Have you checked your oil level on level ground?

 

Oil is between the add and full mark, where I always try to keep it generally speaking.

 

Air filters normal?

 

I'm assuming you mean I go take a peak at the air filter element to see if it is soaked in oil? If so, I suppose I can take a look on the passenger side one since it is easier to access. I changed them out 3 months ago by the way..

Check the usual suspects, oil filter loose, oil dipstick loose and /or oil disptick shaft, oil filler cap etc. I remember a friend waaay back when got a good engine fire going after forgetting to tighten the oil filler cap post oil change.

Just as an fyi never use water for any sort of automotive fire, oil and gas will just splash away with water (it'll stay on fire) increasing risk of injuring you or spreading the fire!

Oil filler cap is fine, as is the oil dipstick shaft. Will check oil filter tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the water heads up, as I have been known to get rowdy at times in a spontaneous fashion .

Did the outside temperature is below -20 C ? Last winter my PCV valve got frozen...result...valve cover gasket blowed out... first time it was a minor smell and second time the entire motor oil spread out from the gasket and spill all the engine bay...real nice mess...and a nice repair bill too !!

This is very interesting info you bring to the table. It wasn't -20 C, but the vehicle hadn't been used in 3 days, and it was sitting in freezing temperatures, but no mega freezing cold spells yet. I'll double check the lower part of the valve cover gasket. BTW, off the top of anyones head here, where is the PCV valve located so that I can take a look see?

What color was the smoke? Blueish white or black? I would take off the belly pan too and check for any residue. Chances are something like oil or tranny fluid leaked from somewhere and onto the exhaust manifold and you only saw it once you stopped. Maybe something splashed up during your drive?

It wasn't black, but certainly more in the realm of white, but it had that tinge on the throat upon inhaling, and its basic underlying odour smelled like the grim reaper of the automotive world. The belly pan may hold many answers upon removal to inspect. As for anything splashing up while driving, this doesn't fit in with everything else here, so scratch that one out.

 

Check the usual suspects, oil filter loose, oil dipstick loose and /or oil disptick shaft, oil filler cap etc. I remember a friend waaay back when got a good engine fire going after forgetting to tighten the oil filler cap post oil change.

Just as an fyi never use water for any sort of automotive fire, oil and gas will just splash away with water (it'll stay on fire) increasing risk of injuring you or spreading the fire!

 

Did the outside temperature is below -20 C ? Last winter my PCV valve got frozen...result...valve cover gasket blowed out... first time it was a minor smell and second time the entire motor oil spread out from the gasket and spill all the engine bay...real nice mess...and a nice repair bill too !!

 

What color was the smoke? Blueish white or black? I would take off the belly pan too and check for any residue. Chances are something like oil or tranny fluid leaked from somewhere and onto the exhaust manifold and you only saw it once you stopped. Maybe something splashed up during your drive?

 

Whatever it is, it sucks...hope its something cheap and simple.

 

Yes it does suck, and to end up possible getting stabbed with a hefty bill right after Christmas will suck as well. The anticipation of what this might be also sucks big time.

I did find this http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f62/2005-v8-frozen-pcv-valve-32636.html . The OP describes what I just went through, but I'm thinking now, wouldn't a sticking PCV valve throw a code? I forgot to mention earlier on that I ran a VCDS scan, and all was ok.

Hopefully that family owned mechanics shop two houses away from me will be open tomorrow morning, so that they can put the vehicle on the lift.

Will report back..

 

Well I just came back from my local corner garage. It is the valve cover gasket, not just on one side but both! It is in the initial stages of seeping out oil on the bottom side, it's a good thing I bought this as I drove into my drive way, and not on some far off excursion. Here is the somewhat funny part. He already had an Audi A8 there with the same problem, a BMW that was on its way later in the day with the same problem, and his(the owner of the shop) daughter in laws Audi S4 that also had a leaking valve cover gasket last week that he ended up replacing as well!! He told me this is a VERY COMMON issue with some VAG engines(I'm thinking V8's....) and BMW is not too far behind, and they leak with age. He did not mention anything about a PCV valve though......hmmmmm....any thoughts guys?

Alas, the VW dealer is closed today for him to order the parts from, so it will have to wait until tomorrow for the surgery.

 

wierd that both of them would go at the same time! While this is irrelevant to your engine I remember my old 87 GTI had the same problem with leaky valve cover gaskets, the "BIG" mod at the time was to swap out the valve cover gasket from a G60 Corrado...ahh good times.

 

Is This the AXQ V8 PCV Valve?

Ok I'm slightly very worried now. The mechanic who will replace my valve cover gaskets tomorrow said there is no need to worry about the "air breather" which is the hockey puck looking thing in the pic.

