1a4nut

I'll try to make this short, but took my 14 TDI prem plus into my trusty indy shop today for the 125k service, and to have an oil leak looked at. Turns out it needs a rear timing chain cover, which is an engine out job at 38 hours of labor - so ~$4500. It's the wife's car, and she still likes it but it's had a hard life. It's been wrecked a few times, I think only the driver door hasn't been replaced and that one's sagging, and currently has both rear doors' paint cracking. Otherwise its been well maintained at the dealer it's whole life, tires and brakes are good, has new upper control arms. KBB says ~$10K at best in a trade situation.

Here's the rub, SWMBO is fairly intolerant about having issues with her car, and the older it gets the more time I'll have to spend dealing with it. So I'm also considering a new Q5 or X3.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on the matter - thx

KevinGary

Did you ask if the EPA fix warranty on the Long Block covers it?

dreadlocks

how bad is the oil leak? I have a leak from about the same area but its so damn slow that within 10k miles its not even a quart low.. so I have no interest in fixing it, just carry some oil with me incase the sensor level is triggered when I'm on the road..

KevinGary

i know that the OP’s problem showed up at 125k miles. What is your mileage? Just curios when the problem starts?

dreadlocks

im near 70k, have a friend who works at a vw dealer and yesterday I picked him up a new toolbox w/my lil trailer in exchange for using his bay and lift to do my brakes.. while we had it up there I gave it a full inspection and thats when we found the leak.. its not even leaving anything in my driveway so it coulda gona unnoticed for quite a while longer if I hadn't put it on a lift and taken the underbody panels off.. especially since I do my oil changes from the top sucking it out the dipstick tube.

it explains the one time my low oil level light came on and then I checked it and it was just at the bottom of the OK line so I added a lil more.. yesterday I checked and I'm about 2k miles from the next oil change and levels are fine.. if I ever have the engine out for anything else I'll fix it then, otherwise just gonna live with it.. seems to not be a high pressure leak so good chance it gunked up enough its pretty much sealed its self back off *shrug*

KevinGary

I am at 90k and have not noticed anything yet. My MMI dip stick does not move between oil changes. But thanks for the heads up.

dreadlocks

get a real dipstick, I dont trust that electronic one much.

KevinGary

I purchased a few real ones. Unfortunately even though they were all listed as being for the TDi they never lined up with my car.

1a4nut

The oil leak is bad, as in I get a 6 in puddle overnight so I'm not parking it in the driveway. My wife is "over it" and ready to move on, so hopefully she'll bit on the SQ5 over the XC60, but only time will tell.

KevinGary

If the the wife is stone with it, it’s time to move on. Your life will be a lot easier.