audijim113

Did the early (97-98) D2 suffer from the oil cooler leaking coolant as the D3 models?

I'm getting drips of coolant on the passenger side below the alternator. it's hard to see the source as it runs on the top of the oil pan seam. I had a 2005 D3 that only leaked when the engine was cool. Turned out to be the plastic pipes between the block and the oil cooler and upwards of $1,000 in labor estimate to fix it. I'm confused because on the D3 the oil filter housing is on the same side (passenger) as the oil cooler and I thought the oil filter housing was part of the oil cooler. On the D2, the oil filter is on the driver side.

Are there any other common coolant leak areas on the 98. This car has been so reliable for the last 7-8 years. My wife drives it maybe 4,000 miles or less a year.

jfrahm

Yes that is the area where an oil cooler pipe leak shows and it's the same part on the earlier 32v 4.2 as well as the 40v. Alumaseal or similar IMO is reasonable for a leak like this in an older car that is not going to get run hard for hours on the Autobahn. I have used it before in cars that were not very nice or valuable and had no problems. I have read that new GM cars get pellets of this stuff installed at the factory. I've heard people say this stuff plugs up the radiator, I cannot see how that might happen but I have had to clean some out of one of my 928s, someone (likely the previous owner, my brother) probably put it in when the water pump started dripping. It was kinda annoying to clean up when I replaced the water pump but even with a supercharger and well over 400HP it was not overheating. Of course the Bufkin or Grueven pipe is the right way to fix it particularly if you need to do the timing belt.

audijim113

I thought about doing the oil cooler on my 2005, but it was a monster of a job. Audi shop instructions start with "remove engine". There is a shortcut that requires dropping the subframe cross piece but that was still more than I wanted to do. The timing belt service is coming up in the next couple thousand miles and I might do it myself.

I could be wrong, but i understand it's not quite as big a job on the 1998 D2.

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