Car is a 2011 D4 V50 Manual -70k miles
Over the last month i've noticed a series of oil/ fluid deposits across the drive in a line (see image). I've managed to work out the oil isn't coming from the engine block itself nor the oil cooler. I've taken then under tray off as the drip first appeared to be coming from the back of the engine.

​​​​​​The oil seems to coming down from below the radiator/ intercooler housing and dripping off where there under tray would normally slot in, and blows back when driving. Oil level hasn't moved since my last service (was dripping before the service) in a month, heating and air con works fine and the car doesn't smoke.

My local garage tried to tell me it was the oil filter housing but oil location is well off from there.

What lines run around there or has anyone suffered similar?

All ideas welcome, thank you!

 

first step would be to clean the engine as best you can then wait a few days and check again for a source going from top to bottom. It also sounds like you have some uncertainty as to what fluild it is - ie engine oil, transmission fluid, power steering fluid, coolant? Best to check all levels unless you are able to pin-point the source.

 

Thanks, I know it's not coming off the engine.
I'm going to check all of the fluid levels, and clean every again. the fluid does have quite a viscous feel to

 

one thought I had was to look at the radiator area since you have a transmission cooler, an oil cooler and the radiator for the coolant all in one tight spot.

 

Thanks, that is the area the leak is.

Does the manual have a transmission cooler? It could be that based on the feel and look of the fluid, it's very clean

 

I do think the only definitive way to chase down one like this is to spend some time cleaning up the entire area, then catch the new drips while they're still fresh (tracing bottom to top - they always run down, after all). You might have to remove some stuff.

If that makes you feel bad, here's how far I had to go to ID the oil leaks on my BMW... (head cover gasket, oil filter housing, oil separator - BMW's exotic version of a PCV system).

 

That doesn't look like my kind of fun! Satisfying once you get it sorted though.

I'm going to go for a drive on Sunday, strip things down and hopefully find the culprit is a hose clip or split pipe

 

Full disclosure - that wasn't all done JUST to ID the leaks, but by the time my troubleshooting for the real problem was done, I was far enough in it just didn't make sense to stop short of doing EVERYTHING the car needed for the next 100,000 miles (so I don't have to do it again).

And yes, the satisfaction of the way the car's working now is pretty satisfying. I do tend to over-maintain cars, so I can drive reliable vehicles that feel and perform like new ones, for chump change. ;-)

 

After much digging I've finally found the problem was power steering line that runs behind all the radiators.

Pipe had split and after much effing and jeffing I was able to replace the pipe.

Thanks for all the help!