Oil Change A*U: Car Now Leaking?

Hello diesel mechanics,

Yesterday, I took my A4 AFN to A*U for an oil change. That was probably a mistake. First, I had to explain to the mechanic that I only wanted the oil to be drained. 'We do it this way now to protect the drain plug,' he said . Then, he lifted the car and fiddled with the engine cover. It looked so unprofessional, as if he had never done anything like that before. Then, he groaned and grunted as he used a pipe wrench to remove the oil filter.
Since it seemed extremely 'unprofessional,' I immediately drove to the next parking lot after the oil change and checked the result: The rear panel was already hanging down after just 100 meters, and within a few seconds, an oil puddle had formed underneath the car.
Okay, back to A*U, I went to complain. They then determined that the oil filter was supposedly broken. I suspect it was more likely that either the rubber seal was misaligned or the filter was installed crooked. Whatever the reason, it actually looked quite sealed afterward.
This morning, there were oil droplets under the car again. Not a huge amount, but a few drops are still appearing every time it's parked.
Okay, back to A*U. They showed me that the filter, including the flange (as far as you can see), was dry. The oil seems to be coming directly from the transmission bell housing (as far as one can tell). However, I've never seen any oil drips under the car until yesterday. I think I would have noticed that. A*U's diagnosis: The crankshaft seal is leaking. The cost is 650 euros, including a new clutch.

My question is: Could the mechanic have made a mistake that allows oil to enter the clutch bell? Could damage to the oil filter flange cause an oil leak that only becomes visible at the lowest point of the clutch bell (since you can't really see the transmission-side part of the oil filter flange)?
How would you proceed?

What kind of vehicle do you drive?

A4, year 1997, engine code AFN. 245,000 km mileage.

Hello,

My advice is to get the diagnosis (crankshaft seal) and the cost estimate from ATU in writing, and then take your car to a reputable Audi workshop for a diagnosis and possible repair. If the oil filter flange was damaged with a pipe wrench (take pictures if possible), then charge ATU for the cost of the repair. If they give you trouble and threaten to involve a lawyer, that will increase the costs for ATU. If that doesn't work, then pursue legal action.
If it's not related to the oil change, I would go to my trusted mechanic. By the way, is it ATU? Let me know what they found.

Best regards,
Christian.

Wow, I was also planning to have my future services done at ATU.

But when you hear something like that...

You only have yourself to blame if you take your car to ATU!

An oil change service would have cost you €29 at Audi, and a thank-you inspection would have been €66!

If the filter is leaking, the fluid will flow from there onto the block, and from the block through an opening into the clutch bell!

Get a car wash and wait for a couple of weeks!

Regards,

Manuel.

I have been lucky enough to do all my oil changes myself so far, except for the very first one, which was done at the dealership while it was still under warranty.

That kind of workshop at your parents' place is really something special , even if you only get to visit once a year because of the distance.

Best regards,

Hello everyone,

My secret hope is that the oil is just from the mess they made when installing the first oil filter, and that it somehow got into the clutch bell. I wouldn't know where there would be an opening for that to happen. But: hope dies last.
The vehicle is still with them because I had an absolutely unavoidable appointment yesterday afternoon and couldn't wait for the installation of the body panels.

'I will pick it up tomorrow and get written confirmation that they are rejecting the warranty claim. If necessary, I'll also get their diagnosis and a quote for the replacement of the oil seal. Then, I'll go to a rental workshop and use a mirror and flashlight to take a closer look at the area around the oil filter flange.'
Damn! I could have made that easier. I could have just gone directly there and done the oil change myself! I will definitely let you know how things develop.

Regards,
Thomas.

PS: I also find it noteworthy that the A*U workshop is not a member of the automotive trade association.
The managing director told me that I should contact the Chamber of Crafts directly if I have any complaints. They will then send an expert (of course, at half my expense) to investigate the matter. He even mentioned two names of experts; either he knows them well because they are frequently called upon, or it was meant to signal to me that he knows all of them personally, and that I should think very carefully before taking that step.

Hello Thomas,

If you do it yourself, make sure you have a knowledgeable and independent witness present (+ a digital camera). Otherwise, they will try to blame any potential errors on your work.

Best regards,
Christian.

...I myself have an A4 TDI AFN, and every time I remove the oil filter, a lot of oil runs down towards the transmission bell housing and oil pan. I clean the area around the engine from above and below. Of course, both covers (engine and transmission) should be removed. Under no circumstances should the oil seal be replaced.
I don't think that could be the problem.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'Cu H-P'

@meyert

Try asking the boss there how this negative publicity in the most popular online forums for car enthusiasts could affect the upcoming IPO of this company.

