Oil in intercooler pipe?

[Condi]

Car is an Audi A4 B5 110hp 1.9 engine. Known, I think, for being very reliable.

Noticed today a small amount of oil in the pipe to the intercooler. Is this a concern? When turbo's let go you can get pretty silly bills and if it was likely to be on the way out then I would look to change it before hand, but if its normal due to a breather feeding back into the air intake then nothing to worry about. The car doesnt use much, if any oil, so I dont think there is a a major leak.

Can anyone offer any ideas?

[GavinPearson]

It isn't unusual, because the turbo shaft seal is more like a piston ring and will never seal completely. The best thing to do is clean the oil out, clean the breather, and monitor.

[Locknut]

I presume you mean the air intercooler and not the oil/coolant intercooler: Yes it's normal to have a small amount of oil in the bottom of the trunking. Here is a picture of my daughter's Peugeot diesel with the trunking opened up. It's many months since this picture was taken and the turbo is perfectly healthy:

[powerstroke]

Condi said:

Car is an Audi A4 B5 110hp 1.9 engine. Known, I think, for being very reliable.

Noticed today a small amount of oil in the pipe to the intercooler. Is this a concern? When turbo's let go you can get pretty silly bills and if it was likely to be on the way out then I would look to change it before hand, but if its normal due to a breather feeding back into the air intake then nothing to worry about. The car doesnt use much, if any oil, so I dont think there is a a major leak.

Can anyone offer any ideas?

most likely oil mist from the engine breather which is quite normal ...

[stevieturbo]

As above, crankcase breather basically recirculates the oil.

There isnt supposed to be oil in there really, but it is completely normal.

[Condi]

Locknut said:

I presume you mean the air intercooler and not the oil/coolant intercooler: Yes it's normal to have a small amount of oil in the bottom of the trunking. Here is a picture of my daughter's Peugeot diesel with the trunking opened up. It's many months since this picture was taken and the turbo is perfectly healthy:

Thanks, that is almost exactly what it looks like.

Mind rested, I will maybe wipe a cloth around in there at some point.