GDJT Allroad^2

Got off the phone with the garage. Here's what they say I need...

1) The coolant has broken down and just needs a flush, that's why it is dark and ugly.
2) The oil leak is the head gaskets, although I saw oil around the gaskets for the oil cooler, too, but the pictures show seepage from the heads.
3) The front end is out of whack(?) which I didn't notice. He claims I need all tie rod ends done and one of the half axles could be bad.
4) While they have the head gaskets off, they want to do the timing belt. The deal with the head gaskets is I get all new seals, front and back.
5) Front rotors and pads are warped.
6) They're going to do the whole esrvice, too, spark plugs, filters, V belt, etc.

Grand total? $6600.

I'm just going to have them do the head gaskets and timing belt service. I'll take care of the tie rod ends and brakes myself. That should leave me at $3500.

KaMaKaZieP -ALUMIN8-

Check your rear cam seals and breather hoses first!

GDJT Allroad^2

I'm not 100% sure about the had gaskets, but I wouldn't be surprised. The pictures I took, and looking at it, you can see oil seeping (or at least the stains of it seeping) from around the valve covers, head gaskets, and around where the cooler joins to the block. Browse http://jonworld.com/images/Cars/oil/

I fscked up the antifreeze myself.

Again, as for the brakes and tie-rod ends, I'm going to hack on that myself. I'm going to have to have my wife drive me down to the shop over my lunch break to take a look and give a deposit for parts, anyway, so I can inspect what's going on (they supposedly have the front end already torn down) and I can call shennanigans or not.

PaulW

I have a head gasket leaking on my RH side...no biggie....been leaking for 3 years now and it consumes about 1 pint of oil total so far....which is a lot to clean up, takes about 10 extra minutes duirng an oil change....but nothing to worry about.

Once I get a house with a garage...it should be here sometime in the next few months....I will change the head gaskets and looosen the darn timing belt which is over tensioned.

But for $4K or whatever they want to charge you...why bother?

The coolant has broken down? I don't understand, never heard of that before....why not have them flush the coolant, put the CORRECT RED AUDI coolant back in.....and see what happens? To do this, you must drain the block about 3 times with the two fittings (see timing belt procedure on audipages for details), fill with water, run it, and drain again....then refill with 50/50 solution.

A half shaft gone bad? What's wrong with it? Never heard of one going bad before....unless a CV joint boot ripped and sand/grime got in there....why replace it?

And for the front end....buy an entire kit on the group buy from Houseofsound....it still hasn't gone down yet, but will very soon! Probably $600 for EVERY component in the front end you would ever want to replace.

How many miles on your car and has the timing belt been replaced before? Get the parts from Wendy or some other source and have them just charge you for the labor if you do it, you'll save probably another $400.

GDJT Allroad^2

I'm going down there on my lunch break to talk with them.

GDJT Allroad^2

Thank you for the pointers. I know it's blowing oil out the rear cam seals...

I'll keep you posted after I head down there...;

PaulW

Here's all of your pictures resized...first of the valve covers/heads:

<img src="http://www.audipages.com/images/oil1.JPG">

<img src="http://www.audipages.com/images/oil2.JPG">

<img src="http://www.audipages.com/images/oil3.JPG">

<img src="http://www.audipages.com/images/oil4.JPG">

I'm telling you, there is no oil leak there...if you wipe this all down with brake cleaner and paper towels....it probably won't come back for at least a year.

Here is what a head leak looks like after 3 years...this is my car:

<img src="http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/enginemechanical/tbp75.JPG">

Here is your coolant....something is wrong....what do you mean you screwed it up? I would flush it and monitor it as I posted above....

<img src="http://www.audipages.com/images/coolant1.JPG">

<img src="http://www.audipages.com/images/coolant2.JPG">

If you had to spend over $6K on your car, I would really think hard about doing it myself or just buying a new one....what I'm saying is that is waaaay too expensive. Ask them if they have ever done a head on an A8 or if they have the timing belt special tools, if they don't have the tools, don't let them do the job. There is a good chance you can screw it up....I know of shop that did because they didn't use the cam locking tools.

pw

PaulW

If you are loosing a quart every three weeks....it's either on the belly pan (and it would be ALL OVER)....in your coolant.....but then your coolant level would rise significantly over two months....or it's going out the tail pipe....

This is your first step.....figure out where the oil is going....one quart every three weeks??? That should be very easy to find.

GDJT Allroad^2

<i>Here is your coolant....something is wrong....what do you mean you screwed it up? I would flush it and monitor it as I posted above....</i>

I topped it off with Dex-Cool at one point without RTFM....

KaMaKaZieP -ALUMIN8-

I rubbed my hand down the back and noticed that its wet under the cam seals.. if i go lower on the block its dry.. I need a lighted mirror! I need one of those dentist tools