Should Oil Leakage in Tiguan Be Repaired?
2 Answers
Tiguan oil leakage needs to be repaired. Here are the detailed explanations: 1. Benefits of repair: The main thing is to determine whether it is indeed oil leakage or not. Have a mechanic inspect it. If it's coolant leakage, it should be taken seriously. Once the coolant level decreases, especially during summer, the engine water temperature tends to be higher. With insufficient coolant, the engine water temperature will rise even further, potentially leading to cylinder scoring and ultimately rendering the engine practically unusable. 2. Points to note during repair: If it involves the timing belt, it must be repaired immediately. This is because the belt must not come into contact with oil, especially the timing belt. If an accessory belt gets oil on it, the worst that can happen is belt slippage and squeaking, which won't cause fatal damage to the engine. However, if the timing belt gets contaminated with oil, any resulting issue can be extremely severe. Although this oil leakage may not affect the overall operation of the engine, it will consume the oil in the lubrication system (the leaking fluid is definitely engine oil), gradually reducing the oil level in the system. Over time, this will degrade the effectiveness of the lubrication system and ultimately shorten the engine's lifespan.
My neighbor’s Tiguan also had an oil leak last month, and the repair shop found out it was due to a deteriorated valve cover gasket. Mechanic Li said that with prolonged use, this gasket is almost guaranteed to fail in German cars. Replacing the gasket fixed the issue, costing 800 RMB including labor and parts. However, if left untreated until the oil seeps into the ignition coils, the repair could cost two to three thousand. Personally, I suggest that if the oil leak is on the upper part of the engine, you can keep driving while monitoring it—just check the dipstick weekly and top up with the same type of oil before the level hits the lower limit. But if you notice oil stains dripping under the chassis or smell a burnt odor, you must get it repaired immediately. This usually indicates a damaged oil pan or crankshaft oil seal, which can lead to burning oil.
