AEL - Timing belt oily

Hello everyone,

'For a few days now, I've been hearing a strange knocking and rattling sound in my Audi C4 AEL, and I finally took a look. It's only audible when the engine speed is between 800 and 1000 rpm. It sounded like it was coming from the timing belt system. I removed the timing belt cover and I'm now quite concerned. The timing belt is slightly oily, and the inside of the cover is coated with grime. Somewhere, oil is leaking in.' I'll take a closer look at it this weekend and remove the serpentine belt so I can see better.
Does anyone have any idea where this might be coming from, or where I should look more closely?
I really can't imagine that a noisy timing chain would come from just a loose bolt!
I changed the timing belt at 220,000 km, and it currently has 285,000 km on it.

'Thank you.'

maxl

The dog can have fleas in addition to, or even simultaneously with, lice.

Oil must not get on the belt, understandably concerning!
Use Breakleen to verschandeln the simmer rings and surrounding area, then drive the vehicle and check for oil leaks.
But if the belt had skipped a tooth, you would also expect to see a corresponding loss of power coming from the engine. Check FB!
Check the tensioner pulley, does it hit the stop and does the belt flutter while doing so?
Check the protection against abrasion.

Glow plugs? Do they only work when the engine is cold, or also when it's warm?
Check the glow plug.

Hello,

I think the oil pump is leaking in your machine. There's a paper gasket installed there that's prone to failure. This causes oil to leak onto the belt drive, and oil is detrimental to the belt. You should investigate this issue quickly, as the oil can cause the belt to slip or fray. (The oil can cause the belt to swell significantly).

Since 1999, the paper gasket on the oil pump has been changed to a metal gasket. After that, the problem of leaks should no longer occur. Please take a look at that. Best regards.

Hi,

Okay, I've just folded down the front section.
It turns out the oil pump down there is leaking. That's why there's oil. So, it needs to be fixed. Also, the belt is quite loose - there are signs of wear on the belt cover! That's probably why it's rattling. Thanks for the tips so far!
Sure, here's the translation:

'One more question:'
How is the oil pump gasket replaced on an AEL engine? The Elawin manual says the oil pan needs to be removed. However, it looks like I might be able to remove the cover for the pump from the front and access the gasket. I must say - I would personally prefer it like this...

'Thank you.'
maxl

Hello,

The oil pan also needs to be removed, otherwise you won't be able to seal the repair properly.
You can now get the metal gasket as a replacement part.

Here's the translation:

"Before sealing, I would be concerned about:"

Metal gasket for oil pump.
Crankshaft oil seal.
Both NW oil seals.
The complete timing belt kit.
Oil pan gasket.
O-ring for the oil suction line (only visible after removing the oil pan).
Central bolt for shock absorbers!!! (Must be replaced, and the torque must be strictly adhered to.)
Diamond insert for shock absorbers (introduced over time, and should further prevent the loosening of the central screw!). I installed it, but it's really up to each person to decide whether or not they want to.

Furthermore, check the vibration damper itself. They tend to break down easily (the presence of rust or corrosive fluids around the damper would be a strong indicator of this).

It's very important that you borrow or build a torque wrench for the crankshaft bolts, as a very high torque needs to be applied.

But just let me know if anything is unclear. Best regards.

You're welcome, Luigi.

Right away, with a shopping list. Great!
I have a crankshaft pulley holder. I've replaced the timing belt a few times before. I will then report on how it went.
Mercy Dir!
Regards,
Maxl.

Hi,
Okay, here's the report, as promised:
As luiggi said, the oil pan needs to be removed. The oil pump isn't properly illustrated anywhere in the repair manual, but if the seal needs to be replaced, an oil intake snorkel needs to be removed from the inside. As mentioned, this requires removing the oil pan. It's not a great business, I have to say.
During the last timing belt replacement, I noticed that some oil was leaking from the threaded hole where the timing belt tensioner is attached. I didn't know back then that there were oil pumps hidden behind it.

Then I also got new tie rods. I also immediately bought new control arms. Since then, that strange clicking sound has disappeared when I drive over bumps in the road.

Thanks again to luiggi (where are you from exactly - I'm also kind of a 'silent' person).

Sure, here's the translation:

'Hello' or 'Greetings'
maxl

Hi Maxl,

Often, we're not that far away. (I'm actually from Schwendberg ).