Regarding what you observe, document it as thoroughly as possible using a video camera. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a losing situation sooner than you'd like. If you disagree with the work done by the local branch, persistently, politely, but very firmly contact the central office. Do everything via email. You can find the email address on their website. I had a case where a constant velocity joint, which was in its original packaging, had the wrong grease and, of course, failed very quickly. I installed it myself. The basic response was: 'We don't offer a warranty because you're too stupid...' As I mentioned, I then contacted the central office directly. After several emails from my side, they eventually refunded the purchase price.

Hi,

I had a similar experience with a car from A*U. I picked up my mother's 1.8L car after a repair, and I noticed at the first traffic light that the problem was still there. Then, while I was muttering to myself, someone rear-ended me. We were waiting for the light to turn green, and there was a puddle of liquid under the engine - causing damage to the rear of the car!!!???

When the Greens were there, it was quite amusing. On one car, the oil level was almost at the minimum mark.

I argued with them for half an hour, because from my point of view, neither God nor the world, but rather A*U was to blame. I ended up having to use the steam cleaner myself, because I couldn't believe that the motor oil was leaking from the power steering pump. The fact that the power steering reservoir was still full and the engine was empty didn't convince me either. The engine was already completely filthy on the driver's side, but it had been bone dry before.

I then took the engine back, having had it cleaned, and I didn't leave my boss's side. My mother had the oil changed there, including the oil filter! And the oil cooler was leaking profusely.

If I hadn't seen everything myself, and had instead sent Mom, she probably would have just gotten a new power steering pump.

I don't feel like/have the time to work on other people's cars, but when you experience what's going on firsthand, you feel sorry for them.

Well...

I had a similar experience with a Seat dealership. First, they tried to sell us a wrong spare part (for a different car, twice as expensive). When we inquired about it, they became rude. Then, I contacted Seat Germany, who quickly and thoroughly addressed the issue. They then said, 'Yes, we made a mistake because the car next door also received a spare part.' However, when we returned the part, they said, 'These parts rarely break, so it's practically impossible.'
Okay...

Despite the negative publicity, the owner still takes the car to the dealer, and every time they mess something up. This happened again during the last oil change. At least the drain plug held until he got to the garage. Then, the engine just emptied itself.
During the inspection, he explicitly mentioned the squeaking steering wheel and requested that it be fixed. He gets in, and... SQUEAK!

A workshop's success depends on the master craftsman and the staff. However, chain systems inherently have significant drawbacks .

CU Gremlin.

Hello everyone,

Preliminary report from the A*U front:

I picked up the car. They still don't seem to realize they are at fault. However, the oil pan gasket might also be the problem. Furthermore, the workshop manager explained a thousand other defects on the vehicle and repeatedly emphasized that a vehicle with 250,000 km (approximately 155,000 miles) on the odometer will inevitably only retain some fluids randomly.

The agreement now is that I should bring the vehicle to the authorized dealer. If they see a connection to the oil change, A*U wants to send a specialist to inspect it. Then, according to the managing director, they will pay for the repair at the authorized dealer. Conveniently, they have already removed the engine covers.

The workshop manager showed me again exactly where and how often they used brake cleaner to remove the oil. Interestingly, they always talked about 'inserting it properly into the clutch bell' and 'spraying everything down here x times.' There was no mention of cleaning from above. I'm starting to suspect something... I'll bring a flashlight tomorrow morning and take a look from above.

Ignorant, Idiot, Incompetent.

I wouldn't defend ATU; they always seem to get things wrong.
Perhaps it will turn out that something was actually flawed from the beginning, and they really had nothing to do with it (it was just a coincidence).
We also have some vehicles with oil leaks that are undergoing inspection.
Then note this on the work order (inform the customer), and that's it, unless it's something that needs to be fixed.
Because, what can you possibly do wrong when changing the oil?

It could, of course, be a coincidence, but given the frequent complaints specifically about ATU, I doubt it.

What mistakes can you make when changing the oil? I've never had to use a pipe wrench, and there's no oil suction device available here. I haven't killed any bolts yet either.

As you mentioned, if something unusual is found, the customer will be informed. This will be done either by phone if it's safety-related (e.g., a leaking brake cylinder, which you only notice when looking inside), or by addressing it with minimal effort during the inspection since everything is already disassembled. Alternatively, it will be noted on the workshop invoice if it's not urgent but requires attention.

'But suddenly, and coinciding with an inspection, there's a significant oil leak that isn't related to the inspection itself... I haven't experienced that before.'
It doesn't necessarily have to be related to the work itself; we've had oil filters with manufacturing defects where the crimped edge was leaky. But that's rare.
I've also experienced situations where a Klingon dropped half a can of oil, and about half a liter spilled across the area. He didn't care about cleaning it up... it will eventually drain away (though, of course, there's a free 60s-style haircut to be had).

CU Gremlin.