Slight oil leakage that's come down past timing belt

[charles-chet]

Overhead view and where it looks to be coming from

IMG_20211219_110418_edit_233755325785164.jpg (2.16 MiB) Viewed 2936 times

Oil beside timing belt

IMG_20211219_110413_edit_233665965132052.jpg (2.14 MiB) Viewed 2936 times

Polo :)

IMG_20211217_083943_edit_98560341016209.jpg (3.83 MiB) Viewed 2936 times

Hi there,
I've only just recently bought this lovely little polo owned by an old couple we know very well and has only ever been owned by them.
It's a 2011 VW Polo 6r, 1.2L Petrol with almost 100,000 miles on the clock and has only ever been serviced at the VW dealership locally by the friends we've bought it from.

The car is in what looks to be in both clean and working condition but since we bought it a week ago, I have since noticed what looks to be oil coming down the side of the engine next to the timing belt.
My worry is that it may have been caused by something I did the other day when I was coming to slow down at a 30mph zone from 60mph and I was going from a 4th to 3rd gear change but buggered it up as the gear got stuck in between neutral and 3rd and it grinded for a bit before I stopped panicking and sorted it out.

Since then too, I also think I hear a very small rattling noise when I accelerate the car. And I know the older polos are a little noisy which I don't mind at all but there does seem to be a new noise which isn't very loud coming from the engine area since my gear change that doesn't seem to be normal. It can only really be heard when the car window is open. And this really worrys me as I may have already caused damage and buggered the thing up before I've really gotten to use it.

No engine lights have come up though and it still works, and also done a OBD2 check and also checked oil level which doesn't seemed to have changed but just want to make sure I'm not damaging anything further if I have done so by checking with anyone on this forum first.

Any help or advice would be appreciated
Many thanks
Charles

[iichel]

Are you sure it's oil and not coolant?

[RUM4MO]

Are you sure it's oil and not coolant?

I don't know anything about these 3 cylinder engines, but from just looking at these pictures, it does look a lot like oil - and being close to the engine oil filter housing, is that where it is coming from - also, it sort of looks like it has been "doing this" for quite some time.

So, has it been caused by a leaking oil filter due to incorrect fitting or not replacing the O-rings that normally come with that sort of filter, or has it just started and that oil filter housing is now leaking.

I'd suggest cleaning that area up using a degreaser and water, then check it frequently to see if you can work out where that oil is coming from - that will be the first thing a workshop would do I'd expect.

Edit:- the only weakness in my logic is that currently the area where the plastic filter housing meets the alloy base of the filter housing looks very clean, so probably not due to this oil filter, still I'd start with cleaning up that area in general.

[amer6R]

If its dripping on the belt, tensioner or similar it will make it strech etc. and that can get a bit expensive.

that a accessory belt. Still getting oil on alternator is not good.