S-tronic Oil Leak

[Maverick88]

Well collected the car on the 9th January covered 730 miles, wife phones me at work yesterday to ask me if the Audi has got an oil leak, came home to see this on our driveway.

Called Audi Assist this morning, AA turn up in under 30 minutes, looks under the bonnet to see the gearbox is spewing oil out from under the box somewhere & onto the drive.

Cars now in the dealers & there's a C-Class Merc sat on my driveway now, have called Audi Customer Care to see what they are going to do about the driveway, let alone give me an explanation regarding the car !!

 

[cuke2u]

Mmm, its getting worse with this car, it seems too many of us are having issues...

 

[Maverick88]

I agree, I ordered the A4 to replace a 3 year old Golf GTD, my last 4 cars have all been VAG cars, Golf, Leon's & an A3 & never had a problem like this, I'm going to wait & see what Audi have to say next week before I pass judgement, I've got a case reference number so we'll see....but at the moment this is one hacked off Audi driver...... I do wonder if it's where the boxes are being assembled, China I think ?

 

[gbrown]

It seems the S-tronic may be a weak point, but the nature of these forums is that all the faults are reported, and the ones that work aren't mentioned, which can exaggerate the failure rate.

Hope they fix it quickly, and your drive cleans up!

Geoff

 

[Gazwould]

New car having a dirty protest .

 

[Maverick88]

It seems the S-tronic may be a weak point, but the nature of these forums is that all the faults are reported, and the ones that work aren't mentioned, which can exaggerate the failure rate.

Hope they fix it quickly, and your drive cleans up!

Geoff

I hope it does as well Geoff, on the positive side it's a great car to drive considering I've gone from diesel to petrol & cover around 25k miles a year, will be interesting to see what the fault turns out to be, hopefully not a common fault for other S-tronic owners.

Tony.

 

[holly35]

Mmm, its getting worse with this car, it seems too many of us are having issues...

Firstly i would point out that forums of this sort are notorious for "highlighting issues" and should be taken in context.A handful of members who "report faults" and quite often the same small number of members who constantly keep these forums going are not to be taken as inherent faults and problems.Yes of course its helpful to relay day to day experiences with our cars but lets not get carried away.Audi have already sold thousands of these worldwide so you have to take things reported by a small number in context overall.Forum members do have a habit of starting threads about the slightest of things,myself included sometimes.
A lot of "problems" and "faults" listed here are owners not correctly operating controls or understanding how things work.The A4 manual takes some digesting and the car has so much very clever technology that your always finding out why this and that happens.
Sometimes things go wrong despite the worlds best quality control.
My neighbour was across the other day having a look at my A4.He then proceeded to tell me of the "problems" his son is having with his brand new C class Merc. Within a few hundred miles he discovered a flood of oil on his drive way,after recovering from the shock of this called Mercedes who supplied a technician .He discovered an oil pipe that was not properly tight which caused the leak.
He advised the car would be ready shortly after everything was tightened up........leaving the technician to complete the work.My neighbour went inside to have a cup of tea while waiting...........................
within 10 minutes the technician came in looking rather ashen faced and said that he would have to call for a recovery truck .....................................
the car had fallen off the jack and was lying on the ground with burst side skirts among other damage.
This whole episode highlights not a built in "issue or fault"with the car but human error at the factory and by the gentleman from Mercedes who attended.
I dont think its fair to suggest the A4 has a" growing" list of "problems" and "issues" based on a handful of comments etc listed here....... Anything as complex as modern cars are and in particular the A4 are little short of miracles of engineering .........................................................................................................Forums can become a bit of an addiction and you start to worry that your car will inherit all manner of things,forums are best visited occasionally or you will constantly worry about everything.....

 

[rich_16]

I'm a regular on the BMW 3 forums as well as this one and it does seem more issues are being highlighted by owners on this forum. Just looking at the top 10 posts on each shows no faults being discussed on the BMW forum and a fair few on the Audi b9 one but the a4 is relatively new so some faults will happen and there haven't been too many issues reported on the b9 previously so hopefully it's just a phase!

I also considered a merc c class before I got my a4 but was put off by the sheer number of problems owners were reporting on forums. A family friend works for merc and said he felt they were losing customers due to quality issues.

 

[cuke2u]

I agree, I ordered the A4 to replace a 3 year old Golf GTD, my last 4 cars have all been VAG cars, Golf, Leon's & an A3 & never had a problem like this, I'm going to wait & see what Audi have to say next week before I pass judgement, I've got a case reference number so we'll see....but at the moment this is one hacked off Audi driver...... I do wonder if it's where the boxes are being assembled, China I think ?

Yes China, me also one hacked off owner..

 

[Simonb1975]

Good points. As a new car, the A4 will get a larger share of 'issues' for the time being.

The problem may also be partly due to cost cutting. All manufacturers are doing it (In light of recent events VW maybe more than most in the future)
Certain models are being built/part built in other countries now. To upgrade the quality or reduce costs ?? Guess which

Look at how many people here moan about Mercs ipad screens. Audi for one have looked and said hmm saves a few coins, lets do it.

