Huge Oil (?) Leak From Back Of 2002 Yaris Diesel - Pics Inside - Help&

[neilmasters]

HI guys

Hopefully you can help. Bought a second hand 02 Yaris in the summer D4-D Diesel and it has been great so far (120k on the clock). Always checked my levels and just the other day checked my oil and it was fine.

Came out today to get in the car and saw this huge, what I think is oil leak, from the back of the car - this is what it looks like:

Despite it being brown, it's black underneath the top.

Having got underneath, it looks like it is coming from here:

Can anyone confirm what that big box is at the back? I would have thought that the oil would leak from the front, like on other cars I've had. I did check my oil level and it was much lower than it was the other day

The only thing I've done recently with the car, is top it up with diesel to the top - in fact, that is where I would have thought that the petrol tank would be?

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.

PS: The tracks in the oil is because I reversed out and back in to get a better look of the leak.

[alan333]

Looks like the fuel tank to me. If it only leaks when the tank is full it could be from where a particular pipe section joins another section.

[neilmasters]

Looks like the fuel tank to me. If it only leaks when the tank is full it could be from where a particular pipe section joins another section.

Yup, logic states that it can't be oil, as that just wouldn't be stored at the rear of the vehicle. Sounds like a reasonable suggestion - thanks.

[MikeSh]

Diesel is a fuel oil, but it isn't black. I'd suspect it's partly dissolved the tarmac where it's been lying.

And just to nitpick a bit, you don't have a petrol tank. That sort of talk leads to someone putting petrol in it

;)

[alan333]

And it's really slippy stuff on a road, it's killed many a motorcyclist.

[Madasafish]

In your picture top right is the pipe leading from the fuel filler cap to the tank.

Check diesel is not leaking from there.. or the tank near it..

If diesel is leaking and running down the pipe, you may have a split pipe near the fuel filler - in the wheelarch exposed to water..

[neilmasters]

Took it to the garage today - fuel tank was rotten near the top (why are these made from metal?!) and was just dumping fuel everywhere. Thanks for all your help folks.

[Madasafish]

I Dinitroled my fuel tank about 7 years ago - and the pipe leading from the fuel filler cap..

[MikeSh]

(why are these made from metal?!)

Because steel is cheap, pretty durable and fire proof.

Cars are generally designed for a minimum 10 year life - having this corrosion problem at 14 years isn't actually surprising. I doubt you'll get another 14 years without something a lot more expensive to fix :)