Charger broken? Get fast repair!

Hello everyone,

I have a 1996 A4 AFN (81 kW) with 210,000 km on the odometer.

A while ago, I noticed that oil was leaking onto the intake manifold. The spot is behind the engine, where the temperature sensor is attached to the intake manifold with a bracket. The O-ring seemed to be in good condition.

After that, I removed and cleaned the intake manifold from the intercooler to the EGR valve. There was quite a bit of oil in the intake manifold, and unfortunately, I also discovered that oil had leaked through the pressure hose and reached the control unit. When I detached the connecting pipe from the turbocharger to the intercooler on the intercooler side, a large amount of oil (about 20 ml) came out.

Okay, here's my question: Is this normal for the mileage on the car, or does it mean the turbocharger is about to fail? And what about the leak at the temperature sensor? Has anyone else noticed something like that?

Regards,
Ernst.

Hi,

It is conceivable that the loader could be losing excessive amounts of oil at this mileage.
As long as the performance and oil consumption are okay, I wouldn't worry about it.
How much oil do you need for 1000 km?

Best regards, Rainer.

Thank you for the quick response!

Consumption is approximately 0.1 liters per 1000 km, so it's not much.

However, the engine has been entering emergency mode more frequently lately.
The maximum speed, achieved with very slow acceleration, was 170 km/h.

After the cleaning process, the error did not reappear initially.

The power loss started with a jerk during acceleration between approximately 2000 and 3000 RPM in 4th and 5th gear. Turning the ignition "off" and then "on" allowed for another attempt to see if it was possible to get past the critical RPM range. After that, everything was fine again.

"I generally find that the acceleration isn't as lively as it used to be. Today, I'm going to take a closer look at the AGR (Abgasrückführung) system to see if the valve is closing properly. After all, oil and soot don't mix..."

Is your intake manifold completely sealed, or is there any oil visible around the temperature sensor?

Regards,
Ernst.

Hello,

"0.1 liters every 1000 km is well within the acceptable range, so the turbocharger's seal must still be okay."

Best regards, Rainer.

Hi,

I have now added an extra flat gasket to the temperature sensor. Hopefully, this will stop the oil leak in the engine compartment.

I'm going to monitor the oil consumption over a longer period of time now.

Perhaps the oil originates from the geothermal energy source?

Regards,
Ernst.

Hello,

Sure, both are possible. It could be from the KGE (Kühlerverlusteinheit - coolant heat exchanger) or the charger seal, but regardless of the source, 0.1 liters per 1000 km is acceptable.
If things get too rough and the engine starts to struggle, a new turbocharger won't help you; you can only keep driving as long as it lasts.

Best regards, Rainer.