Oil Leak

kekemoi · Post by **kekemoi** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:31 pm

Greetings all!
I recently took my bug to the shop for a simple tune up and they said I needed my back axle shafts boots replaced. At the time, I didn't have the $$ for that repair and it seemed liked the minute I got my bug back, it was leaking oil(everyday now), where it wasn't at all before.(my b/f is convinced they sabotaged it)

My question is

Where exactly is this oil coming from? We check the oil each time we dare to drive it(only vehicle we have) and it always says its full. I realise the shaft boots need replacing...How long will my bug last before I can get it back to the shop?

Athen_TL · Post by **Athen_TL** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:39 am

Hi,

the oil you are leaking is not from your engine, but from your gearbox. If you ignore it, at some point you run out of gearbox oil and you might damage your gearbox.

Axle boots, here in Europe are approx. 10 Euro (15 $) per PAIR (2 pcs). Price in the States should be close to that figure. As far as the labor cost is concerned - well, i have no idea what shops over there charge. I'd pay abour 30 Euro (50 bucks) here.

Regarding the "sabotage" thing : it has happened to me that axle boots did not drop until the car was raised (which stretches the boots and when they are kinda old they rip). After that i left a puddle wherever i went. But nothing to do with "enemy action".

Hope this proves helpful.

best regards from sunny Greece,

Boris

Post by **jmartini** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 3:24 pm

I can't say whether you were sabotaged or not, but finding a mechanic you can trust is very important (and perhaps difficult) which is why many folks try to learn as much as they can and work on their bugs or join clubs where they can learn and help each other out. I feel blessed to have a great trustworthy mechanic but I was burned more than once before I found him.

kekemoi · Post by **kekemoi** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:29 pm

thank you very much

I know the axle boots aren't costly, it is the labor that gets you....
so, basically untill I get the boots replaced, the oil will leak...Now I have to worry about the gearbox....so, it's all connected(I don't know much, but I try to learn:)

and I told my b/f the same thing- that raising the bug up, probably was the cause of the current leakage, not sabotage....

I think we all know how hard it is to find a dependable, reputable, honest mechanic, who knows what he/she is doing....Everytime I find good one, they eventually close shop

thank you once again

volksbugusa · Post by **volksbugusa** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:46 pm

Is you bug still a swing axel? If it is you are in luck...very easy to repair. Just so you have the full story if your boots are old and tired and dry when you lift the car off its rear wheels the drive shaft will flex in putting a lot of pressure on the boots...hence more leaks...you can repair the boots in about 3 hours for both sides. some times the seals will leak by the rear drums still easy to repair you need to clean up and take good pics for me to see.
no big deal....

send me an email

volksbugusa@optonline.net