Even the most reliable of cars will start to wear down and fail over time, and Audi vehicles are no exception. If you own an Audi, one of the problems you should look out for as the car ages is oil leaking from the valve cover. Luckily, some common symptoms will help you determine that there is something wrong, and after that, a professional can narrow it down further and get the problem fixed.

Symptoms of Valve Cover Problems

One of the most obvious signs that you have an oil leak on your hands is if you actually see the fluid pooling underneath your car. However, even if you don’t notice this, there are still some easy ways to tell when something’s wrong.

• Low oil level: To be clear, the oil levels in your car will naturally go down over time, but if you just recently replaced your oil and you suddenly notice that you’ve lost a lot of it, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve got a leak on your hands. Leaks can come from anywhere oil travels, but one common place for leaks is the valve cover. The valve cover will wear down and even crack as the years go on.
• Burning smell: When oil is leaking out of the valve, it can drop onto the hot engine and burn, leading to a terrible burning smell. You may possibly smell smoke as well.
• The valve cover has visible residue on it: When you open the hood to see if there’s a problem, you should inspect the valve cover thoroughly to see if it’s cracked or has any sticky residue. Under normal circumstances, the valve cover should be clean, so if you see caked-on grime, there is probably a leak.
• The engine runs rough: Oil leaks from the valve cover can also make their way onto the spark plugs, preventing them from working properly. While a rough-running engine can be caused by many things other than just oil leaks from a valve cover, it can be helpful to know a full range of possible causes when going in to get your Audi fixed. No matter what the cause though, a rough running engine is a serious problem that should be addressed immediately. If left unfixed for too long, your car could even stall out entirely, leaving you stranded.

The above are some of the more common symptoms of valve cover oil leaks. Before we move on though, we want to mention one more symptom: fire. It’s rare, but oil leaks can actually cause your vehicle to catch on fire, which is very dangerous and scary. That’s why it’s so important to get your Audi checked out as soon as you think you might have a problem, so you can be certain to keep yourself and your passengers safe.

Causes of Valve Cover Leaks

The primary cause of this issue is natural wear and tear on the valve cover. The engine bay of a car is a very volatile place, constantly in motion and jostling around, and that environment means that parts will break and crack. Valve covers on Audi vehicles are made to last a long time and, but without proper maintenance, they’ll break too, leading to leaks.

Another possible cause of valve cover problems is extreme temperature changes. When things heat up, they tend to expand, and when they cool down, they contract. This means that, when the valve cover is exposed to very intense heat and then suddenly exposed to very intense cold (or vice versa), sometimes it will expand or contract too quickly. This leads to cracks.

Tanner Motors Will Help with Your Valve Cover Leaks in Phoenix

Here at Tanner Motors, we’re dedicated to giving our customers the best possible Audi car repair service around. Our experienced technicians work exclusively on Audi and a few other European car brands, so we have specific training on the intricacies of your vehicle.

If you need assistance with your Audi or you’d just like to learn more about our services and what we can do for you, contact us today or stop by our shop!