Is it normal to see oil here?

Hello, I was inspecting this 2011 987.2 Boxster S with 73k miles I'm looking to buy and wondering if the oil I saw is normal or something to be concerned about. It didn't appear to be leaking, but I don't know if they tried to wipe it. I saw some around the air ducting and around the sway bar and what I believe is the PDK cover as well. Is this normal 13 year old car oil or is this something to be concerned about? I'm having a mechanic come to check out the car, but wasn't able to find a Porsche expert and would like a second opinion here. I have the photos and a quick video. I didn't realize one was blurry.

Is it leaving any oil underneath it? It could be as simple as oil that migrated after a filter canister change. I would clean it the best I could, keep an eye on the oil level and check to see if it restains the same area of your car. This would at least be a beginning point for you to trace it down.

Boris might be on to something. Or I wonder if the PDK fluid got spilled and collected by that shield and drained downward toward that cooler? (I'm not familiar with the PDK setup). I don't believe that round hole is original but was drilled thru the metal to access a drain plug. But the fluid (oil) can gush when the plug is removed. So my guess is it is just spillage. So clean as best as you can - spray with a degreaser and wipe as clean as possible. Then drive and check again. An afterthought- if you can get a wrench on the drain and fill plugs make sure they aren't loose but don't overtighten.

Definitely, it looks like the leftovers of a cleanup rather than it's leaking from a specific point.

Removing that panel will give you a lot more information. I would definitely want to see the underside with it removed. A slow oil leak could require a costly fix, but there is a good chance it’s leftover from maintenance.

If you can get it cleaned up - stop at a drugstore and buy some aerosol (spray) baby powder. Spray a very light dusting on the pan and the general area. Then take the car for a drive. Pull it back in and put it up on the lift. If there is any active leakage chances are the baby powder will point you right to it. Wurth used to (no longer does) sell a quite expensive spray for this - I think it was relabeled baby powder. A mechanic friend found the baby spray powder when I couldn't source the Wurth stuff - we were chasing a gas leak on a motorcycle tank (fuel pump mounting gasket.. but lots of potential leak points to eliminate..) Works a charm for almost any fluid leak..

Not only works like a charm, it prevents the irritation often associated with a wet bottom and dissuades rashes. 😎

I love the humor haha thank you.

Thanks everyone. I'm planning to return with a tech to remove the plate, clean things up, spray some baby powder, test and inspect. I'll also check for oil where the car was parked as well. I'll put a better inspection checklist too. A facebook group also confirmed it should be bone dry there. I hope all goes well and we can finalize the purchase.

Don't drive, or even lower the car to put weight on the rear wheels with that plate removed. It adds to the structural integrity of the car. Supposedly doing so can mess up the rear alignment.

Certainly, I only meant I was going to remove the plate to get a better look for a leak.

I went back in with the tech today and there's indeed some leakage form the pdk pan. The dealer said they'll fix it. I'll verify. Things looked good otherwise.

Anyone know what this seal is here? It's apparently the issue and the dealer is having trouble sourcing it. This is facing toward the rear of the car. They said it doesn't appear on this diagram. Is that because it's part of another sub assembly? Porsche Boxster 987 (2009) - pdk - Parts Diagram (320-005) ..

That looks like an expansion type seal - closing up a hole used during casting of the housing, or to access some assembly inside the transmission casing. Since Porsche doesn't plan on you doing either item - they aren't going to sell the part. BUT - if Porsche used a standard size seal - and you had good measurements - it might be available somewhere.