help needed with oil leak.

good2talk

hi all
i have a renault clio 1.4 rt which has done 50k miles.its 1999 model and t reg.
the problem is i have an oil leak near the oil filter,i took it to a local garage where i was told that the oil filter was damaged hence the oil leak,so i bought a new one and they put it on and charged me 20 quid.
few days later the problem was still there,there is still oil leaking near the oil filter which falls onto the exhaust which makes alot of smoke come out when driving.
i took it back to the garage and they said it was the head gasket and quoted me 400 pounds.
i would like to know could this be the problem or is it something else.the temperature never goes high it stays normal.theres no white stuff on the dipstick only engine oil,and the water levels are all normal,dosent require any extra topping up.
any advice would be really appreciated.
many thanks

vansboy

If you've got a substantial leak, it certainly needs sorting, ESPECIALLY if it's getting onto the exhaust, in such a high temperature area.

If it is really that messy, that it's awkward to see the source of the leak - did they put it on a ramp & look thoroughly? - you'll need to pressure wash the engine & check when it's running/been on a run.

Did they do a pressure test on the cooling system, too? Then you'll have a better idea if it really is head gasket on its way out.

Post in http://www.honestjohn.co.uk Technical Section in The Backroom for more help.

VB

david29dpo

this garage has saw you coming. sounds like a minor leak from a minor place. are you a girl/lady by any chance?

moonrakerz

david29dpo wrote:

this garage has saw you coming.

Yep ! probably did, from the plume of blue smoke !

tomstickland

Jet wash the engine and then look to see where the oil is coming from.
There are quite a few things that can work loose and leak oil.

chas1937

check and see if oil pressure switch is near filter as have known them to leak

good2talk

hi to all again
thanx for all your replies.ive had the car checked at a different garage today,and they say its the head gasket causing the oil leak.
they have quoted me 555 pounds plus vat.is this about right?
the car is a renault clio 1.4,petrol,50k miles on the clock,t reg,1999.
thanks

david29dpo

what!!! i will do it for half that.

JBsplit

555 is way to much, you should be looking at 350max, phone your renault dealer and ask for a quote they are likely to charge the most so it will give you an idea of cost, if there resonable just take it to them.

JBsplit

BTW you want a head gasket changed NOT a full decoke.(they will know what this means)

ohreally

There is 7.0hrs labour to remove and replace the head, if it's a 16v head the time increases to 8.5hrs, multiplied by hourly rate.