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It amazes me sometimes that people buy quattros because they're quattros and never look at the bit they're actually buying - the bit underneath.
So here's a cautionary tale, names deleted to protect the guilty. I was looking at someone's car ("Very nice!") and decided to take a shufti underneath. What I found made my hair stand on end - wherever it is. Anyway, the upshot:
Front left diff seal, ur-quattro. The oil mess is instantly visible with a single glance under the car - but notice the "oil wash" on the cast webs to the right (i.e. rear) of the seal. This is a BIG leak.
The gearbox drain plug gave up something under a litre of black stuff which curiously didn't stink at all. The problem turned out to be a badly fitted replacement seal - it had worn through to the point where the spring around the inside of the lip was showing through. Replaced everything, refilled the gearbox/diff oil and spun the gearbox - it now changes 250% [owner] better. My worry is that the differential now seems to have far too much slack.
PLEASE guys - look underneath at least once a month.
So here's a cautionary tale, names deleted to protect the guilty. I was looking at someone's car ("Very nice!") and decided to take a shufti underneath. What I found made my hair stand on end - wherever it is. Anyway, the upshot:
Front left diff seal, ur-quattro. The oil mess is instantly visible with a single glance under the car - but notice the "oil wash" on the cast webs to the right (i.e. rear) of the seal. This is a BIG leak.
The gearbox drain plug gave up something under a litre of black stuff which curiously didn't stink at all. The problem turned out to be a badly fitted replacement seal - it had worn through to the point where the spring around the inside of the lip was showing through. Replaced everything, refilled the gearbox/diff oil and spun the gearbox - it now changes 250% [owner] better. My worry is that the differential now seems to have far too much slack.
PLEASE guys - look underneath at least once a month.
flashback, afternoon before my Ring trip getting the car 4-wheel aligned and the tech popped his head up from the pit and said, blimey your rear diff is p*ssing fluid out! Always check under the car now but even having cleaned up and checked checked and triple checked, its started to weep again.
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