Anyone identify this bit of my Transit Connect TDCi engine?

[chrrris]

Okay, as I've said before, I'm crap with cars and vans and that. But my van has developed an oil leak and it looks relatively easy to fix -- if only I could identify the name of the part I need to order!

It's a 2006 1.8L Transit Connect TDCi diesel (I think that makes it a Euro4 engine). And the leaky bit is a braided rubber hose that connect to an err... round black thing behind the radiator (I said I was hopeless with cars...), next to the dipstick. See pics below.

Please ask away if any more info is needed. If I can find out what bit to order, then I reckon I can sort this out myself... Any help gratefully received!

[chrrris]

Okay... I think the round black niblet next to the dipstick may be the vacuum pump. Which would make that a vacuum pump hose. Does that sound right? Does it make sense that a vacuum hose would be leaking oil or is the oil spraying up from elsewhere?

If I have identified the right bit, does anyone know how I would go about ordering the right part. I guess I need to find a part number or something. I'm a loss. Sorry if I'm being a div. This is a whole other world to me

[steviejoiner74]

Mine was p*ssing oil/fluid from around that area 2 weeks ago(2004 connect) and when I opened up the engine bay the power steering reservoir was empty. Chucked a bottle of power steering leak sealer in and it’s been fine ever since! Not saying that’s whTs wrong with yours but worth a check.

[chrrris]

Thanks for the tip, much appreciated. I've been out there mucking around with it again just now - power steering fluid seemed okay, but was definitely worth a check. I actually think it might have been the big intercooler hose above that pipe in the pic. The hose clip was a bit loose so I tightened it up, cleaned everything up, and will keep an eye on it.

I probably wouldn't have spotted it, but my brother's just bought a new house (a new build) with a lovely block-paving driveway. I've been working there this week and it's now a lovely block-paving driveway with a load of oil splodges on it. My house-warming present to him and his Mrs.

[Someone-Else]

does anyone know how I would go about ordering the right part.

Last time I needed a part (many many moons ago) I took the failed part into the Ford dealer parts dept, and said I want one of these its for a model and year (at the time) and he looked it up, went out the back, a few minutes later came out with a new one in a bag. I paid, left, fitted it all happy.

[Bob225]

there shouldn't be oil in the vacuum lines, the item in you first pic is the vacuum non return valve to/from the pump - to the brake booster and boost control solenoid


A loose boost hose will spray oil as it is under pressure, when on boost, iirc its around the 15-18 psi mark a [s]worn[/s] turbo/engine will put a small amount of oil in the intercooler/intake

euro 4 is up to 2010 and 2009/2010 > is euro 5 and that has the DPF

tbh im not a ford guy

[chrrris]

Thanks for the replies. There is some oil in the intercooler hoses (the engine's done 115K miles, some of it towing various stuff) but I checked and cleaned them up, inspected the rubber connectors and refitted. And it turns out it's not them after all. I left it with a sheet of cardboard under it and it's still dripping oil -- from somewhere in the general vicinity of the vacuum pump -- but I can't really tell exactly where and there is nothing obviously loose, split or disconnected as far as my untrained eye can see.

I think I've probably exhausted my very limited ability with this sort of thing... I'm going to bite the bullet and book it in to be sorted. If I muck around too much, I'm probably liable to make it worse -- a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and all that!

Cheers all for the help.

[Bob225]

The seal on the vac pump is a ultra common fail point on the 1.8 iirc the pump is driven off the end of the cam - 2 bolts and 2 pipes and it comes off, the hard bit is getting it lined back up when putting it on

edit. looked at you pics again 2nd from last is a vac hose and that thing that it goes into is the vac pump

[chrrris]

Thanks. I'm going to book it in in the morning -- on closer inspection, I'm pretty sure you're spot on about the leak coming from the vacuum pump. at least I'll be able to tell my mechanic I have a pretty good idea of what the problem is now. It might make me sound almost like I know what I'm talking about for a change

I know it's probably simple if you know what you're doing, but the Haynes manual talks about unbolting the intercooler, disconnecting various electrical switches and hoses and stuff, and to be honest, I don't have a great track record with working on cars. It'll take me 4x longer than a mechanic to do it, and it'll probably never be the same again. I know my limits

[Bob225]

fairy muff, one of those 10 min jobs that takes half a day

[chrrris]

Got this done today... you were spot on Bob225 -- it was a leak from the vacuum pump. It ended up costing me an eye watering £459.00 though!

As the old pump had done 115K miles, they'd said it was basically knackered and would never seal. So it was £263.08 for the new pump, plus 2 hours labour, plus the VAT.

Handing over the money for that was bad enough, but the really fun part was that the buggers had parked it about 5mm from a steel bollard that wasn't visible from the driver's seat. Pulled off, and did a sharp left, with hilarious consequences... I spent most of the evening with the door trim off trying to push the dents out so the window would go up and down again.


One of those days I wish I'd just stayed in bed!

[Bob225]

Thats a bit steep, I take it they used a ford part - well at least its done now - bad luck with the door, there are plenty of these vans around you no doubt get one in the right colour too