. It looks fine on shorter journeys on all other roads.

I checked the oil and it was low and I ended up draining it all and fill the new oil Castrol GL4 80w90, but the problem persist.
Really at a loss what it could be causing this now.

All advice appreciated!