Hi all,

Does anyone have a link to a walk through for replacing the rear main seal on a 2001 2.8 A6 Avant?

Thanks!

 

I am very sad right now *sniffle*. I want to fix my A6! Whaaaaa!

 

Sorry to hear about the bad news.. I never done it, but I would imagine dropping the transmission or pulling out the entire motor from the front. Dropping the transmission is the cheaper way to go considering all the fluid, AC refrigerant recharge and etc. But then pulling the motor from the front maybe easier if you don't want to deal with sub frame removal and etc. I vote for the transmission removal.

People with the actual experience please chime in.

Do you really want to do that yourself? I am not doubting your skill or anyone for that matter, but all I am asking is that whether you want to take on that task. I am not trying to be a downer, but from my experience, I know when to take the car to a shop.

Also are you sure that it is indeed your rear main seal leaking? It could be the rear cam seals, tensioner seals and cam caps....

 

It's unlikely anyone on the forums has done a RMS on the A6. In the 6 years I've been around you're the 1st person ( I have seen ) to have one go bad. How was the diagnosis arrived at? Cam seals, valve covers, upper and lower oil pan seals are all common on the A6 (2.7/2.8/3.0).

 

You know, it could be the upper oil pan, I forgot ab out that....I have done all my cam seals, timing belt, valve covers, cam tensioners (replace shoes on cam tensioners that disintegrated), cleaned injectors, coolant temp sensor, oil pressure sensor, pan, oil pan gasket, control arms and... and bunch of other stuff that I wish I never had to do... Also, I really do not want to do it, but I will if I have to....

I have a few degrees, one of which is in physics, so I am quite the problem solver. That, and I have worked on cars and motorcycles form my youth... So, yeah not really excited about it, but... 180k on it and do not want to drop 1k into it...

I am not 100% sure, yet that it is the problem. I need to degrease (which i did not do after the other stuff) and check. But I am losing a ton of oil (1qt per 200 / 300 miles) and it seems to be getting worse.... I suppose I could be burning it, but at that rate I would suspect a significant decrease in performance.

I am not sure if you have ever meet a person that can do almost anything (baring physical limitations), but I am one of them. I seriously catch hell form all my friends and family about it all the damn time. And, it can suck sometimes as everyone wants you to do things like rebuild their generator in their RV...

Anyway, yeah I can do it. But, it is always nice to have the walk through... I am a cheap B and do not want to buy the Bentley :-) I have been lucky and found all the info I have needed to do everything else so far.... I know... you do not have to say it!

Maybe I will get lucky and find that I left my oil cap off (just kidding!).

I will opt for the tranny drop. I have done some reading and from what I have seen so far that is the way to go.

Anyway, I am just trying to get ready for the biggie. If anyone see a walk through anywhere let me know!

 

PM sent...

 

If a physicist (~ rocket scientist) is stumped, what hope is there for the rest of us?