Any vehicle is susceptible to oil leaks, whether it’s a small hatchback or a ten tonne truck, so when you find yourself in this situation it’s important to know how to deal with it. Audi drivers are usually especially fond of their cars and like to keep them in good nick (they’re on the higher end of the automotive spectrum, after all) but even the best looked after vehicle can strike oil at the most inappropriate of times. Read on to find out how to best react when you’re faced with an Audi leaking oil.
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Are Oil Leaks Common In Audis?
Oil leaks are more common in Audis than you’d expect to find with other manufacturer’s cars. There are a number of reasons why. It’s usually due to worn out oil filters or a faulty gasket. If you start to notice a patch of oil on your driveway when the resident Audi isn’t present, examine the vehicle’s underside for the source. If you leave this to get worse, not only will you start spending a small fortune on oil to keep it topped up, you could also end up damaging your engine if it’s not getting the right amount of juice.
Why Do Audi Engines Leak Oil?
As we mentioned above, some of the most common reasons for an oil leak in an Audi include worn out oil filters and faulty gaskets. Once these begin to degrade, they’re more likely to fail and prevent the oil from travelling to parts of the car that it shouldn’t – or out of the car entirely, as is the case when it begins to leak onto the road surface.
Another possible source of an oil leak in Audis is a fault with the oil pan. This is where excess oil is stored, but if the seal or plug starts to wear, it can create a gap that the fluid can then flow out of and onto the ground beneath the vehicle.
How Much Does It Cost To Fix An Audi Oil Leak?
If the problem does lie with your oil pan, you’ll be looking at a bill somewhere in the region of £200. You might be lucky enough to find someone who can change the part for half that, but you could also end up paying as much as £300!
If the fault is down to oil filters that need replacing, the bill could be less, with prices from around £60 upwards. Don’t be surprised if your charge hits three-figures though; paying over £100 for this service isn’t unheard of.
A replacement gasket is going to be somewhere in between the two, with around £150 being the average price you’ll pay.
Bear in mind that all of these prices could vary wildly as they’re ultimately set by the mechanics that are going to be doing the job. Some may charge more, particularly if they feel that they can squeeze a few extra pounds out of you, whereas others that are more trustworthy will give you a fairer price. If you’re knowledgeable about cars yourself, you could always attempt to fix the problem yourself to save on the labour costs, but we wouldn’t recommend this unless you really know what you’re doing.
Is It Safe To Drive With An Engine Oil Leak?
You may think that driving while your car is slowly leaking oil won’t be an immediate problem, and you could be right. Many of the problems that stem from oil leaks will impact your car over a longer period of time, effectively by speeding up the wear and tear process before doing catastrophic damage to your engine.
However, if you drive long distances at high speed with an oil leak, you might end up with a much more sudden – and serious – problem. Really putting your vehicle through its paces while it’s dripping oil all over the road can cause your engine, which isn’t functioning entirely as normal, to reach higher temperatures than it’s used to. Not only is this another way of damaging the car over a longer period of time, it could also result in a fire that occurs right there and then on the road! For your own safety, and the safety of other road users, we would not recommend driving with an oil leak.
How To Prevent Audi Oil Leaks
Preventing Audi oil leaks can be done in a number of ways. First and foremost, it’s important to maintain the correct levels of oil. Don’t underfill the oil reservoir, but don’t go above the ‘MAX’ line either. Ensuring that your oil is good quality will also help, whether that means buying premium brands or simply making sure that the oil you do use in your car isn’t going bad while it’s sitting in the tank.
You should also keep the other parts of your car that can leak maintained. So, keep checking those oil filters, gaskets and even the oil pan for signs of damage, corrosion or debris. Keeping on top of this will prolong the lives of those components along with the rest of your oil-using parts, too.
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