Just got my first audi, it's a 96 A4 with a 2.8 12valve, I picked it up for $1500 knowing that it needed a Steering rack, but after a couple days of checking the oil i found that it is leaking a lot of oil, I've tracked it down to the front left (DS) of the engine and it looks to be From behind the the oil filter somewhere but between all the hoses and the weird shape of the oil pan i can't see or touch where it is coming from, And before you guys say it, it's not from the valve cover area. Any ideas, this is my first Audi and i don't really know anything about them, and for the first time in a long time I'm lost

 

well if i were you i would clean the engine so there was no oil at all, then run the car for a little bit and spot the leak. Maybe you just need a new filter. The seals on them will not work correctly if they are tightened to much or no tightened enough. Start with those two things. Make sure you have an oem replacement filter.

 

Cam seal could have gone bad. Its pretty common, following the valve cover gaskets.

 

If its coming from near the filter, then its probably just a bad o-ring in the oil cooler.

 

^ another possibility. Isnt the oil cooler closer to the front towards the bumper, and quite visible? It should be pretty obvious if it is from the oil cooler i think.

looks something like this http://c1552172.cdn.cloudfiles.racks...37938_x800.jpg

 

I'm not too sure where on the 2.8 it is, I haven't even looked at one of those in quite awhile, but your filter screws onto it and he said its coming from right by the filter. If it has a bad gasket or the pass thru isn't put in right, then it would leak oil for sure. At a pretty steady rate too.

 

Yes, the oil cooler is front left (driver side), right next to the oil pan, and the filter screws into it. Are you sure it's engine oil and not power steering fluid? The PS fluid reservoir is not far from there.

 

Yeah it's definitely oil, it's coming from
Behind the oil cooler, I can't see it exactly there are way to much stuff in the way, my next step is to take off the oil cooler and see if I can't see it, but does anyone know how that comes off

 

Easy: Take the oil filter off. There is a nut on the shaft onto which the oil filter screws on to. Take off and voila. Between the oil cooler and the area it's mounted goes a large o-ring. Replace that o-ring.

 

I'm replacing the o-ring also cause it's leaking. when I took the o-ring out it was completely flat and leaking. Once you unscrew the filter it's a 27mm nut. GL