I don't post much at all, but I lurk occasionally and now i've run into a problem. Also i'm not new to car forums, so I SEARCHED first, but got lazy after a couple pages.

I was having my oil changed while I was having my tie rods replaced on my 97.5 A6 2.8 and at which point it was pointed out to me that I have a very small leak coming from my headgasket.

I was told that it was so small that it wasn't even leaking towards the ground or onto the block, that it would burn off quite quickly.

Now with that said, i'm looking for what you guys think this procedure should cost and HOW MANY HOURS THIS TAKES (A guess, experience, or if you're a tech).

Also, it's strictly coming from the left gasket.

Would it be possible to just replace one, even though the motor is torn down, or should I just have both replaced?

Thanks for your input.

 

Having a shop replace your head gasket will not be cheap, with the labour. If the leak is that small that oil is not hitting the ground, many would just forget about it, the car is over 10 yrs old.
IF it bothers you, then get it fixed.

 

What are the consequences if I leave it? Should I just continue to monitor it, and replace and keep the coolant level full? How long do this leaks usually progress?

Thanks.

 

I had a bad head gasket on a northstar engine before... the thing I noticed on that was the fluctuation of the engine temp.... If I had a car with bad headgaskets again, that would be my major concern. the northstars are famous for doing this do to the aluminum heads and block though... I doubt that this is an issue with Audis.

Keep an eye on your coolant levels that's going to be key in how bad that leak is. I didnt even know my HG was bad, didnt have ANY signs. No oil in coolant or white smoke from the tailpipe.

hopefully an audi teck will chime in on this one.

Good luck, and again keep an eye on the temp gauge and coolant level (just from my experience though)

 

Thanks for the replies so far..

I am pretty thorough with all my toys, and I keep a close eye on it every day, regaurdless of any issues.

Since the leak is so small, and it's quite an extensive fix, and I am a college student (And I don't drive too terribly much)..can I push it for a little while so I can budget to get this done correctly?

 

You can push it, but it will fail catestrophically at the worst possible moment (such as just after you pay tuition, rent, insurance, fill it up with gas, are in the middle of nowhere, you left your cell phone at home, etc.).

Unless you can do the work yourself or have some buddies with experience who work for beer, you sell it and buy something else.

Good luck!

Bob

 

Bump..Anyone?

 

Every head gasket leak that I've ever had involved water (anti freeze) leakage. The leak is either external where it puddles on the motor, or it's internal. If it's internal, you'll start to see white smoke and water in the oil (your oil will look like chocolate milk on the dip stick). It will also run hotter and eventually overheat. I would make sure that the head gasket is actually leaking and not some other component. If it is the head gasket and you simply can't afford to get it fixed (join the club!! and dont feel bad, you're a student. Some things are more important), I would monitor it regularly, checking the rate of leakage to see if it increases and checking your oil regularly, making sure that the leak isn't internal but you'll know immediatly if it's internal due to the smoke. What you want to try to avoid is overheating which may cause a cracked head, more $$$, etc. Hope this helps.