Oil leak from small pipe above intercooler intake: identify?

[Ruby]

Dear All,

I took the under tray off to do another job (coolant leak, now sorted) and spotted a slight oil leak from a rubber pipe that has a reinforced braided sheath, it connects to a solid pipe with a jubilee clip, its on the offside side of the engine.

Can anyone please identify this pipe? There's a similar one slightly above but that's not (currently) leaking.

Looking from below the pipes run together just above the intercooler lower hose (which is the intake pipe into it).

Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

[Stevey Y]

4 hours ago, Ruby said:

Dear All,

I took the under tray off to do another job (coolant leak, now sorted) and spotted a slight oil leak from a rubber pipe that has a reinforced braided sheath, it connects to a solid pipe with a jubilee clip, its on the offside side of the engine.

Can anyone please identify this pipe? There's a similar one slightly above but that's not (currently) leaking.

Looking from below the pipes run together just above the intercooler lower hose (which is the intake pipe into it).

Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

Hi hazard a guess on what's leaking out it looks like a power steering pipe judging by the colour of the leak, I would also assume its been replaced before as it has a jubilee clip and all pipe clips on Audi are of the spring variety on armoured hoses as this allows for thermal expansion and contraction, jubilee clips don't and if overtightened muller the integrity of the hose as when they expand the rubber has nowhere to go.

Steve.

[Ruby]

1 hour ago, Stevey Y said:

Hi hazard a guess on what's leaking out it looks like a power steering pipe judging by the colour of the leak, I would also assume its been replaced before as it has a jubilee clip and all pipe clips on Audi are of the spring variety on armoured hoses as this allows for thermal expansion and contraction, jubilee clips don't and if overtightened muller the integrity of the hose as when they expand the rubber has nowhere to go.

Steve.

Thanks Steve, I'll look into this and see if I can find a schematic for the power steering pipes.

[Ruby]

Thanks Steve, you are spot on, they are the power steering pipes, the flexi pipes feed the loop that cools the fluid down as per this diagram which is from an A4 B7 but similar to my B6 system.

This being the section I've been looking at & photographing:

 

[Stevey Y]

20 hours ago, Ruby said:

Thanks Steve, you are spot on, they are the power steering pipes, the flexi pipes feed the loop that cools the fluid down as per this diagram which is from an A4 B7 but similar to my B6 system.

This being the section I've been looking at & photographing:

 

Hi good shout, I have no doubt it would be good policy to purchase some of No 22 which is the clips which will give the pipes more longevity, shame whoever put the pipes on used jubilee if they used the clips you wouldn't have this problem as the pipes look good apart from the crushed mounting ends.

Steve.

[Ruby]

On 3/26/2024 at 6:03 PM, Stevey Y said:

Hi good shout, I have no doubt it would be good policy to purchase some of No 22 which is the clips which will give the pipes more longevity, shame whoever put the pipes on used jubilee if they used the clips you wouldn't have this problem as the pipes look good apart from the crushed mounting ends.

Steve.

Hi Steve,

Funnily enough I've spent a fair bit of time looking at hose clips after your first post.

There are two I like the look of, the spring clips (easy to fit and remove) or the ear type (one manufacturer is Febi Bilstein) which you crimp up to fit and are one use, and harder to remove. Another downside is the official crimp tool is pricey, there are cheap ones but would that allow for under or over crimping so you'd get a poor seal?

I believe both offer some thermal give which, as you say the jubilee clips don't, or very little.

A new rack to cooling loop pipe is £178 inc VAT (TPS) and needs to be ordered from Germany, 5 day wait.

My plan is to remove the pipe end, clean the area, look at the damage, if only at the very end and if I can make a clean cut and the pipe still reaches ok I'll then reattach it with a proper clip.  Otherwise it's 5 days and £178 worse off!

 

[Stevey Y]

8 hours ago, Ruby said:

Hi Steve,

Funnily enough I've spent a fair bit of time looking at hose clips after your first post.

There are two I like the look of, the spring clips (easy to fit and remove) or the ear type (one manufacturer is Febi Bilstein) which you crimp up to fit and are one use, and harder to remove. Another downside is the official crimp tool is pricey, there are cheap ones but would that allow for under or over crimping so you'd get a poor seal?

I believe both offer some thermal give which, as you say the jubilee clips don't, or very little.

A new rack to cooling loop pipe is £178 inc VAT (TPS) and needs to be ordered from Germany, 5 day wait.

My plan is to remove the pipe end, clean the area, look at the damage, if only at the very end and if I can make a clean cut and the pipe still reaches ok I'll then reattach it with a proper clip.  Otherwise it's 5 days and £178 worse off!

 

Hi the upper picture is the clip to get, they are a pain to fit but not a problem if you have the right tool about a tenner on fleabay, good idea cutting the pipe back as long as you don't go nuts with it there should be enough slack let to get it connected again, can't believe the price of that pipe, if you get any length problems get a section of copper pipe the same diameter as the inside of the rubber pipe and then you can make up the length  by doing a cut and shut further up the pipe it just means three clips instead of one.

Steve.