Diagnosing an Oil Leak on an A6 2000 2.7T Quattro..

[Pertussis]

Hello all, just joined the forum. Looks like there are tons of useful resources here in the DIY section..

So anyways, I recently obtained an 2000 A6 Quattro 2.7T with 95K miles on it and it needs a little work. The timing belt will need to be changed soon and the car leaks oil. I am trying to figure out whats the culprit and took a few snapshots of where the oil is leaking from.

http://s8.postimage.org/onqd8hjxd/oil_leak_1.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/onqd8hjxd/)

http://s8.postimage.org/czwbdxush/oil_leak_2.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/czwbdxush/)

Its right under the engine on the passenger side. On Blauparts they have a few of the most common places for these cars to start leaking oil.
http://www.blauparts.com/audi/audi_oil_leaks/audi_a6_oil_leaks.shtml#vcgasketseal

I took off the engine covers and moved the coolant tank to the side, and there is no crankcase breather hose, so that possibility is eliminated( . I'm guessing this only applies to the 2.8 liter model or am I missing something?)
The other possibilities they list are:
-Cam chain tensioner gasket
-Valve cover gasket
-camshaft seals and plugs
-front and rear crankshaft seals (this one seems pretty close to my pic..)

I'm going to have a mechanic do the labor, but I figured the more I can diagnose on my own the more money I can save. I guess the next step is to put the car up on some jacks and look more carefully where the oil is dripping from?

I'm going to have the timing belt done soon, and thought might as well get the valve cover gaskets done and whatever this leak is as well.. Any help is much appreciated!

[aysix]

Hard to tell from those pics.

Could be the pass turbo, or valve covers.

Smell burning oil when the car is hot?

[Pertussis]

I didn't notice it at first, but today driving I did indeed notice a slight oil burning smell when I am running cabin air into the car. I'm guessing this would be the cam chain tensioner gasket.

[rollerton]

Yep. If you're having the timing belt service done then just assume the valve covers/ cct gaskets need replacing. It is slightly easier to do when the front end is in service position and the seals won't add much to the total bill. Make sure you ask the tech if he can do the CCT gaskets without removing the cams, as it's just a little quicker. But it wouldn't make much difference since he could easily pull the cams when the Timing belt is off.
You've got about a 97% chance the leak will be fixed, because that's really truly where the C5 V6's (other than the 3.0) leak.
If your leak is NOT the CCT gaskets then it's almost guaranteed to be turbo related and at that point just drive it or get ready to cash in your 401k. It's not really strange for a turbo or fitting at the turbo to drip a little, but they usually don't leak a ton and usually don't create the smoke/ odor (but they can a little).

[Audi_Tech]

From the pics you posted that bank is most likely the valve cover gasket or cam seal since the leak is at the front (the cam tensioner is on the rear of the head at that bank).
If it's the cam seal then no additional labor on the seal(s) since the cam sprocket will be loose while doing the TB service.
If you're getting the smoking while driving it's a conjunction of the cam tensioner seals on the pictured bank as well as the head seals (round plugs on the back of both heads).
Most likely you need the valve cover gaskets, cam tensioner seals in conjunction with the head seals.
I have yet to see a front or rear main seal leaking on a 2.7/8 but seals do fail over time but not on the sides of the engine.
Good luck with the new purchase!

[Pertussis]

Thanks for your replies.
I'm really enjoying this car, can't wait till its in tip top shape so I can start doing little tweaks to get some more power out of it(do a chip, maybe cold air intake).

I'm going to buy the Blauparts Timing Belt kit and the Valve Cover Gasket Kit(which also includes the cam shaft seals and the cam chain tensioner gasket) and try to shell out the huge cost of labor.

Im guessing for doing the timing belt, water pump, thermostat, valve cover gaskets, cam shaft seal, cam tensioner gasket and (crankshaft seal?) its going to be a pretty penny.. at least 1000$ or more for the labor. Is that a reasonable estimate? It would be exciting to take up the challenge and do it myself but I dont have a garage and I'm also pretty inexperienced with this stuff so I'm afraid of screwing up.
The only thing besides this oil leak thats broken is the lcd cluster (which I can do myself, I have soldered quite a bit) and the windshield wiper tank leaks.. easy fix with some silicone if I can find the leak. Can't wait to get it all done and feel comfortable driving!

[Pertussis]

Hello again. So I've called a few shops and got a rough estimate of about 1400-1600 for doing the timing belt, valve cover gaskets as well as the thermostat, water pump and all other front engine seals. Does this sound appropriate to you guys or should I keep looking?

[MCargill12]

I would definatly keep looking. That seems a bit pricey for just labor, I paid 1200 for full tbelt and vc gaskets. Look in the places forum where your located and either look around for recommended shops in your area or just start a thread asking. You should defiantly get some feedback or find something a little cheaper than that estimate.

[scottyvee]

Yep. If you're having the timing belt service done then just assume the valve covers/ cct gaskets need replacing. It is slightly easier to do when the front end is in service position and the seals won't add much to the total bill. Make sure you ask the tech if he can do the CCT gaskets without removing the cams, as it's just a little quicker. But it wouldn't make much difference since he could easily pull the cams when the Timing belt is off.
You've got about a 97% chance the leak will be fixed, because that's really truly where the C5 V6's (other than the 3.0) leak.
If your leak is NOT the CCT gaskets then it's almost guaranteed to be turbo related and at that point just drive it or get ready to cash in your 401k. It's not really strange for a turbo or fitting at the turbo to drip a little, but they usually don't leak a ton and usually don't create the smoke/ odor (but they can a little).

How difficult is it to reach the oil fitting at the turbos? I'm experiencing a small oil leak on my 2005 allroad. I end up with a few drops in my carport every morning. I just replaced all of the gaskets, plugs and seals associated with the timing belt service and valve cover gaskets. I also replaced the o-ring on the dipstick shaft as I thought that it was the source of the leaks. But, I just found out that it's leaking again.