I have a 01 Audi A6, and i noticed smoke coming from under the engine by just driving about a mile, towards the left side where the air intake is located, my coolant leaking wouldn't be the problem since the coolant tank is not low and i did notice just today that i had a bit of oil inside one of the spark plug wells maybe that could be it? could it be my O-rings or i need a new valve cover gasket ? and i also wanna mention that sometimes when i am breaking anywhere past 15 mph just a second before the car stops i feel this thump that the car makes only as i am breaking, is the oil in the well causing a misfire?

 

It could be. It does kind of sound like a valve cover gasket issue if you cannot see obvious signs of oil coming from some other source. Before you rip it apart, check to see if the bolts in the middle of the cover that hold the center portion tight to the spark plug tubes are tight. If they are loose, it can allow oil to leak down into the tubes directly. Enough oil in the tube could possibly ground out the plug. You'll need to get that oil out of there before removing the spark plug also.. Well, as much as you can. Stuff some paper towel down in there and let it wick most of it out.

 

I did check all the screws around it, what i also noticed is a couple of old oil/grease around the outside of the cap where the valve cover is located and its just stained all around mostly towards the bottom, its barely any smoke caused by this cause i get the smell of burning oil. i also noticed that last time i did my oil change (about 2 months ago) the oil i got rid of wasnt nearly as much as the amount im supposed to put in it so perhaps it is leaking thus being the issue, i barely drive this car but is so do you know the tools needed to replace the valve cover gasket on this engine?

 

Without looking, I'd say you need a 10mm wrench/socket to get two bolts on the the coils out. The valve covers bolts are those torx/star things. I think T30 (or T27) is the size. Any decent metric ratchet/socket set should have everything you need. You can pick up a set of Torx sockets that should cover the Torx bolts. Maybe a flat screwdriver too. Be careful prying the valve cover loose and make sure ALL of the bolts are loose (they won't necessarily come all the way out easily until the gasket is removed from the cover). You'll need hammer and something about the same size as the spark plug tubes to drive out the gaskets. They fit in from the underside of the cover. Be sure to thoroughly clean the mating surfaces on the head with something (I use the Brake Clean spray) to degrease them. No sealant is really necessary but I'll sometimes put a very light coat of RTV on the mating surfaces especially in the apex of any corners like the semi-circular portions of the seals that fill the holes at the ends of the cam galleys.

 

Thanks! ill make sure to also look for other sources on info to replace this imma be picking up a valve cover gasket on Friday and replacing it as soon as possible, will let you know how it goes and if the problem is resolved ill post pictures and perhaps link a video on how to procedure went. Thanks again!