Crankcase gasket replacement

[Colin Dimes]

Hi, I have a 2009 Audi A4 1.8t SE which had it's MOT recently. It passed but the garage noted that there was a slight oil leak. When asked where they thought it was coming from they thought it was the head gasket but said I needed an Audi specialist to check it out. This I duly did and was told it was not the head gasket - it was coming from the vacuum pump. I had this part replaced but the car is still leaking oil. I took it back to have it rechecked and was told it was the crankcase gasket. I asked them for a quote but they seem reluctant to give me a price as they said my particular car was originally fitted with the wrong pistons and conrods and that they may need to be replaced too and all at a horrendous cost. This is all gobbledygook to me as I am completely lacking in any specialist car knowledge. I am also a pensioner with a small pension and if we are talking big bucks I will not be able to afford it. I also live on my own in a cottage 2 miles out of Kelso in the Scottish Borders so a car is an absolute necessity and I can't afford to buy a replacement car. The car has done 98,000 miles and drives perfectly well but I am aware there may be catastrophe ahead if I don't get this oil leak sorted. And it is an oil leak - the car is not burning oil.

Can anyone offer me any advice - are there any members who have experienced the same problem with their A4?

I would be very grateful for any help and thank you in advance for your time.

Regards,

Colin Dimes.

 

[cliffcoggin]

I don't understand why you would need new pistons unless yours in one of a small number of cars fitted with badly designed piston rings for a couple of years. That was well known problem which Audi reluctantly resolved by fitting new pistons under guarantee for many owners. (I doubt this a problem of simple wear at 98000 miles.)

If yours is one of the affected cars then it will be consuming oil at an extraordinary rate, so please tell us what your oil consumption is.

[Colin Dimes]

Hi Clifford, many thanks for your reply. I have to admit that up until the last MOT in March I have never needed to top up the oil. Obviously the oil was changed each year when the car was serviced. Since March though I have used about 2 litres and I have done about 1100 miles (due mostly to going to Audi specialist in Newcastle several times). There is a pool of oil on the ground below the engine where the car is parked overnight. As for the Audi recall to fit new pistons, I have no receipts from the previous owner for this work. I have just had a quote from the Audi specialist for replacing the crankcase gasket of £1,005 incl. vat but with the following comment - "we cannot guarantee this work due to a relevant TPI in relation to excess crankcase pressure resulting in modified pistons".

The vacuum pump cost me £500 so with the cost of this crankcase gasket the total spend will be £1,500 with no guarantee that this work will cure the leak. An impossible situation.

Kind regards,

Colin Dimes.

[cliffcoggin]

2 litres of oil in 1100 miles is truly extraordinary, and indicates significant wear of the pistons and/or bores. This is confirmed by your new revelation of excessive crankcase pressure, which is likely the cause of the oil loss. A crankcase gasket will not solve this problem.

It's just possible that a new crankcase pressure control valve will help, but it's more likely that the engine has reached the end of its life. That will cost many thousands of pounds to sort out so it makes sense to get a firm diagnosis before making a decision on what to do. I suggest you find an independent VAG specialist rather than travelling to an Audi dealer. Here are two I found on an internet search. There are bound to be others.

https://www.autohausedinburgh.co.uk/

https://www.hrmotors.co.uk/

[Colin Dimes]

Thanks for your advice Clifford. It wasn't what I wanted to hear but it is what it is, I guess. I have already been in contact with the two leads you supplied.

Any idea what the scrap value of my car is?

Kind regards,

Colin Dimes.

[Magnet]

Hello Colin,

I would want to know the extent of the leak - liveable with? 
Also, is the oil consumption something you could live with by buying heap oil? 
You say it has a recent MOT, so worth just using it as long as you can? 
Kind regards,

Gareth.

[daveyboy1967]

Two litres in three months and 1100 miles he said Gareth.

[Colin Dimes]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate your time and answers. I don't have the funds for a new engine or a replacement vehicle so Gareth I agree, my only option is to hope I can get some more miles out of my A4 before the inevitable happens.

Thanks again to everyone for their helpful comments.

Kind regards,

Colin Dimes

[Magnet]

The question was Dave ‘ is the oil consumption something you could live with….’ ? 

[cliffcoggin]

18 hours ago, Colin Dimes said:

I have already been in contact with the two leads you supplied.

So what did they tell you? As I mentioned before, don't make a decision on the cars future until you have a firm diagnosis of the fault. We can only go so far in doing that in a forum, it really needs somebody with access to the car in order to touch and feel and smell and test.

If it comes to the crunch and the engine is "beyond economic repair", to use insurers phrasing, would you consider Magnet's suggestion of throwing lots of cheap oil at it as a way of keeping it running? You'd have to tolerate an oily driveway and ignore the environmental consequences, and of course even the cheapest oil is not really cheap.

[daveyboy1967]

8 hours ago, Magnet said:

The question was Dave ‘ is the oil consumption something you could live with….’ ? 

 

19 hours ago, Magnet said:

Hello Colin,

I would want to know the extent of the leak

Ah, I thought the above was the question, I was just trying to help in case you'd missed it.

[Magnet]

Wrong thoughts Dave. 

[Colin Dimes]

The general concensus is my car is nearing it's end. I will continue to put oil in it for as long as survives. It's such a shame as this is the best second-hand car I have owned for 13 years - it drives well, the bodywork and other mechanicals are good but without an engine...

Thanks again guys for your time and knowledge. Much appreciated.

Kind regards,

Colin Dimes.

 

 

[daveyboy1967]

 

7 minutes ago, Magnet said:

Wrong thoughts Dave. 

I'm known for them mate, just ask my wife!

[daveyboy1967]

If you can live with keeping the oil topped up you might be surprised how long it survives, and maybe get a drip tray to leave under the car when it's parked overnight or longer? An old paint roller tray or similar would do if you know where the oil is dripping from.

[Colin Dimes]

Ok Dave, many thanks.