S40 V40: URGENT! Oil leak, knocking top end and low idle

[2000S40]

V40, 1997, 2.0L non turbo 223,000 miles
I need someone's help urgently,

This morning I started the car and it was knocking on the top end,
I checked the oil and it was EMPTY! I mean, the dip stick was dry as a bone (just a short time ago it was fine).

I looked under the car, and from the drive-shafts back the entire under-body is soaking wet with black oil. No joke, from the drive shafts, all along the fuel lines to the exhaust tip it is wet.

I filled it up, and later found fresh(ish) oil around the driveshaft area, but cannot find ANY leak anywhere. It's like it's wet from the bottom of the engine only (unless it's from behind the cam cover?)

The sump is dry, it's all wet from the passenger side only.

The revs have dropped from around 1k idle to 300-200.
No low oil level or pressure lights have come on

I filled it back up to about 3/4 full (on the dipstick) and ran the engine for a while, but the knocking on the top-end hasn't gone away, though the oil is not dropping to the floor (I've put a plank under to catch any new oil) so I'm lost

PLEASE HELP!
This week I'm driving back to the UK .. !

edit: the air intake has a little oil in it, and so too around the spark plug covers..
Damn!!! The thing is falling to bits on me

[2000S40]

A few people have already looked at this, can someone please help?!

[2000S40]

Just to add, now there's some oil dripping on the plank, but it looks like only a couple of drops, nothing terrible. But it is constant, so there's obviously a major problem!

[t5_monkey]

try putting something up in the 'general' section... more people view that

[2000S40]

Thanks, I did so!

[stevo48]

You say the oil is on passenger side only, as the gearbox mounts on the passenger side i would suspect crankshaft to gearbox oil seal, have you removed the plastic engine cover to try and source the oil leak?
if it is the crank oil seal this wouyld account for the lack of leaking whilst the car is stationary, the oil will leak more when the car is under power.

[neileg]

Sounds like a new engine rather than any kind of simple fix. Running any engine without oil is pretty terminal regardless of why the oil fell out.

Hope I'm wrong though...

[2000S40]

I've removed the plastic cover that covers the dizzy et al but that only showed me a bit of oil that looks like it's been there forever. Yes, the oil looks like it's fresh all around the passenger side drive-shaft, just after the gearbox.

I tried switching in one place between 1st and reverse, and rocking back and forth around 6feet, but I saw no increase in oil loss either. Not to say you're incorrect, as I didn't do much in the way of putting a lot of power down.

I drove the car down the road, stopped, left it running and watched under the car, one or two drops, then I came back and onto the plank.. one or two drops.. I don't understand how it looks like SO much oil has come away (going all down the under side of the car) yet now it seems to be slow. I'm not complaining ofcourse, damn, I much prefer a slow leak, I can get back home with a slow leak!!

I also don't understand why the revs have dropped on idle (though it still sounds like a normal idle, not rough) and more importantly, why there are NO lights up on the dash!!

Neil, I took the cap off to put more oil in, and it was soaked with black oil, it definitely wasn't dry inside, just the dipstick.

I put 1.5L of oil in the car, and it took it up to 3/4 to the full mark.
The sump holds 5L right? So there must have still been 3L in there, right?!

I hope the knocking goes down now I've added oil again. I hope the tappets just dried out a bit (happened on my calibra, and self-fixed with a complete oil change).

I will call all the garages locally tomorrow to try and get it diagnosed and fixed.
I was also looking up a product called Wynn's stop-leak which sounds promising if I have to wait a day or two to be seen by the mechanics (though I hope to god I don't have to wait!)

[2000S40]

Baffler, my saviour, I see you!

[Baffler]

Just a thought...

On the turbo charged engine the turbo oil return pipe goes into the back of the engine block and is just about level with the drive shaft. As far as I'm aware the N/A engine has a metal bung in place where the turbo oil return pipe goes. Is it possible this bung has popped out...? With a torch you should be able to see this hole behind and below the exhaust manifold.