What I need to know, for some peace of mind here are two things. First of all, is this TRULY the PCV valve? For any of you with a 2004-06 AXQ V8 engine, just take off your centre engine cover, and you will immediately see it on top near the firewall.. Second question, is there any way for me to tell, if this particular part is working correctly or not? I did a VAG-COM scan and no codes. I'm only worried thanks to VGWOLF's report in this thread, that this hockey puck, if it really is the PCV valve, is the main reason why my valve gaskets on both sides are slightly leaking. My mechanic said it is not the reason, they just start to leak over time it is common.


Confirmation and ideas please?

 

You could always get a price for a new one regardless.

If it's not mega money and is easy to DIY fit, then in your shoes I think I might just replace it regardless for peace of mind.

 

They go for about $115 online which probably means around $160+tax around here(around $200 then), which probably means they won't have any stock if I are a betting man, which means either way, I'm looking at easily 3-5 business days away at bare min from it arriving here given the holidays.

Which doesn't answer any of my questions up above, as I would like to have an understanding of what is going on. Anyone can start replacing parts anytime a part is suspected of sneezing without being proved guilty, and I'm sure the world economy would be in a much dire state if everyone went about it in such a way. BTW, it is Aircraft mechanic philosophy to order a new part, anytime you think you will need to use a hammer .

However in all fairness, seeing that this is the "maintenance section", if it is proven that this hockey puck I posted in my pic should be part of a regularly scheduled maintenance program, "replace every 140000km", that has never been documented, then so be it. I would like to think my ultimate conclusion to this thread would be to see if this is the case or not.

 

In three + years, I freely admit don't think I've ever heard of one being replaced!

And you are right to want to understand exactly what's going on regardless of whether or not you need a new one.

But, I still say that if it were me, I'd go the aircraft fitter route!

 

Oh trust me, I'll end up replacing it for the f of it...

But it still won't provide much peace of mind as I will not have learned anything more after the fact.

At the very least, I might as well dissect it when the time comes, this may provide more clues.

Once again, the 'dude plays Guinea Pig.:-({|=

 

Have you trolled the A8 forums to see how common this is? I still think its a bit odd that both sides started leaking at the same time?

 

You just read my mind, I literally was about to log off here, so that I wouldn't be distracted , and spend a good hour or two on the ol' Audi forums.

Here it goes, wish me luck.

 

After 2 whole hours of eyeball straining research, this is how I can best sum it up in a few words.

Someone asked a few years back on one Audi forum how reliable is the 40V V8? Answers seem to all boil down to this: "You will have the typical problems with the valve cover gasket leaks, cam tensioner gasket leaks, oil cooler o-ring leaks and coolant sensor leak. Timing belt kit at 80,000 miles and serpentine belt. If you live in a cold climate, the PCV system will freeze (has to be below -15 deg F)....."

Then I came across a few documented cases with pics of that hockey puck shaped PCV valve that confirm freezing issues, that over time will degrade the valve cover seals, and God knows what else. BTW, a frozen PCV valve is not to be mistaken with a faulty PCV valve. A couple of guys opened theirs up, cleaned the gunk(mixture of water and oil, etc) out, only to have gunk return shortly again, and hence freezing issues. The new PCV valve is supposedly a slight redesign by Audi, but people are still reporting freezing issues with it. There is no confirmed solution as of yet, or one that I can find, but I did come across one solution where VW techs are supposedly tie wrapping some coolant hoses around the PCV valve and adjoining hose, to keep it from freezing. My only question to that solution is, so what happens when you shut off the engine and let it sit overnight?

Bad design all in all. This is not just a PITA, but I feel a safety issue as well. Oil spewing out from blown gaskets due to a frozen PCV valve is a fire hazard! I'm finding myself feeling somewhat disappointed towards Audi and VW tonight..

 

It is a bit strange...its not like Germany is a tropical country, so I have no idea why they didn't figure out that the PVC valve freezes!

 

Do you take a lot of short trips?

 

Read my post# 21 and #12 in this thread here, http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f63/help-please-v6-or-tdi-66670-3.html
in my exchange with NickM on whether to V6 TDI or not given my daily driving routine. This I do believe will help answer your question, which in all likely hood is no I don't, but borderline.

I do not know the workings of such a valve but I'm left wondering if there is any way in which the "gunk" can be drained off if it collects in an area that is at atmospheric pressure rather than under pressure or in a partial vacuum - i.e. if its drainange/collection will not ffect the valve's operation ?

