Need advice on turbo or turbo oil line leak diagnosis

'98 A3 ahu:

Today oil starting gushing down the back of the engine from the turbo area. Without getting under the vehicle and have oil pouring onto my face, what is the best way to diagnosis whether it is from the turbo or one of the turbo oil lines?

No smoking from the exhaust. Just fresh oil pouring onto the ground from the back of the engine. After the engine cooled down I was able to put my hand down the back of the engine from the top. The bottom of the turbo was sopping.

After the failed part has been found, is it easier to go in from the bottom or from the top?

Thanks

If it is leaking that profusely then it is more than likely your feed line..also if the little bracket that fixes the oil feed line to the exhaust manifold is gone then I would be certain it is the culprit. Replace it with a flexible feed line from one of our trusted vendors and be done with it.

Thanks for the response. But like I said, how can I be sure that what it is? Is it more easily (relative term) replaced from underneath? Any special tools required?

if it's the feed line you can see and replace it from the top most easily. Follow it to the turbo on the driver's side of the engine bay.

Thanks. I can't see much of anything in there right now. What do I have to remove to get at it?

Castoff said:

Thanks for the response. But like I said, how can I be sure that what it is? Is it more easily (relative term) replaced from underneath? Any special tools required?

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1. Get yourself one of those telescoping round mirrors($5-$10 at an auto parts store). 2. check oil and top off if needed. 3. have a friend start car(in neutral) and hold mirror in back near turbo-my bet the feed line cracked on the curve just above the turbo...... these are a PITA to change. Last time I changed it on the Jetta,I had the intake manifold off and it made life a little easier. I forgot who sells the stainless braided lines-I wish ID Parts would sell them and the right fittings for it.....

So stuck a trouble light behind the engine from the driver's side and went over the top and behind with a small mirror. Friend started the engine and sure enough, there was oil leaking from the turbo supply oil pipe just above the compression nut. Little cramped to work back there but was able to loosen the nut with 17mm spanner and slide the nut back away from the turbo. Unfortunately, however, when trying to pull the tube out of the turbo the tube broke and a portion of the tip stayed frozen in the turbo.

I will order the part tomorrow (none of the dealerships in this area stock it). When the part arrives and I am able to see what type of end it has, I will decide how to extract the tip.