gphelps4.2

Friends,

Last week I had a coolant leak near the front passenger wheel on my 2000 A6 4.2. It was also time for TB. Indy diagnosed cracked/leaking oil cooler so we replaced during TB job. Got the car back yesterday and last night I noticed a large spot on the garage floor (4x6") in exactly the same place the coolant had been leaking from before, but now it seems to be engine oil.

Really nervous about this one. Taking it back in Monday to indy, (no dealer here in Wichita) and don't want to give him any more money. (TB and Oil cooler came to $2,200)

Did mechanic error or is this something else?

Greg

04_ultrasport

Could be oil from the repair that wasn't cleaned off. Best bet is to take it back to the shop where the work was done and find out where its coming from and have them show you to verify if its something they did or if its an unrelated issue to the repairs they performed.

4Driver4

Installed wrong, pinched 0-ring.

Since when do oil coolers need to be replaced on the 4.2? This is pretty far fetched to begin with.

gphelps4.2

Don't know 4D4. He showed me the oil cooler removed from near/under engine mount, rear of alternator. He had the engine lifted off mounts. Said engine should have been removed to get to cooler. I could see the pink w/ white powder substance (dried coolant) where crack was in oil cooler.

Indy said small leak right after repair was loose pitcock on radiator. This was obviously coolant on the floor. He tightened and said he tightened oil pan bolts as well. It was later that night I noticed the engine oil on the floor.

Thanks, respect your opinion.

4Driver4

Ah, I have seen people crack them if they are not properly installed. I wonder if that was an issue from long ago that just started leaking worse.

GTA_Driver

The oil cooler also cracked in my 4.2 A6.

gphelps4.2

But what would cause leaking substance to change from coolant to engine oil when oil cooler was changed out, other than 4D4's suspision that the oil ring was pinched in new installation? I know this guy is going to deny responsibility. Hope I'm wrong.

gphelps4.2

Turns out the oil leak was not from a twisted O-ring thankfully, it was from the oil pan gasket that needs replacing. It was just dripping oil in the same spot that the coolant was dripping.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

DumbEffer shouldn't have tightened oil pan bolts...it just distorts the pan. If anything, just remove a loose bolt, apply green or blue loctite, and reinstall/torque. Hand tightening (yust-enuff) isn't.

Remove the pan and clean it, straighten out the mating surfaces on the pan, use The Right Stuff to run a bead around the pan and around all the holes and install it...you have about 10-15 minutes to do this depending on how warm it is, use green or blue loctite threadlock on the bolts, and torque them to spec. Do not overtighten or you'll just have the same problems.

Supposedly the pan is good to go in half an hour or so (read the directions on the aerosol can) but I left mine to cure overnight before I put in engine oil. If you have recently changed the oil you can try to collect the drain oil in a clean pan and strain it through a paint filter before reusing it. But you might change your mind after cleaning the oil pan...the new oil tends to quickly load up with sludge and crap that has been sitting in the oil pan for years despite frequent oil changes.