Very good question, and we won't know that answer until I take it off this weekend and open it up. I'll post a pic on here, maybe then you can help me conjure up an out of the box solution. In the meantime, check out
the pic in this link, scroll down a bit to post#6, until you see a picture of the cross section of the PCV valve: http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=2687040

 

I do not know the workings of such a valve but I'm left wondering if there is any way in which the "gunk" can be drained off if it collects in an area that is at atmospheric pressure rather than under pressure or in a partial vacuum - i.e. if its drainange/collection will not ffect the valve's operation ?

 

So what exactly happens when this freezes up? I am just curious as I have never heard of that before on Honda engines, although their pcv valves are a lot smaller.
I know that Honda does things like run coolant hoses around things that may freeze so that in the winter time they don't. Typically if something is going to freeze in an engine it is something very small or a small orfice so when you run a larger coolant hose it does not take all that long to warm up and also as it is turned off the coolant is still warm and warms and possibly evaporates some of the water (which is what would freeze since blow by oil should not freeze).

 

Check this thread out allroad 4.2 /04 / 99K Km-oil leak while driving to Lake Louise. - AudiWorld Forums and then also the conclusion to that thread with a follow up here which is what i believe you are suggesting: 4.2 PCV valve froze..........................AGAIN! - AudiWorld Forums

 

I'm not lucky at all with those $#%?? PCV valve..I own also a Audi A6 and three weeks ago is PCV valve got frozen too (was -7C outside)..but this time the motor oil go directly on the cylinder as a result of a big blue smoke coming up from the exhaust...I stop the engine and the heat created during this time by the motor probably melt the ice on the valve..nothing happens since instead the weather go to -25C here..but noe everytime I start my car I'm watching the exhaust just in case !!

 

Dude, seriously, we can't go on living like this. Every time we attempt to start the engine, first cold start of the day, and literally make this face 8-[ , is getting silly. We need to all congregate and come up with a solution, dare I say, and I'll say it, report this to our local Transport Gov't agency, as I truly deem this to be a safety issue. What happened to me and you was not neglect. It is plain simply a bad design, and the poor ol' valve cover gasket merely acts as a "fuse", which is actually a good thing when you think about it. Only problem is, especially on this engine design, oil from the leaking valve cover gasket is only a few neat inches away from dripping onto the exhaust manifold.

 

Picked up my vehicle today. My mechanic immediately showed me the two old valve cover gaskets, including the small round ones for the spark thingies. I have to say, that the valve cover gaskets looked dry, old and brittle. I was surprised to see this. The mechanic said it is due to the hereditary design of the engine, with the valve covers sitting at that slanted angle and not flat like on some other cars, and also sit very close to the exhaust manifolds. The oil leak wasn't that huge, but those few or perhaps even couple of drops were enough to create the drama I witnessed two days ago. Even though he said he has seen his fair share of this same leaking gasket issue on many of the Audi engines including S4, he still thinks it is not just a PCV issue. It is age, the design of the engine that is the reason these gaskets go. I still find it odd both sides sprung a leak at the same time though, even if minute amounts.

The total cost of the repair was $350 cash. I think he must have made me a deal, either because I live 2 houses away from his garage, or it is the holidays, UNLESS this is the going price for a valve cover gasket job from the independents on this V8 engine. I was expecting at least $500-$600 charge from him, and I would easily predict a G-Note had this job been performed at my local VW $tealer(I could be wrong??). Anyways, I'm feeling actually very happy tonight, this wasn't so bad after all. One more point for us who don't believe in extended warranties in the home court .

I took it for a LONG, HARD spin on the highway, everything seems tight, and no odours at all. Time will now tell what really happened, hopefully I hope this never happens again. In any case, I'm taking my PCV valve apart this weekend to take a look see inside. I reckon it is also Sea Foam time as well.

It is worth noting, that after my test the repair, highway excursion, I pulled over and opened the hood, for the sole purpose to feel with the palm of my hand, the PCV valve. I wanted to feel how cold or warm it was. I was somewhat surprised to see, that unlike in city driving, the PCV valve was VERY COLD to the touch. This tells me that a draft is hitting it at highway speeds. Hmmmmmmm, interesting........I need to dwell on this further. New case scenario: Car sits all night in frozen temps. You start it up, and immediately hit the highway. There is no way this thing is warming up!!!

I'll leave it on that note.

 

Thread title changed at OP's request

 

You got out of their for a steal VW of Oakland quoted me $3,900.00 for the vale cover gasket repair.

Does anyone know of a good, reliable VW mechanic in the Oakland California area to repar this same issue (valve cover gasket only)?

 

my v10 is doing the EXACT same thing, goes in next week.

 

Any updates? Is the PCV valve supposed to suck what seems a large amount of air? Not sure if my PCV is working correctly.