Oil leak -- from the trunk lid???
07-06-2009, 11:47 AM
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My Ride: 2008 535xi
Platinum bronze metallic, automatic, cold weather package, fold down rear seats, iPod adapter
After a long drive on a hot (105F) day, I noticed a small amount of some liquid had dribbled down the middle of my rear bumper. (2008 535xi)
On closer examination it turned out to be some oil. I found that the oil had come from inside the trunk lid. If you open the trunk and look at the inside of the lip of the trunk lid, right in the middle of the trunk lid and just above the latch, there is a small hole in the metal there. A little bit of oil had leaked through that hole and dribbled down the rear bumper. It was a pretty light-weight oil, not grease. Surely that hole is there for a purpose -- but I never heard of a weep-hole designed to let oil escape. Water, sure. Oil, no.
Does anyone have a clue where that oil might have come from? And is it something that I can ignore, or should I take it to the dealer for a look-see? It was only a few drops of oil but why on earth is there any oil in the trunk lid in the first place?
On closer examination it turned out to be some oil. I found that the oil had come from inside the trunk lid. If you open the trunk and look at the inside of the lip of the trunk lid, right in the middle of the trunk lid and just above the latch, there is a small hole in the metal there. A little bit of oil had leaked through that hole and dribbled down the rear bumper. It was a pretty light-weight oil, not grease. Surely that hole is there for a purpose -- but I never heard of a weep-hole designed to let oil escape. Water, sure. Oil, no.
Does anyone have a clue where that oil might have come from? And is it something that I can ignore, or should I take it to the dealer for a look-see? It was only a few drops of oil but why on earth is there any oil in the trunk lid in the first place?
07-06-2009, 12:39 PM
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Originally Posted by DanP' post='934262' date='Jul 6 2009, 03:47 PM
After a long drive on a hot (105F) day, I noticed a small amount of some liquid had dribbled down the middle of my rear bumper. (2008 535xi)
On closer examination it turned out to be some oil. I found that the oil had come from inside the trunk lid. If you open the trunk and look at the inside of the lip of the trunk lid, right in the middle of the trunk lid and just above the latch, there is a small hole in the metal there. A little bit of oil had leaked through that hole and dribbled down the rear bumper. It was a pretty light-weight oil, not grease. Surely that hole is there for a purpose -- but I never heard of a weep-hole designed to let oil escape. Water, sure. Oil, no.
Does anyone have a clue where that oil might have come from? And is it something that I can ignore, or should I take it to the dealer for a look-see? It was only a few drops of oil but why on earth is there any oil in the trunk lid in the first place?
On closer examination it turned out to be some oil. I found that the oil had come from inside the trunk lid. If you open the trunk and look at the inside of the lip of the trunk lid, right in the middle of the trunk lid and just above the latch, there is a small hole in the metal there. A little bit of oil had leaked through that hole and dribbled down the rear bumper. It was a pretty light-weight oil, not grease. Surely that hole is there for a purpose -- but I never heard of a weep-hole designed to let oil escape. Water, sure. Oil, no.
Does anyone have a clue where that oil might have come from? And is it something that I can ignore, or should I take it to the dealer for a look-see? It was only a few drops of oil but why on earth is there any oil in the trunk lid in the first place?
07-06-2009, 12:49 PM
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Not really oil. It's cosmoline (a rust sealant). I'm assuming it's running down the rear bumper?
You can get it off with WD40. Wash the area with dawn detergent, rinse, dry, apply WD40, wait like a minute, then scrub it with a soft towel cloth. Rewash with dawn, rinse thoroughly, and voila, gone. (This worked without doing anything to the paint on my platinum gray finish, but as always, test a small area first to make sure it won't stain your paint.) The trick is to apply the WD40 to a dry surface to make it come off easier.
Make sure you get the cosmoline off quickly. That stuff will damage your paint if left on for a long time.
Also, make sure to use WD40 to remove areas on the trunk lid. I shouldn't need to remind you, but just to be sure, make sure you rewax the bumper after using the Dawn detergent and WD40 as this will strip your wax.
Your car will stop doing this after a while. Mine stopped after 3-4 weeks. Usually it happens to new cars exposed to excess heat, but I'm assuming your car has never been exposed to such heat before.
You can get it off with WD40. Wash the area with dawn detergent, rinse, dry, apply WD40, wait like a minute, then scrub it with a soft towel cloth. Rewash with dawn, rinse thoroughly, and voila, gone. (This worked without doing anything to the paint on my platinum gray finish, but as always, test a small area first to make sure it won't stain your paint.) The trick is to apply the WD40 to a dry surface to make it come off easier.
Make sure you get the cosmoline off quickly. That stuff will damage your paint if left on for a long time.
Also, make sure to use WD40 to remove areas on the trunk lid. I shouldn't need to remind you, but just to be sure, make sure you rewax the bumper after using the Dawn detergent and WD40 as this will strip your wax.
Your car will stop doing this after a while. Mine stopped after 3-4 weeks. Usually it happens to new cars exposed to excess heat, but I'm assuming your car has never been exposed to such heat before.
