2008 Audi A8

The Audi A8 not only offers the sportiest performance of any luxury-class saloon, it also stands out as a model of efficiency. A particularly outstanding example is the new A8 2.8 FSI: superlative performance and excellent comfort make it a joy to drive. But at the same time, with a standard fuel consumption of 8.3 l/100 km, its CO2 emissions of 199 g/km are the lowest in its class.

The new A8 model series features major advancements across the range, which includes the top models Audi A8 W12 and Audi S8, and offers a new driving feel whilst building on traditional strengths. An even more precise driving feel, even better ride and acoustic comfort, and subtle refinements to the exterior and interior serve to strengthen the special status of Audi's flagship model.

Unique character – consistently enhanced

To achieve this, many aspects have been refined in the unique blend of sportiness, elegance, supreme control and sophistication that forms the Audi A8 character. For instance, the more direct steering and re-engineered running gear have produced even more exact handling. Overall travelling comfort has also been enhanced by the modified adaptive air suspension and extensive improvements to noise insulation. These make the Audi A8 one of the world's quietest and most comfortable saloon cars.

The new assistance systems Audi lane assist and Audi side assist promise to make life easier for the driver and considerably enhance safety, especially on long journeys. Their tasks are to alert the driver if the car begins to drift out of its lane and to warn of vehicles in the adjacent lane.

Luxurious, sporty motoring with low fuel consumption

The 2.8 FSI impressively demonstrates how well the Audi A8 combines luxurious, sporty motoring with high efficiency and low fuel consumption. Its efficiency nevertheless comes with exciting performance, as the new high-tech V6 engine produces 154 kW / 210 bhp and delivers its maximum torque of 280 newton metres over the broad rev band of 3,000 to 5,000 rpm. With acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in just 8.0 seconds and a maximum speed of 238 km/h, the Audi A8 2.8 FSI is an effortlessly powerful performer.

High-tech engine with lightweight design concept

Thanks to its state-of-the-art engine and an exceptionally low vehicle weight of only 1,690 kilograms, the A8 2.8 FSI has a standard fuel consumption of just 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres. That is equivalent to CO2 emissions of 199 grams per kilometre – the lowest value of any luxury-class car. Here the dual benefits of low vehicle weight – thanks to lightweight aluminium design based on Audi Space Frame technology – and low wind resistance make themselves felt, in both excellent performance and equally good fuel economy.

The new six-cylinder engine demonstrates "Vorsprung durch Technik" with FSI petrol direct injection and the innovative Audi valvelift system. This new technology adjusts the valve lift, varying it between two levels. The Audi valvelift system uses sliding cam units mounted on the intake camshaft, which are moved by an electronic control mechanism. Depending on the engine power demand, the valves are opened wide or less wide as determined by the position of the cam units.

The advantage: the required quantity of fresh charge can be very efficiently controlled via the valve opening. Most of the time, the throttle valve remains fully open, thus substantially reducing throttle loss. In combination with a series of additional measures to reduce friction on numerous components, the Audi valvelift system reduces fuel consumption by ten percent.

High power transmission comfort with athletic qualities

The new A8 2.8 FSI is equipped with front wheel drive and the multitronic continuously variable automatic transmission. The multitronic not only offers unmatched power transmission comfort with fully jolt-free acceleration, its tall overall gear ratios make for very fuel-efficient motoring. Nevertheless, the seven fixed ratios available in manual mode reveal its thoroughly athletic qualities.

In Germany the Audi A8 2.8 FSI with its extensive standard equipment costs from 61,900 euros incl. VAT.

Consistently enhanced

The A8 impressively embodies the progressiveness of the Audi brand: its extremely rigid lightweight body based on the Audi Space Frame principle, the powerful FSI and TDI engines, quattro permanent four-wheel drive and the highly acclaimed MMI operating system are a few of the elements that demonstrate Audi's impressive "Vorsprung durch Technik" in the luxury class.

