Oil Spray on back of DB9

[gaynorj]

Picked up a 2015 DB9 Volante yesterday from an AM Dealer. Took it on a super 100 road trip and stopped for a spot of lunch. Came home and gave it a quick clean down to shift the road grime.

I then took it out in the evening to drop my husband off in town to meet friends, which was about an 8 mile round trip. Came back and the entire back of the car was sprayed with oil (it wasn't like this after the long road trip, we noticed a small amount if oil spray but nothing of any significance). Anyone else had this problem? Any ideas what it might be? We will obviously be speaking to the AM dealer tomorrow who sold us the car but wanted to sound out you guys about it.

[Simpo Two]

Could it have come from the road? They are filthy at present.

[EVR]

I may sound obvious but any chance you actually drove on a oily patch on the road without noticing and it's not coming from the car itself? I am far from being an expert on the matter, but the spray pattern seems like it has been caught up from the tarmac, like when the roads are salty in winter.

[mickyh7]

EVR said:

I may sound obvious but any chance you actually drove on a oily patch on the road without noticing and it's not coming from the car itself? I am far from being an expert on the matter, but the spray pattern seems like it has been caught up from the tarmac, like when the roads are salty in winter.

There was a small amount before the wash.
Then a lot after.

[mickyh7]

I've just remembered having this problem on an 80's 3.0 litre Capri.
Turned out the Diff cover was leaking.

[gaynorj]

I can't see how it's come off the road. There was a small amount of oil spray on the car after our drive to Perthshire but didn't think much of it as the car was dirty from road grime and the roads had been wet. It was when I got back from the short run that the entire back of the car was covered in oil spray. Looks like someone filled a spray bottle with engine oil and blasted the back of the car with it. Husband says there's oil spray in the side vents on the wing too. Another photo of the back. I can only load up one photo at a time I think..?

[phumy]

Take a look under it yourself, if its leaking that much there will be a small puddle or you might see it streaked along the underside of the car, just to be sure.

[mickyh7]

Personally I wouldn't drive it.
Ring the AM Dealer and have it collected.
It's not your problem at the moment.
I'm sure it's a simple fix, (oil filler cover left off or similar),but don't get involved!

[gaynorj]

That’s the plan. Will speak to them first thing in the morning. Never straightforward though is it. The dealer we bought it from is a four hour drive away so now have the added complication of them dealing with our nearest dealer in Edinburgh to get it collected and fixed there.. 🙁.. not ideal when we only got it yesterday but hey ho!

[Jon39]

Congrats on your new Aston Martin.

If it were me, I would want to keep matters as simple as possible for these circumstances.
Would certainly not want to have any second dealer involved, just in case it becomes a disputed fix.

If what is visible has come up from the road, then that would obviously not require it to be taken to the dealer.
As that is not easy for you to tell, hopefully your dealer can provide guidance.

[gaynorj]

Speaking to them tomorrow to see what they say. Thanks

[Finding Neutral]

Speak to the dealer. But it is totally possible that the oil is not from the car.

Oil gets everywhere ! Especially the back of the car because of the way aero works. It’s a right bd when it hits anything hot as it’ll vaporise and literally go everywhere !

I’ve had even the slightest weep on a car before and it look like the worst thing that’s ever happened.

[SHIFTY]

If nothing is visible on the road the AM dealer should place car on vehicle lift to look for any oil leaks but get them to remove the front undertray as this catches any oil leaking from the engine and you would not know anything is leaking as it pools onto the tray.

[gaynorj]

Good to know thanks so much

[john ryan]

Is there oil in the exhaust pipe(s)?

[peteA]

john ryan said:

Is there oil in the exhaust pipe(s)?

This is what I’d be checking

Potentially over filled the engine oil? Oil drained back into then engine when you washed it then burned off on your shorter journey? (Just a theory).

Strange it’s coming out of the side vents mind?

[8Tech]

Thats almost certainly an oil leak from underneath the car, possibly if they changed the oil filter (and oil) without dropping the undertray so that oil on the said undertray is travelling along under the car and air turbulance is depositing it over the back of the car.
I would certainly check your oil level before driving it further, just in case you have suffered a gasket/seal failure, losing oil.

[gaynorj]

No. Went and checked again and there's just the usual small amount of soot you would expect in both exhausts. The whole thing is baffling. Hard to show the patterning of the oil spray from the photos...

[gaynorj]

8Tech said:

Thats almost certainly an oil leak from underneath the car, possibly if they changed the oil filter (and oil) without dropping the undertray so that oil on the said undertray is travelling along under the car and air turbulance is depositing it over the back of the car.
I would certainly check your oil level before driving it further, just in case you have suffered a gasket/seal failure, losing oil.

Thanks, great advice. This make sense. Going to do some more checks and speaking to the dealer first thing in the morning.

[V8V Pete]

I had this on my first Vantage (also from a main dealer) all those years ago. It was coming from a leaking gearbox oil cooler which, on the Vantage, sits just inside the rear bumper. Not sure whether or not the DB9 has one but it would be top of my list if it did. The back of the car was covered in oil when I'd driven the 125 miles home. The dealer tired to deny the problem was there when they did their infamous 140 point check but then I found this photo (with drips of oil on the ground) on my phone of the car on their forecourt before it had been prepped

Fortunately, my local dealer at the time was only 5 miles away and sorted it out along with the other issues the hopeless supplying main dealer had left me with. We live and learn ......