07-06-2009, 12:59 PM
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Originally Posted by geekmedic' post='934350' date='Jul 6 2009, 01:49 PM
Not really oil. It's cosmoline (a rust sealant). I'm assuming it's running down the rear bumper?
You can get it off with WD40. Wash the area with dawn detergent, rinse, dry, apply WD40, wait like a minute, then scrub it with a soft towel cloth. Rewash with dawn, rinse thoroughly, and voila, gone. (This worked without doing anything to the paint on my platinum gray finish, but as always, test a small area first to make sure it won't stain your paint.) The trick is to apply the WD40 to a dry surface to make it come off easier.
Make sure you get the cosmoline off quickly. That stuff will damage your paint if left on for a long time.
Also, make sure to use WD40 to remove areas on the trunk lid. I shouldn't need to remind you, but just to be sure, make sure you rewax the bumper after using the Dawn detergent and WD40 as this will strip your wax.
Your car will stop doing this after a while. Mine stopped after 3-4 weeks. Usually it happens to new cars exposed to excess heat, but I'm assuming your car has never been exposed to such heat before.
You can get it off with WD40. Wash the area with dawn detergent, rinse, dry, apply WD40, wait like a minute, then scrub it with a soft towel cloth. Rewash with dawn, rinse thoroughly, and voila, gone. (This worked without doing anything to the paint on my platinum gray finish, but as always, test a small area first to make sure it won't stain your paint.) The trick is to apply the WD40 to a dry surface to make it come off easier.
Make sure you get the cosmoline off quickly. That stuff will damage your paint if left on for a long time.
Also, make sure to use WD40 to remove areas on the trunk lid. I shouldn't need to remind you, but just to be sure, make sure you rewax the bumper after using the Dawn detergent and WD40 as this will strip your wax.
Your car will stop doing this after a while. Mine stopped after 3-4 weeks. Usually it happens to new cars exposed to excess heat, but I'm assuming your car has never been exposed to such heat before.
Thanks!Actually I got it off with just a paper towel, but it hadn't been left on the bumper for very long and it wiped right off. Although after reading this, I think I'll go over it again with WD40 just to make sure there's no residue.
If you don't mind my asking: How do you know this?
07-06-2009, 01:00 PM
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Originally Posted by geekmedic' post='934350' date='Jul 6 2009, 03:49 PM
Not really oil. It's cosmoline (a rust sealant). I'm assuming it's running down the rear bumper?
You can get it off with WD40. Wash the area with dawn detergent, rinse, dry, apply WD40, wait like a minute, then scrub it with a soft towel cloth. Rewash with dawn, rinse thoroughly, and voila, gone. (This worked without doing anything to the paint on my platinum gray finish, but as always, test a small area first to make sure it won't stain your paint.) The trick is to apply the WD40 to a dry surface to make it come off easier.
Make sure you get the cosmoline off quickly. That stuff will damage your paint if left on for a long time.
Also, make sure to use WD40 to remove areas on the trunk lid. I shouldn't need to remind you, but just to be sure, make sure you rewax the bumper after using the Dawn detergent and WD40 as this will strip your wax.
Your car will stop doing this after a while. Mine stopped after 3-4 weeks. Usually it happens to new cars exposed to excess heat, but I'm assuming your car has never been exposed to such heat before.
You can get it off with WD40. Wash the area with dawn detergent, rinse, dry, apply WD40, wait like a minute, then scrub it with a soft towel cloth. Rewash with dawn, rinse thoroughly, and voila, gone. (This worked without doing anything to the paint on my platinum gray finish, but as always, test a small area first to make sure it won't stain your paint.) The trick is to apply the WD40 to a dry surface to make it come off easier.
Make sure you get the cosmoline off quickly. That stuff will damage your paint if left on for a long time.
Also, make sure to use WD40 to remove areas on the trunk lid. I shouldn't need to remind you, but just to be sure, make sure you rewax the bumper after using the Dawn detergent and WD40 as this will strip your wax.
Your car will stop doing this after a while. Mine stopped after 3-4 weeks. Usually it happens to new cars exposed to excess heat, but I'm assuming your car has never been exposed to such heat before.
nicely done.
07-06-2009, 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by DanP' post='934356' date='Jul 6 2009, 04:59 PM
If you don't mind my asking: How do you know this?
07-06-2009, 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted by DanP' post='934356' date='Jul 6 2009, 04:59 PM
Wow... That's what I call a good answer. Thanks!
Actually I got it off with just a paper towel, but it hadn't been left on the bumper for very long and it wiped right off. Although after reading this, I think I'll go over it again with WD40 just to make sure there's no residue.
If you don't mind my asking: How do you know this?
Thanks!Actually I got it off with just a paper towel, but it hadn't been left on the bumper for very long and it wiped right off. Although after reading this, I think I'll go over it again with WD40 just to make sure there's no residue.
If you don't mind my asking: How do you know this?
Thank you to all for this kind of post; it is why I came here!