The character of the Audi A8 is formed by a synthesis of dynamic and agile performance and exceptionally refined ride and acoustic comfort. While setting new standards with its agility and steering precision, the A8 displays handling with definite sports car qualities. Even long journeys are both relaxing and pleasurable.

To underscore the unique character of this luxury saloon, Audi has further enhanced the two major strengths of the A8. The rack-and-pinion steering with variable steering ratio and servotronic speed-dependent power assistance has been optimised and engineered for a more direct feel. The dampers, supports and tuning of the adaptive air suspension have been revised. As a result, the A8 shows an even more spontaneous response to steering input, tightly follows winding country roads and effortlessly maintains a smooth straight line at high speeds.

Air suspension with even more sensitive comfort

Gains in performance and handling are matched by those in ride comfort: the standard-specification adaptive air suspension is now even more sensitive in responding to fine bumps. The electronically controlled variable dampers are now fitted with new seals to reduce friction. These are combined with new valves that have optimised characteristic curves, and the entire hydraulics have also been retuned. The A8 absorbs expansion joint grooves with supple ease and without even the hint of a vibration. With the addition of an insulation package to reduce rolling noise and road noise, the luxury saloon from Audi offers outstanding comfort.

Exemplary soundproofing

Even the complete acoustics of the A8 have been optimised with the use of innovative materials – after all, Audi approaches noise insulation as a component of its intelligent lightweight construction. The result: without gaining weight, the Audi A8 achieves the lowest rolling, road and ambient noise levels in its class. Being one of the quietest cars in the world is an important element of the relaxing long-distance comfort that is a hallmark of the Audi A8.

Assistance systems bring comfort and safety

Drivers of the Audi A8 can rely on the support of the most up-to-date assistance systems. They serve to enhance comfort and combat driver fatigue on long journeys, thus making an important contribution to safety. The new Audi side assist in the A8 makes use of intelligent radar technology.

The system is especially designed for lane-changing manoeuvres and warns the driver of dangerous situations: whenever there is another vehicle in the critical zone, a yellow LED display in the exterior mirror housing lights up and remains on.

If the driver of the A8 activates the indicator to change lane even though the warning display is lit up, the LEDs become brighter and flash more quickly at shorter intervals. This signal is almost impossible to miss as the peripheral vision of the human eye is extremely sensitive to changes in contrast.

Audi lane assist warns the driver to prevent an unintentional departure from the lane. A small camera positioned above the interior mirror on the windscreen observes the road ahead of the car and a high-speed computer detects the lane marking lines. If the driver moves towards one of these lines without indicating, Audi lane assist makes the driver aware of this by a vibration in the steering wheel.

Still a step ahead in the luxury class

The clear and progressive design idiom of the Audi A8 stands out for its timeless quality. The exterior design has thus only been accentuated at carefully chosen points – from the modified single-frame grille and new exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals to the new wheel designs and LED tail lights with their innovative night design. To complete the range, the A8 is available in new paint finishes and with sophisticated aluminium trim inserts plus new interior colour schemes and inlays.

The Audi A8 thus resolutely continues its progress on the road to success. With sales of over 100,000 vehicles so far, the current model has already exceeded the total sales volume of its predecessor. And it is continuing to make gains year by year in a market segment that has remained flat overall. How come? Because the A8 steadily attracts customers from other brands with its clear character, while at the same time product loyalty and repurchase rates among A8 drivers are above average.

Audi A8 Control Arm Replacement

Background
This procedure outlines the replacement of the front control arms. They are commonly referred to as “control arms” although Audi has specific names for each one (see below). There are a total of eight arms, four on each side comprised of two “uppers” and two “lowers”.

The Audi translation below will help if you are ordering parts from the dealer or need to search in the Bentley manual.

Guide Link = lower curved arm
Track Control Link = lower straight arm
Upper Rear Link = upper round/straight arm
Upper Front Link = upper curved arm

Let's talk strategy. While it is possible to replace arms individually, it doesn't always make sense from a labor standpoint. In theory, some of the arms hold up better than others. Isolating a particular arm for replacement though is tricky. Once you read through the procedure, you'll understand why audipages recommends replacing all eight as a “set” and changing the sway bar links and tie rod ends at the same time. This approach minimizes the amount of labor and will make your front-end feel like new.

