Jretal

For those of ya that didn't hear the <a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/12v/msgs/37014.phtml">story</a>

Got the car up on the lift last night to check out things... Other than a lot of grass, there was really nothing too huge

Here's the underneath with the car on the lift:
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/21175/underbelly_1.jpg">

Driver's side damgage:
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/21175/underbody_damage_driver.jpg">

Passenger's side damage:
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/21175/underbody_damage_passenger.jpg">

And the undercoating starting to show her years:
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/21175/missing_gel.jpg">

As you can tell, I got away SUPER lucky with this one... so a lil 3M undercoating over my thanksgiving holiday and this beast will be back to normal... minus the oil leaks mind ya

Speaking of OIL LEAKS!!!
THis is my oil leak from the front of the car. It looks like my oil pan seal is starting to leak, even though it's only a year and a half old maybe... approx 20k miles on it.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/21175/oil_pan_leak.jpg">

I also noticed that my upper oil pan seal is starting to leak, but only a very small amount on the driver's side... basically, not enough to bother with.

And for the real doozy of a leak... looks like my tranny is leaking :-\
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/21175/tranny_leak.jpg">
Pic isn't that great, but it's looking like it's coming from around the drive shaft on the driver's side. Any ideas? I'm thinking I should be checking my fluid level real soon to make sure I'm not running the tranny dry. It's not leaking too badly (i.e. no drips on the ground anywhere that I can tell) but that's still a pretty hefty amount of sludge for my tastes. Any ideas? Part numbers for seals maybe?

Hope ya enjoyed...

Mr.D-'97 A4q 12v

You replaced the oil cooler o-ring, correct?

Jretal

then started the car up and watched it drip from the oil cooler o-ring... that pissed me off.

I'll get aroudn to cleaning it up and seeing what's up, but the oil is only on that side of the oil pan (hard right turns maybe?). Might have been from the glen, and the oil seeping from the pressure and such when tossing the car around at high rpms :-\ I really dont' see any other leaking... so that might have been what happened.

Only leak that concerns me is the tranny. That is fresh oil/sludge... which means I'm getting a continous leak :-\ Got any ideas on that?

Mr.D-'97 A4q 12v

from the glen, too? Try cleaning it off and maybe you can track down the leak. Perhaps the bolts are just loose?

tganci

I agree with the good Dr., doesn't look too bad, I had the same issue, turned out to be loose bolts

moribundman

When my valley pan gasket was leaking oil, which dripped down the back of the engine, that same whole area, including half the axle shaft and boot, were coated with oil. I also thought that the tranny was leaking, but once I replaced the valley pan gasket and cleaned the engine, the oil never came back.

If I were you, I'd degrease at least that oil-smeared area and check after 50 miles or so. If the dripping fluid is fresh and not yet really dirty, it might be easier to tell if it's engine oil or tranny fluid. Tranny fluid stinks -- not as bad a gear oil, but nevertheless it does have a really pronounced smell.

odelay12v

ditto

MikTip

If it nots leaking, its not right! ;o)

Jretal

and it occurred to me about the valley pan gasket. The oil has no or very little odor. Tranny fluid smells sulfury right?

I think you might be right on that one Mori. That means I gotta get on top of my IM P&amp;P'ing soon so I can tear it apart and install the new gasket I have sitting in my closet :-D

Jretal

wasn't planning on doing any work, just take a gander at things.

I'll give that a try... we'll see when I have the energy/time