What are the common oil leaks on the rear of a 2.7t?

[Ben@SpeedBarn]

Changed the oil, plugs, and air filter on the 03 A6 we got a few weeks ago. It definitely is leaking more oil than my 01 S4 does with twice as many miles. The lower rear of the engine and back to the tranny/diff have oil on the bottom. It looks like it is coming from higher up on the rear of the motor. Both turbo's are clean and dry(you can definitely get a better look at them on the A6 than an S4). So are there any common oil leaks in this area? Rear main seal??(really hope not)

It hasn't lost any noticeable amount of oil in the 4 or so weeks we've had it. I'm going to keep monitoring it to see how much it's leaking now that I changed the oil. It is definitely still leaking as there were fresh drips on the bottom of the oil pan. Most of what's on the tranny/diff is just caked on with dirt.

[02 A6 2.7T]

Rear cam seals and valve cover gaskets are the most common culprits... http://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/616641.phtml

[skiroad'r]

Rear cam seals and valve cover gaskets are the most common culprits... http://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/616641.phtml

Also check the vent hoses. On the transmission, the tailshaft tends to leak too.

[Ben@SpeedBarn]

I guess I should have looked more closely when I had it apart to do the plugs. It did seem that there was some grimey oil around the back edge of the valve cover, now that I think of it. It wasn't wet, so I assumed it must be just a spill at some point. May have to do the valve cover gaskets later this summer.


Which vent hoses are you referring to?

[skiroad'r]

I think it's the oil return line, but not 100% sure. My stealer had to replace both of them on my 2.7T under warranty. The leaks were on both sides of the block and about 1/2 between fire wall and front end of the car, coming from lower part of the engine. Valve cover gaskets were also replaced. You could see them smoking.

[Ben@SpeedBarn]

Ahh...yeah I could see the return lines from the turbo, and they were clean, but didn't see where they went into the block. I'll have to check again. I cleaned a lot of the oil off, so i can try to get a better idea where the fresh oil is originating from.

[Alpinevelo]

Yup mine had a very small tranny leak, but had the gasket replaced under the CPO warranty. I have to look at it again and make sure that's all fixed. Does anyone have a pic of what to look for? I know it's alll common sense but I would have not been able to spot the leak I mentioned above, they guy who did my oil change told me about it.

Thanks!