Looking at buying golf - pre purchase oil leaks

[cynner]

Hey all,

Sorry my first post is a question - I don't have a Golf just yet, but am a big fan, they are great cars!

I've just had a mechanical inspection done on a Mk4 that my partner is looking at, and the mechanic found the following leaks.

- Oil leak from rear of engine, possibly valve cover gasket.
- Oil leak from around intercooler pipe, and oil present inside turbo
- Coolant leak from near thermostat housing

The current owners have taken the car to their mechanic, who said the oil leak from the rear of the engine was the valve timing gasket, so they are getting this fixed. Their mechanic could not find any oil near the intercooler pipe or in the turbo though... hmm.

My question is - could a leaky valve cover gasket cause oil to get inside the turbo and the intercooler pipe? And why would this oil 'disappear' from my mechanic, to her mechanic? (would it burn off?) I would have thought once inside the turbo and intercooler pipe, it would stay there for a while.

Their mechanic also said the leak near the thermostat housing is just the o-ring (and I'm not sure if they are getting this fixed). Is there a risk that a leak around the thermostat housing could be something more serious? I'd hate to just trust that it was the o-ring, and find out it was something worse in a few months time.

Anyway, I'm keen to hear what people think about the above problems...

Thanks!

[Ben J]

Welcome.

I cant help with the leaks, but you could use all these things as bargaining chips?

Im sure some more mechanically minded people will be able to help you out though

[cynner]

Yeah, definitely bargaining chips... will have to see what the current owner gets fixed.

I'm just worried about the oil in the intercooler/turbo, as their mechanic didn't seem to think there was anything wrong here (my mechanic did, though).

I read that on a golf, they are known to have a bit of oil in the intercooler pipe due to oil blow-by/PCV... but from what my mechanic said, there was quite a lot in there. Is this likely to be something serious, or just oil from the leaking valve cover gasket somehow making its way to the turbo?

[cynner]

Spoke with my mechanic last night - looks like the oil wasn't in the intercooler pipes, but was on the outside of the intercooler pipe (pooled somewhere near the piping?). I'm not familiar with under the bonnet in the golf... is this area likely to get fowled with oil from the valve cover gasket?

Kim