Alright guys im new to this forum and this is my first porst. i recently purchased a 2002 a6 2.7l Biturbo Quattro and i discovered now that i have a leak. There wasnt any oil on the ground and my oil was normal on the dipstick but the plastic tray underneath was dreanched in oil. The oil is in front of the oil pan and plug and so I guess that its not the problem and i can cancel out the oil pan gasket. IDK am I right on that? I am 17 and have somewhat knowledge on cars and how to work on them. I plan on removing the covers tommorow but have any of you had this problem and if so where was the leak? any info would be much appreciated thanks

 

There is no easy way of pin pointing oil leaks. You just have to trace them. But what I can tell you is that these things have usual leaks around valve cover gaskets and cam seals. Valve cover gaskets are not that hard to replacem, but the cam seals will take an experienced mechanic pretty much a full day. Not to mention all sorts of tools that are needed. If you are really interested in tackling it, then research for timing belt replacement procedure. The process is the same.

With that said, let me lend you my 2 cents. (Don't take this the wrong way... I am not trying to be snooty nor am I trying to be a father figure. I just want to share my, if not may of our, experiences.) C5 A6s are great cars, but they are not cheap to maintain. If you are 17, let this be a lesson in savings and conservation if you are planning to keep the car around for awhile. Put away a couple of hundreds per month in a savings account. You will need it.

 

If your oil is normal on the dipstick, probably you may have something else leaking.

The pooled "oil" in front of the belly pan may point out to a power steering hose leak.
If it is indeed oil, then maybe is an old pooling that has never been cleaned from a former leak. I think it's impossible to have an engine oil leak if you don't lose any and the level stays proper on the dipstick.
If it is oil indeed, as HX pointed out could be the camshaft seals or the crankshaft seal, or it could be a cooler oil line/hose.

I'm also not trying to be snooty with my question, but do you wipe the dipstick as you pull it out, and then check the level or you just look at it and push it right back in?
Wipe it, check the oil one more time for accuracy. Wipe it again and do it one more time if you're unsure.
Welcome in the "family", by the way.

 

yeah i heard that i would have to save money and get another job just to maintain it but i am in love with audis (as most of you all are) and chefro yeah i pulled out the dipstick wiped it and placed it back in and did this process numerous times. and you may be right about the old oil bacuse the dealer replaced the oil when i bought it (as said by him) and its only been 2,500 miles but i like to be safe cause ive seen what can happen.... no bueno......but im about to take off the trays underneath and try to diagnose the problem myself

 

Indeed, clean the under tray so you can monitor better if you have any leaks. Probably you don't have any, and is just old oil as said before.
As far as the oil pan gasket, you can also clean around the pan's edge pretty good so you can monitor that as well.
Once again, welcome to the forum.

 

I have some, or should i say 1 bad cam seal. I fixed the drivers side and didnt clean up the oil on the lower "plastic tray". it dried up in days.
Chances are if you have residue on the lower tray the leak is still happenin... all that heat from the engine not to mention airflow dries anything down there up in a week max. goin to change my drivers side tomorrow, ill take some pics to post up....