Smoking A8

[Olga]

Hi, guys!

You seem like a knowledgeable crowd. I have a real problem with my A8. It's 1997, and has only 58,000 miles on it. Recently, I noticed that there was white smoke coming from under the hood, and it smells really horribly, like burning oil and burning rubber combined. When I lift the hood, I see the traces of some fluid. At the car service, they told me that everything is literally "swimming" in oil under there, and that they would have to change a lot of things, which would come up to be $2,000. The strange thing is that when I check the oil level, it's fine. Plus, the computer doesn't show that there is anything wrong with anything (not low on oil or on cooling liquid). $2,000 is a lot of money. Has anyone had this problem, and how much did it cost to repair? And how is it possible that a relatively "new" car, and such an expensive one, too, would have such serious problems?

Thanks, guys

[Sven]

Hi Olga, welcome to TSN!

Sorry to hear about your problems though. White smoke makes me think of coolant rather than oil, but it's difficult to judge frome here. The fluid you mention, does that feel, look and smell like oil? Or could it be coolant? Could be the power steering as well, does that act any different?

One 'common' thing is the rear seal on the auto transmission going south, which causes leakage on the cats, resulting in an oil smell. But I assume that's not the case here, as you say it comes from under the hood.

What I'd do is ask them specifically what's wrong, and what they're going to do about it. "Lots of stuff" just doesn't do it... You have the right to know.

[SneakyMcC]

Hmmm I'm with Sven on this one. I'd get a second oppinion too. Is the garage a 'Franchised Dealer?' (Official Audi Agent). They can be just as bad as the rogues out there but most would not pull to bigger stunt like this.

Where exactly is the fluid? We had what seemed like a pond right at the base of the front windscreen (winshield). Our car is a 1996, and the drainage ways under the A/C inlet (infront of the wipers under the hood) were blocked with leaf debris.

Get someone else to have a look before parting with any money. Are you a member of any breakdown organisation? They might recommend a garage?

Good luck (let us know how you get on)

[PaulW]

Most likely it's either the rear cam cover seals, especially if you had the TB replaced recently, they get crushed and if not replaced when you remove the covers, they'll leak.

There are two covers on the RH head, and one on the left, both between the firewall and the head. It would drop oil on the exhaust manifold and make the smell you are describing.

See the timing belt replacement procedure on audipages for more info and pictures.

[audia8s2]

Hi Gentlemen,

I'm another newbie on the site, although I have browsed occasionally before and found it really useful, well done on providing a site for the A8/S8 owner.

With regards to smoking A8's, I have a 1996 4.2 Quattro Sport. Last year I spent nearly £1,600 sorting an oil leak. This started with the same symptoms, smoke coming up through the engine bay and also at full temperature, when sat stationary, plumes of smoke would billow out under the front arches (not a very good image!!!!). It took my main dealer 2 weeks to get to the route cause of the problem (in the mean time I had a 2002 A8 as a coutesy car, sat nav, 20inch s-lines, I didn't want to give it back). They replaced the cam seals and thought they had cracked it, 2 days later the symptons were back again, then the crank shaft oil seals, again the smoke returned, there was talk of Porous Heads !!!. It turned out to be the Left hand bank Head gasket weeping very slightly but as you know it doesn't take much to blow back onto the manifold and provide lots of smoke. So I hope for your cheque books sake, this isn't the problem !!!

Ben.