OH SH!T/Oil leak update....
12-17-2002, 03:35 PM
#1
AudiWorld Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OH ****/Oil leak update....
...put the car back up on ramps last night and went in search of my oil leak.
1. Leak seems to be very small/slow. I first noticed it when changing my oil and filter on Saturday with oil residue and some small "drips" collected in and around the area where the transmission/front differential joins the engine block. No oil dripping on the ground or noted on the floor of my garage to date however. After the oil change I drove the car through some pretty heavy rain on Saturday and then another 50 or so miles in the dry before I put it back up on the ramps last night for a further inspection. Given the "wash down" the car got due to the heavy rain driving, the leak was barely evident even after the subsequent 50 miles of driving in the dry. Had I not known right where to look I probably would not have noticed the very, very slight collection of oil residue along the seam where the front differential/transmission is joined to the engine block. Certainly not evident upon casual or even fairly careful inspection unless you know were to look for it.
2. Looked around for the "source" of the leak but it seems to be coming from the aforementioned seam between the front differential/transmission and the engine block and from there alone. Oil lines to and from turbos clean and dry with no oil residue. Oil pan and all areas around turbos clean and dry with no oil residue either. No evidence of oil residue or leaks anywhere else, and I spent more than an hour just looking. Took some of the upper plastic engine covers off to poke around but no leaks or oil residue were evident from above or anywhere else.
3. Got my coolant level topped up at the dealer on a quick visit, they said they'd pressure test the system when I bring the car in to have the oil leak looked at. Going to just keep an eye on the levels and make an appointment to bring it in after the holidays I guess. Wish me luck. I'll keep everyone posted.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/s4/msgs/1065064.phtml">Link...</a></li></ul>
1. Leak seems to be very small/slow. I first noticed it when changing my oil and filter on Saturday with oil residue and some small "drips" collected in and around the area where the transmission/front differential joins the engine block. No oil dripping on the ground or noted on the floor of my garage to date however. After the oil change I drove the car through some pretty heavy rain on Saturday and then another 50 or so miles in the dry before I put it back up on the ramps last night for a further inspection. Given the "wash down" the car got due to the heavy rain driving, the leak was barely evident even after the subsequent 50 miles of driving in the dry. Had I not known right where to look I probably would not have noticed the very, very slight collection of oil residue along the seam where the front differential/transmission is joined to the engine block. Certainly not evident upon casual or even fairly careful inspection unless you know were to look for it.
2. Looked around for the "source" of the leak but it seems to be coming from the aforementioned seam between the front differential/transmission and the engine block and from there alone. Oil lines to and from turbos clean and dry with no oil residue. Oil pan and all areas around turbos clean and dry with no oil residue either. No evidence of oil residue or leaks anywhere else, and I spent more than an hour just looking. Took some of the upper plastic engine covers off to poke around but no leaks or oil residue were evident from above or anywhere else.
3. Got my coolant level topped up at the dealer on a quick visit, they said they'd pressure test the system when I bring the car in to have the oil leak looked at. Going to just keep an eye on the levels and make an appointment to bring it in after the holidays I guess. Wish me luck. I'll keep everyone posted.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/s4/msgs/1065064.phtml">Link...</a></li></ul>
12-17-2002, 03:54 PM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 4,294
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ask the dealer to put some dye in your oil...makes diagnosing easier
that is if they do that. then drive around for a week or a few hundred miles so the dye can work itself into the leak.
dropped by my dealer a few weeks back and they put some dye in my oil so when they get it up on the lift they can more easily pinpoint where the leak is originating from (had rear main seal replaced twice in the past). it's at the dealer today so hopefully i hear back in the next hour or so what the diagnosis is
dropped by my dealer a few weeks back and they put some dye in my oil so when they get it up on the lift they can more easily pinpoint where the leak is originating from (had rear main seal replaced twice in the past). it's at the dealer today so hopefully i hear back in the next hour or so what the diagnosis is
12-17-2002, 03:54 PM
#4
Brought my car into AB today to talk about my reoccuring leak and missing parts
It turns out that a) they found my part lying against the wall in the shop (oops!)
b) the turbo oil return line into the oil pan is leaking on the drivers side
c) there is another leak coming from above on the passenger side. Not sure where it's coming from yet.
They put dye in my car and I'll drive it around a bit and bring it back in. With the storms I was not going to settle for a front wheel crap loaner car, so I told them I wanted my car or a quattro loaner, I got my car
..
They are looking at various things, something else I found of interest, they said that having a rear main seal go bad on the 2.7 is very rare (not what I read on this list).. So will keep you updated on the cause.. But check the oil lines
Tory
b) the turbo oil return line into the oil pan is leaking on the drivers side
c) there is another leak coming from above on the passenger side. Not sure where it's coming from yet.
They put dye in my car and I'll drive it around a bit and bring it back in. With the storms I was not going to settle for a front wheel crap loaner car, so I told them I wanted my car or a quattro loaner, I got my car
..They are looking at various things, something else I found of interest, they said that having a rear main seal go bad on the 2.7 is very rare (not what I read on this list).. So will keep you updated on the cause.. But check the oil lines
Tory
Trending Topics
12-17-2002, 04:14 PM
#8
AudiWorld Super User
Here's my question...
Is it TRULY the rear main seal?
Perhaps what Milpitas2.7T's tech said is right "they said that having a rear main seal go bad on the 2.7 is very rare"
It's a rubber ring around the crank tail that would really have to rip/crack/tear in order to leak. Could it just be part of the rear oil pan gasket? (Probably a weak paper gasket.) According to this picture it was leaking from the bottom right corner where the gunk is, NOT the red rubber ring.
Maybe other techs are just calling it the rear main seal to more easily describe it.
When you find out let us know. TIA
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/14154/rear_flange.jpg">
Perhaps what Milpitas2.7T's tech said is right "they said that having a rear main seal go bad on the 2.7 is very rare"
It's a rubber ring around the crank tail that would really have to rip/crack/tear in order to leak. Could it just be part of the rear oil pan gasket? (Probably a weak paper gasket.) According to this picture it was leaking from the bottom right corner where the gunk is, NOT the red rubber ring.
Maybe other techs are just calling it the rear main seal to more easily describe it.
When you find out let us know. TIA
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/14154/rear_flange.jpg">
12-17-2002, 04:18 PM
#9
AudiWorld Super User
is it at the dealer for an oil thing or the water pump noises?
12-17-2002, 05:49 PM
#10
AudiWorld Super User
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 9,779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah but MAKE SURE they replace the upper oil pan seal on the first RMB service...
My dealer replaced 3 RMBs and was going to start a fourth based on this same analysis. After the second service for a RMB common sense says to look elsewhere - unless you have an out of round crank journal or something else highly unusual.
Remember it is a 2 day affair to do a RMB... major surgery. Stand on them to get it fixed the first time.
I know way too much about this. More than I ever wanted to know.
Remember it is a 2 day affair to do a RMB... major surgery. Stand on them to get it fixed the first time.
I know way too much about this. More than I ever wanted to know.