Still working on the wife's A6... Had to replace the oil separator, noticed a damaged actuator on the intake runner. Found some salvage intake runners, they were all around better than what was on the car, including the injectors, so I decided to swap the intake runners completely. Pulled one of the injectors out of the head and it was absolutely drenched in oil. Being a direct injection engine, that oil almost has to be coming from the cylinder. What is that a symptom of?

Possibilities:

1. The oil separator has been not working for 6+ months. Burning 1 qt of oil every 500-750 miles. Maybe the plastic seal on the end of the injector is leaking. Oil vapor that gets into the cylinder is compressed back to a liquid and is getting past the seal, filling the injector hole with oil.
2. The oil is coming from the cylinder somehow. Maybe the rings are bad in that cylinder and the piston is pushing oil into the injector hole. But if that much oil were in the cylinder, I would think it would miss, or run rough, or etc. Runs smooth.
3. Other?

Got any ideas?

 

Never found the source of that oil around that one injector. Did find a cut on the plastic seal on that particular injector.

Found some salvaged intake runners w/sensors, actuators, and all 6 injectors. Swapped them out and put in some new iridium plugs. Running well right now, hoping for the best on the oil consumption after the oil separator replacement.