Audi have been built on perceived quality for some time and certain areas may have slipped a bit.
BMW have been built on driving dynamics and again, other areas have slipped a little. and so on...

Also, as cars get more complicated, some dealers can't locate the cause/fix all the problems owners may have straight away (Sometimes not at all)

 

[Gazwould]

Yes , there are faults , yes there are many , many more fault free .

For the more frequent to this site I hear more S-Tronic issues than tiptronic and manual .

 

[cuke2u]

I wouldn't let any apple products anywhere near my car, so I will refer the centre display as what it in reality it really is. I also would dispute that having two screens, when they could have had the same arrangement as the TT, as cost cutting..

 

[rich_16]

I find the Autoexpress driver power surveys quite a good measure of a manufacturer's reliability. From memory the old a4 didn't even make the survey in 2016 and didn't get great reliability scores when it did previously but other more recent Audi models like the A5, A3 and Q3 got decent scores so let's hope the a4 follows these trends.

The BMW 3 series got a slating on reliability the first year or so of it's latest model, it's now pretty reliable so these things can improve over time.

My only complaint is that my local dealer doesn't seem to be able to fix my Audi connect issues, guess I'll see if I can live with it but it's a pain they put these technologies into cars which they can't then fix faults on.

 

[Simonb1975]

I wouldn't let any apple products anywhere near my car, so I will refer the centre display as what it in reality it really is. I also would dispute that having two screens, when they could have had the same arrangement as the TT, as cost cutting..

Just referencing other comments there. None the less, Audi have followed suit with what many think is a weak point on the interior design to save a little.

 

[Maverick88]

"Update on the gearbox" Monday, my car is up on the ramp, with the engine running there is no leak from the box but as soon as the engine is turned off the gearbox shoots two spurts of oil from a breather/vent location in the box, the technician has video'd this & they have sent the report & video to Audi Germany
Today, Audi cannot explain what is happening with the box & want the box back in Germany so they can strip it down as they have not come across this fault before ? So my car is now awaiting a new gearbox which is now on order.
On another note Audi customer service were due to call me by close of play today regarding the car & the damage to my driveway.... lo & behold no phone call yet, why was I so expecting that to happen !!

 

[cuke2u]

At least mine was a straightforward fix but yours sounds far more complicated. Seeing as Audi have been making these things in one form or another, but we seem to be having more issues with ours, maybe the build quality isn't yet quite there yet...

 

[Maverick88]

Just a quick update, told by Audi UK today that my replacement gearbox is still on back order with no ETA on its arrival to the dealer for fitting, spose I'll just carry on driving the Merc..........

 

[cuke2u]

It's not a particularly good advertisement for Audi at present, dulls the excitement of a new car really, let alone the cost if them. I have to admit I'm feeling less than confident but I hope it will pass...

 

[Maverick88]

Well out of the blue the new gearbox was delivered to the dealer overnight on Wednesday/Thursday, so went into the workshop yesterday afternoon to see my car up on the ramp with the old gearbox being taken out. Collected the car this afternoon, not sure if it was me but the car definitely seemed to pull away smoother & with less throttle in Auto/Drive mode from a standing start, probably just me after driving the Merc loan car ?

 

[cuke2u]

I found the same after having my gearbox repaired, there is definately a more urgency about the take off than there was before. I wonder if there's been a firmware update.
Lets hope your problems are now all fixed...

 

[Maverick88]

I found the same after having my gearbox repaired, there is definately a more urgency about the take off than there was before. I wonder if there's been a firmware update.
Lets hope your problems are now all fixed...

Yep gearbox is definitely better, whether its the new box or a firmware upgrade it takes less throttle to pull away even with the hill hold assist on. I know I only drove that last one for 700 odd miles but this is a far better drive after a blast up the motorway & some town work....... just hope this box is gonna last ? My original box is now on its way to Germany to be stripped down as they still haven't got a clue as to the oil leak.

 

[Maverick88]

Ok with the debate regarding the gearboxes being made in China, have a look at the attached photo, this is the sticker that is on my new gearbox that was fitted on Thursday........ Made in Germany........

 

[cuke2u]

Good point and well done for finding that information, I got my information from this http://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/audi-commences-transmission-production-in-china/ and the DL 382 is the gearbox used in our A4's as far as I understand..

 

[AdeOlly]

Reading that article I have a feeling that those China made gearboxes are for use in China made Audis (states A4 L) and not for shipping back to Germany for use in 'our' cars. Article says "The Audi joint venture FAW‑Volkswagen produces the models Audi A6 L, Audi A4 L, Audi Q5* and Audi Q3* in Changchun in northern China". Happy to be corrected.....

 

[cuke2u]

Yes I saw that but the gearbox model is the same and 240,000 units will be built yearly which cannot just be the sales of the a4L alone in china. That article is assuming the gearboxes are only for the chinese market, which is where the a4L is sold, however there total vehicle sales in that country were 300,000, which include vans, trucks and buses.
However I could be wrong of course...

 

[WesT-gefül]

Just found the same issue on my gearbox. Thank goodness it’s still under warranty.