Why replace the arms at all? Telltale symptoms are, squeaking, rattling, groaning over bumps, knocking and alignment issues. If you have the original arms and are over 70,000 miles, consider replacement if you are experiencing any of the symptoms above.

It is imperative that you get an alignment done after performing this procedure. The nature of the Quattro system disguises what normally makes a 2 wheel drive car feel out of line. In other words, just because the steering is not pulling to one side doesn't mean the alignment isn't out of spec.

Changing all of the arms, swaybar links and tie rod ends is easily a $2,000 plus job at the dealer. This particular procedure has one of the highest payback in terms of savings. This is a time consuming job but not overly complicated.

Before Performing the Job
Before beginning this project, it is very important that you spray penetrating oil (PB Blaster) onto the pinch bolt shown below, preferably over several days. If this bolt cannot be removed it has to be drilled out which will add hours to this procedure.

While you are waiting for parts to arrive, keep soaking it everyday. If you plan on changing the tie rod ends, soak those bolts/nuts as well.



Spray the areas shown and tie rod end threads if planning on changing them.

Prior to ripping everything apart, see if the bolt can be partially removed as shown above. If not, you have to determine whether you want to forge ahead with this project. There is no way to remove the upper arms with the bolt in place, so you have to figure out a way to remove it or take it somewhere to have it done.

This is a showstopper if you can't get past this point…..

Time: 7-8 hours if first time and bolt is not frozen Parts: Control arm “kit” which usually contains 8 arms, sway bar links, tie rod ends, hardware. I have had good luck getting the Meyle kit from blauparts.com which has all of the hardware all the hardware (with exceptions below) for around $500.


Tools and Materials Required

• Usual assortment of wrenches and sockets. An impact gun is a huge help as there are lots of nuts and bolts to be removed.
• Alignment tool (looks like a tapered center punch)
• PB Blaster
• Circlip pliers
• Pickle fork
• Circlip pliers
• Anti-seize
• Bungee cords
• Torque wrench
• Optional - Upper pinch bolts (typically not included with kits that contain hardware)
• Lower curved arm bolts (these get cut, must have and not included in kits)
• Closed end wrench, 16mm on one end, 18mm on the other. Sears has them and you'll use it a lot for this job
• Additional 16mm and 18mm wrenches. Make sure you have one of each AND the wrench above. Sockets won't fit in a lot of places so you'll be using two at a time of the same size.

Procedure
This procedure details replacing all eight control arms, tie rod ends and sway bar links. Refer to the relevant section if you are only doing a partial replacement. I recommend doing one side at a time for two reasons:

• It leaves one side intact for reference
• Enables you to finish a side and be able to move the car. The operative word being "move", not drive J

1a) Determine status of pinch bolt described at the top of this procedure. If removable, continue. If not, stop here before proceeding.

1b) Jack up one corner of the car. Leave the jack in place and put a jack stand underneath as a backup. The car will be in the position for many hours so makes sure that it's absolutely stable. Remove the wheel.

2) Remove the belly pan and set aside.

3) Remove the (2) 13mm sway bar bolts on each side.

4) Disconnect the sway bar links from the lower, straight control arms on each side (16mm). You should now be able to remove the sway bar and put it aside.





WARNING
Have a jack underneath to support the entire wheel housing. Once you start removing the arms, the only thing supporting all of the weight becomes the axle and tie rod assembly, which you don't want to do !

5) Remove the bolt that connects the bottom of the strut to the straight arm. The strut will stay connected to the car from up above.

6) Remove the nut/bolt that connects the lower straight arm to the frame. Once removed, take a rubber mallet and knock it down so that it is only connected by the ball joint end.



7) Under the hood, remove the plastic cover so you can access the two rubber plugs the cover the strut nuts. There are (2) 13mm nuts that need to be removed with a deep socket. Put your hand on the strut while removing because that's all that is holding the strut in place.

