kkamel

Hi all,
I bought a 2001 TT 1.8T convertible manual with 127k just last week and I have the following questions:

1- gunked up oil in the engine bay: it's on the underside of the hood, the tops of the fenders and quite a bit of it on the bottom of the engine/transmission. is this normal or do I have a hot oil leak somewhere?
2- I changed the oil as soon as I got it. it was a quart low. is this normal?
3- I never owned a turbo before. should I hear it whine when I get up in the rev range? I don't hear anything.
4- I have a rattle/chatter when in nutural and the clutch is released. it goes away when I press the clutch. what is that? throw out bearing?
5- what brand oil pan do you recommend? my oil plug is stripped.
6- the shifter is hard to shift (heavy) and the gears are not well defined (not crisp like a honda). is this normal?
7- the tops of the front struts sit about 1/2 inch above the strut mounts. is this normal?

thanks in advance

oldroller

You've got some work ahead...
1. Not normal. Clean the engine bay (NOT with a power washer!) and remove as much of the oil as you can. At idle see if you
can locate the leak. Likely you have way too much crankcase pressure from a failed PCV system. Research and repair the leaks.
2. Monitor your oil usage. Sounds like a lot if it getting out into the bay.
3. May not hear the turbo, it's a very small unit. You can install a boost gauge to see how well it's working.
4. Rattle is your throw-out bearing. Plan on a clutch assembly replacement in near future.
5. Repair your oil drain plug. Or you can pull the engine/trans, replace with an Audi pan, reseal the engine, and replace the clutch.
6. Drain the trans and refill with Redline MTL fluid. Helps with shifting and synchro action.
7. Wouldn't worry about the struts, unless they are worn which they probably are at this mileage. Plan on replacement after some of
your major items are handled.

Good luck with the Vert!

kkamel

Gosh I must've picked a good one
Thanks for the advice.

kkamel

what is the pcv system? I found kits online to replace the whole thing. any brand recommendations?

Mister Bally

Positive Crankcase Ventilation. It's the rats nest of hoses, tees, check valves and a small reservoir that sits near the valve cover and intake manifold (depending on engine).

kkamel

I'll look for ways to diagnose it. thanks.