Hey People,

I recently bought this Audi used from a local dealership. I always wanted an Audi and finally managed to find it. The car works beautifully until I took it for an oil change and the mechanic told me there is some major oil leak...

I took it to Audi and here is their diagnosis....the leak is pretty bad and it is coming from the front of the engine...they said its two possibilities either the cam seals which need replacement or the 'adjusters'.

Best Case scenario is $2700 which will replace the seals and the timing belt n other things damaged by the leak (seals and parts are cheap; 80% cost is labor to do it). Worst case is with the adjusters which will require a new set and can burn my pocket by $6000. He cannot determine where the problem exactly is until he opens up the engine.

I go to college I saved money to buy this car and absolutely cannot pay THAAT much money on repairs...the people i bought it from have ofcourse folded as the car was bought 'as is' with no warranty.

I need help from all you Audi enthusiasts. What the hell are these adjusters!? is there any way to diagnose which problem it is without opening up the car? what is the probability which problem could it be? The engine revves beautifully no sign of misfiring or anything....I think the leak only happens when the car is in motion and not when standstill....not too sure of that though...

As you can see I live in Atlanta, GA. Does anyone know a small time mechanic around here who is very reliable and honest and is willing to do the job for cheaper. Needless to say he should be experienced in working on Audis/Volkswagens.

Any form of help is much appreciated. It is sad that I'm facing such major issues when I just bought the car and was so happy....but **** happens :/

Oh and if you want to know...the friggin stealership that diagnosed the car is Jim Ellis Audi, Atlanta. I also took the car to CarMax for second opinion n they said they can't do it as it requires special tools only Audi has...

 

It does not require "special tools that only Audi has". I feel your pain but unfortunately that is the nature of these cars. Nothing is an easy fix. With 87K miles your timing belt has probably NOT been changed and is going to be a ticking time bomb, so that is something you should look into getting done sooner rather than later.

If the "adjusters" were your problem (and I'm not exactly sure what that is supposed to refer to) you would be able to hear it in your engine. Just listen with the hood open. The engine should purr along quietly with no real "knocks" or "rattles". Things would just sound obviously wrong.

The maintenance stuff can be DIY as long as you are patient and can turn a wrench. The biggest thing is that it takes a lot of time, which is why its expensive to take it to ANY shop because of the labor costs. In the meantime, just buy one of those big jugs of oil from Walmart or wherever and tote it around in your trunk. Top off as needed. Do not overfill. Pray your motor doesn't blow up.

good luck. keep us informed.

 

Hey Thanks for your reply! The engine purrs along absolutely smooth no problems there...so by your description the problem is just the cam seals...which is good news! I know the timing belt definitely needs replacement (thats what the dealership also pointed out).

Honestly I am willing to do the job myself. I am fine with the car being parked for a month unusable. The problem is I might not be able to put more than one hour a day on average. Mostly weekend greasemonkey jobs. I have never worked on engines before, and I have absolutely no resources on how to do the job myself...i'm sure its not as simple as putting Ikea furniture together...forget lifts, I don't even have a wrench as of right now!

I am new to this forum. Is there any sub-forum where i can get in touch with users who are in and around my area? They will probably be able to guide me with trustworthy mechanics who can work on the car for cheap. i don't mind spending around $1000 (judging by the dealer's quoted price) if it ensures the car will be fixed by an experienced mechanic reliably.

As of now I am not moving the car an inch, just keeping it parked until I figure out the best solution and work towards it.

 

Hey - I got your message. I agree that cam seals are likely, although it's possible that the front and/or rear main seals are leaking instead (or also). Working on these cars can be intimidating but they're built in a way that the timing service can be done with relative ease. A shop manual is a very beneficial aid. Kits are available from the site sponsors such as ECS Tuning which have all the parts you'll need.

Take a look down near the bottom of the main page of this site at the regional subforums. Post up in the Southeast forum for people around you. Several of us here work on these cars on the side and you may find someone who can do the work or at least recommend someone to contact. I hope it works out for the best. You'll love the car as you drive it more and more.