JJCNSX

Hi all,

i found this post from 1 year ago (please see below). I have this leak that seems to coming "somewhere" from under the oil cap plastic (the engine plastic covers it, i cant see where precisely).. and drip down to the undertray.. i am now very worry about where the leak source is... and it seems like it will be costly.. any idea? anyone had the same problem? i have a 98 A4 2.8 Q.. please help! thanks in advance.

"the dealer is sending out the heads to have two bearings drilled out and plugged to fix the leak. Supposedly this is a problem with the 2.8L 98-99 model year with >=30,000 mi.

You may want to give Pacific Audi a call at (310) 255-3200. They may be able to give some first hand info.""

RKA

There is a gasket under there that can go bad over time. If it does...it'll leak.

JJCNSX

Thank you for quick reply.

no, i have not, but, i will give it a try. what is the Part number of oil filler cap?

also, what is the sympton of having oil filler cap leak?

on mine, you can see the trace of leak .. that covers driver side of the engine, all the way down to the undertray.

very interestingly, you can see minor splash of oil residual under the hood too... if the leak were coming from the oil cap.. would it splash to under the hool?

ps. the fan belts are dry..

again, thanks for helping.. any advise will be greatly appreciated!!

-jjc.

RKA

Part number: Look on the cap...it might be imprinted in the plastic somewhere on the cap. Otherwise ask the dealer.

Symptoms: Oil leaking from under cap.

If oil is splashed about...perhaps someone left the cap off for a brief period of time? That would explain the mess. The dealer techs might have forgotten to put the cap on, started the car, then realized they made a mess and replaced the cap without cleaning up after themselves. Clean everything up, and pay attention to exactly where the oil is leaking from (if at all).

JJCNSX

Hi!

woow that was a fast reply! thanks!

is oil cap filler a common leak source?

i will check & clean all the oil spots.. and see if i will see oil trace again. I hope that will solve the problem. However, from this morning, the amount of leak on the engine, and under the hood. it DOES NOT look like it.

i will see, and give you an update! thanks

ps. i see the previous owner is using mobil 1 synthetic 10w-30.. i heard some car dont really like mobil 1 syn.. um...

-jjc.

RKA

Leaking valve cover gaskets are common, but that leak begins just below the oil filler cap and leaks down the side of the engine. Take a picture after you clean it and run it for a few weeks...to give us a better idea what you're talking about.

Using M1 is fine. If it leaks, it leaks. It still protects the engine far better than regular oil.

JJCNSX

hi.. thank you for reply!

what is the sympton of leaking valve cover gasket?

would leaky valve cover gasket cause oil spot (splashed) onto the bottom of the hood?

how expensive is it to replace it?

thanks

-jjc.

RKA

If you don't know what a valve cover is, use the search function on the top right corner of your screen, or post a picture of your engine bay, and someone will point it out for you.