Sir Erl Seal et. al.

[quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <961122224123_1285134912@emout20.mail.aol.com> PDQSHIP@aol.com writes:
> In a message dated 96-11-22 18:17:35 EST, you write:
> 
> My observations are that when C & C seals are going phil, oil on the outside
> of the motor are readily apparent....

Nah.  Not on my MB, which is a close relative of the 3B.  Not a drop.  And you 
should have seen the state of the recovered oil seal.

> I've seen this post from you a few times, so I'm sure you have your source 
> for this, but remember, the later cars use a different composition of seal 
> than the earlier cars...

a) Notmuch difference between 1988 and 1990.

b) Composition isn't relevant.  The most relevant single factor, according 
to Audi, is whether the seals were oiled at installation - there's even a 
recall on this somewhere, and a TSB.

> The idle stabilation circuit (US) can compensate for a leaking valve cover 
> gasket, which has exponentially more surface area under the same vacuum as 
> the two seals you speak of...

Only if the engine is mis-set.  See below.  

> Camshaft seal leakage is easy to detect, crank isn't, but oil on the front 
> of the motor is a good clue....

No oil in my case.  First diagnosis - engine still runs with oil cap off.  
Second diagnosis - mixture ratio goes to hell in a handbasket if the breather 
hose is clamped off.

> The vacuum in the pcv isn't that excessive, and that goes default to 
> atmosphere when the engine is off, creating a big wet hint....  If it is 
> sucking air, it is leaking enough to cause serious oil presence when car is 
> shut off...

Not on my car.  Clean driveway to prove it.
 
The root of this problem, and its many manifestations, lies in the habit of 
not detaching the breather hose from the air mass sensor (and plugging the 
hole) when setting up the fuel injection.  If the job is done _properly_ in the 
order and including all the steps that Audi recommend (including using service 
tool VAG 1348 as described in the TSB) most of these problems would be caught.

-- 
 Phil Payne 
 phil@sievers.com 
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club