 

[Samjleon]

2017/2018 Audi A4 Transmission Leak also identified

In Nov 2017 I bought an dealer demo Audi A4 with approx 2000kms registered from NSW Australia.

Approximately 6 months later (17678kms) I took the car to get serviced by an independent mechanic who made the following observation “vehicle needs to be taken back to Audi dealer due to transmission oil leak”.

At this point I was shocked to hear and see this and thought how could a brand new Audi ( my first ever Audi) have a leak??!!!

On 18 June I took it to Barry Bourke Audi ( a dealer/repair centre) in Berwick Victoria who noted the following ...
“ check and report on oil leak evident from transmission
Carried out first inspection of the vehicle and found current TPI.
Carried out TPI, customer needs to rebook or inspection on a month after TPI”

“Customer returned on 24/7/18 . Carried out checks as per TPI. Tested all ok”

After this transaction with Barry Bourke Audi , I took it to my independent mechanic who stated that the dealer merely washed the car and there were signs of the leak starting again.

I then went back to the Audi repair centre and expressed my disappointment with the whole experience.

They stated the following points “ we took pics initially and sent it to Audi headquarters - we washed it and tighten the bolts”

The second visit they stated that they had contacted Audi head quarters and they were advised that it was “sweating” and it was normal for cars to sometimes “sweat oil” ...other wise known as “weeping” and that “I should not worry because the car was safe”

They also remarked that although the previous 2 occasions they acknowledge a leak- they now deemed it as sweating and could not fix it due to Audi Australia wasn’t going to cover the costs of the repair.

I complained to Audi Australia and posed the following question.

“My question is - is it standard for your cars “to sweat oil” from your transmission? Please advise.”?

“My other question is- from the pics above- would you call that sweating or leaking?”?

“If its normal that your cars sweat oil- can you please outline where in your terms of purachse does it state this?”

Audi Australia told me to go get a second opinion as i was going to refer them to Victorian consumer commission and or VCAT.

Cut along story short- I took it to Audi Brighton who carried out the same initial testing and confirmed that there was indeed an oil leak…..contradicting Barry Burke Audi.

They tighten bolts etc sent me away only for my mechanic to confirm that it was still leaking!!!

On the 3rd attempt at the new repair centre- they replaced all the bolts and seals ensuring me that it was fixed.

Unfortunately as of the 5th of July after a total of 6 attempts to fix the problem by two Audi repair centres- the car is still leaking!!

Ive wasted countless hours taking it into the repair centre, borrowing there loan cars with the threat of excess should i crash their car (5k excess at AUdi Brighton).

My independent mechanic has indicated that this may be a manufacturing fault of the recent Audis transmission configuration and as they have seen at least 6 Audis with the same problem.

My first and LAST Audi that’s for sure!!!! Very disappointed indeed at Audi Barry Bourke and my Audi in general. I’ll settle for a more reliable TOYOTA next time!!

Im requesting a full replacement of the transmission otherwise I will take it further to Victorian Consumer affairs.

While posting this- somebody on facebook commented “funny, my car has just been taken in for that exact reason” ...i suspect many more to come.

 

[cuke2u]

Sounds very much like the dealerships are at fault, however you don't state which engine you have, or if it's quattro or not. Could you verify this please as different engines have different gearboxes.

 

[pagenotfound]

Samjlean, you should certainly expect that the leak can be fixed and I'm surprised the Audi Centre Brighton couldn't sort it as I found them to be great to deal with. I'm guessing that it is ultimately them following instructions from Audi Australia who will want to try out the cheapest fixes first i.e. check bolts and seals rather than replace the box.

If they don't fix it to your satisfaction, enjoy the Camry.

 

[Samjleon]

Sounds very much like the dealerships are at fault, however you don't state which engine you have, or if it's quattro or not. Could you verify this please as different engines have different gearboxes.

Yes of course.
It's a 2016 Build A4 TFSI S-TRONIC Sport

 

[Samjleon]

Samjlean, you should certainly expect that the leak can be fixed and I'm surprised the Audi Centre Brighton couldn't sort it as I found them to be great to deal with. I'm guessing that it is ultimately them following instructions from Audi Australia who will want to try out the cheapest fixes first i.e. check bolts and seals rather than replace the box.

If they don't fix it to your satisfaction, enjoy the Camry.

Audi Brighton I found good to deal with.....at least they acknowledge the leak and said that they will try and do everything they can to fix it. I'm sure there following Audi headoffice procedure....still was annoyed that on the third time I had visited them....they wanted for me to pay $60 to reduce the excess for their Loan car....or face $5000 excess!! I'd pay it if I was getting the car serviced....but when it was my third time there....and 6th time at an Audi dealership....you'd think they would give me a break.

Waiting on Audi to get back to me....it's been 2 weeks ...haven't heard anything

 

[cuke2u]

Yes of course.
It's a 2016 Build A4 TFSI S-TRONIC Sport

Ok maybe not as common, if not a quattro then mine hasn't had this issue, and I'm not alone. I see you've posted in Audiworld as well, they have quattro's too so which is yours?