KaMaKaZieP -ALUMIN8-

Ok well Audi strikes again.... I have a pretty good oil leak going. Smoke at idle and puddles under the car.

Attempt #1: Timing belt job, they found oil leak comming from the crank shaft.

Well i had to do the belt anyway, so they did it..
$950 labor $400 parts

Attempt #2: More oil leaking than before.. Now my upper radiator hose is leaking and they found the oil cooler leaking.
$500 labor and $150 parts

Attempt #3: STILL MORE OIL LEAKING AT A GOOD RATE! Head gasket needs to be replaced.. estimate $2400. That does it. Any advise? Any ideas where this oil can be comming from at such an alarming rate? I didnt have a head gasket leak before! I had 3 drips of oil i wanted to clean up! Am i asking for too much?

So now i drive a car that dosent shift right and pisses oil all over, with a slightly wet power steering hose that i can see costing me another thousand to replace.

GDJT Allroad^2

I still have to do mine, but I don't see oil coming from anywhere, except back there. Do you smell burning oil? It's because the oil is dripping from the back of the block onto your exhaust. It's two $4 or $5 parts and about 150-25 minutes to do. I think that's what I'm doing when I get home tonight.

Mr. Ricco

Sounds like Kia time?

skiracer

If it is at the rear of the engine on either side and it burns on the exhaust headers, it could be the rear cam cover seals that brun_fid mentioned. If it is on the passenger side of the engine then it could be the oil cooler (not installed properly?). Also check the valve cover gaskets- at 85K you are due. Do NOT allow then to do the head gasket(s) unless they can PROVE to you that that is where the leak is. BTW, the leaky radiator hose was likley damaged during the TB changout- very easy to do. It sounds as if the shop doing the work isn't very knowledgable on the A8 and is just guessing........

KMU

Oil cooler leaking coolant not oil. Rear trans flange gasket leaking onto converter. P/S hose running on underside of hose and dripping several places.

lhmagma

I understand your frustation. Between my wifes A8 (which is no longer with us) and my A4, I think the floor of my garage could qualify as a Superfund clean-up site. Good thing Audi doesn't manufacture condoms!

For what it's worth, Mr. Ricco's Kia comment rings somewhat true for us. Believe it or not, we traded the her 8 for a new Nissan Quest mini-van.

KaMaKaZieP -ALUMIN8-

What else would leak. They had to take them off the car to do the timing belt... and i saw every other part on the invoice except new seals for the rear cam seals.. and that happens to be exactly when the oil leak got worse. WISH ME LUCK! The life of the A8 depends on it, if i have to do a head gasket.

Bernes

Moveing leaks ar often caused by a bent
hose that causes preassure somwhere in the engine.

KaMaKaZieP -ALUMIN8-

Does anyone have a diagram for these hoses?

backdoc

K,
I had a similar problem last year. Had the oil cooler pipe replaced--didn't stop the smoke and oil leak, had the head gaskets replaced($800)-- no more noticeable oil leak, but still smoked mostly in the right front wheel well and under the air intake on the right side of the engine bay in the rear. Did the rear cam cover seal myself for $7 and some labor--no smoke, and no oil leak. The leaky head gaskets made a mess, but the cam cover seal caused all the smoke.
Doug G.
1997 A8Q 107K