# Oil leak may not be oil pan



## Vdubcabby (May 28, 2008)

I thought I would go insane. I recently bought a great 1989 VW cabby that started bleeding oil like a major artery had been severed. I took off the oil pan to replace the gasket and there was no gasket, just orange silicon that looked like it had broken down and shredded itself. I properly cleaned the pan and engine and put a new gasket with sealant on the engine. Drip drip drip on the front three bolts. OK, I read on line and from the manufacturer's site, never use sealant newq gasket without sealant torqued to proper torque. Drip drip drip. OK, the oil pan looked pretty scratched up and gouged so I got a new one (only $28.00, not bad) and replaced the gasket again.
Drip drip drip. I knew it was impossible so I crawled under the engine with it running (safely on jack stands) and saw the drip was actually just above the oil pan and running down the engine and dripping off the pan gasket area to where it looked like the oil pan gasket in the same area. I couldn't see a leak anywhere. On a hunch, I took off the rubber boot on the pressure sending unit and started the engine SPRAY OIL CITY!
I replaced the unit and no more drips, dry as a bone.
Check that the next time you think your engine is leaking, the plastic insulation around the electrical connection breaks down over time and develops a pressure leak. Hope this helps someone and if you oil pan has a lot of scratches and deep looking gouges, spend $28.00 for a new one and don't use sealant on the oil pan gasket.


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