Optional method: you can leave the strut in place and remove it along with the sub-frame. It makes it a little heavier and obviously a little bigger to maneuver out but there is room. The advantage to doing it this way is that the strut nuts are much easier to access when on the ground.

Once the two nuts are removed, the whole strut assembly can be removed and set aside. While not covered here, this is a perfect time to change your struts if needed.







8) Remove the balljoint end of the lower straight arm by removing the nut on the bottom and use a pickle fork to get it out. Another method is to loosen the nut so that it's even with the top of the threads and use a hammer to drive it out. This gives you a bigger area to hit with the hammer.

BOTH methods are destructive so only use when replacing the arm with a new one.



Status Check: At this point, the swaybar, strut assembly and lower straight-arm should be removed.

Note: I have changed the order of this procedure after doing it a bunch of times. I think it's easier to swap out the upper arms first before removing the lower curved arm. The only reason is that it helps keep the strut housing supported a little more.

9) The two upper arms are pretty easy because you actually remove the whole “sub - frame” which they connect to. Also, the hardware is a little more protected and therefore rust is not an issue.



Upper Sub Frame Nut Locations

Under the hood, there are five 18mm nuts that need to be removed (see pic below). They are what hold the sub frame to the body of the car. Remove the two black covers so you can access all of them (you should already have at least one off already to remove the strut bolts). At least one on the passenger side is obstructed by a hose, so hunt around a little.

You can see the relative positions in the picture below and the Bentley diagram above. The Bentley pic is almost looking straight down at the strut tower.

• Remove all five nuts.
• Remove upper pinch bolt and disconnect upper arms from housing. Have bungee cords handy because the whole wheel bearing housing will want to flop around. The upper arms are what keep it in place.
• Remove the nut & bolt inside the wheel well that hold the add'l brace shown in the pic below.

At this point, the whole sub frame will drop down and out (a little wiggling required). Move it onto the floor or bench to swap the arms.



Upper Sub Frame Removed



Depending on the year, you might have an add'l brace shown above - it is not “required” to be reinstalled according to the Bentley. If you do not reinstall, put the bolt and 18mm nut in the hole where the brace was located as shown above.

10) The straight arm has a circlip, which needs to be removed first. The circlip is put in at the factory to help during production. It is not required for reinstallation but I put it back on anyway. Reinsert the special bolt for the straight arm and the clip will hold it in place until you get the sub frame reinstalled.

NOTE: Both arms have a metal spacer with a taper on one side where the bolts go through the sub frame. They might fall out when the sub frame and/or arm is removed. No big deal - the taper faces downward. Just make sure that they are there when you reassemble. If one or more of the spacers are “missing” look up into the hole and it might be stuck inside.

11) The upper curved arm removal and reassembly is pretty straightforward. The only thing you need to be aware of is the position of the arm in the sub frame before tightening the nut. This is important because if the arm is in the wrong position it will stress the bushing prematurely. Once it's in position, torque to 37 lbs + ј turn BEFORE you install the sub frame (you won't have access to the nut otherwise).



Dimension “a” should equal 97mm (+/- 2mm) or 3.81”

At this point, the straight arm will be fairly loose in the sub frame only being held by the circlip and the curved arm will be locked in position. Time to reinstall the sub frame.

STOP: Make sure the tapered spacers have been reinstalled and that the curved arm has been torqued to spec.

12) Reinstall sub frame. Torque 5 nuts to 74 lbs.

13) Connect the upper arms to the wheel bearing housing by reinserting the pinch bolt. Use anti-seize in case you need to do this again. Tighten to 37 lbs.

14) Reinstall strut assembly, torque 13m nuts to 15 lbs. Pop rubber grommets over holes and reinstall plastic covers. You're done under the hood for this side.

15) Reinstall lower straight-arm on the ball joint end first and hand tighten the nut. Lift up the arm into position so that you can reattach to the frame and also to the strut. This will take a little trial and error to get everything lined up so the bolts go through. The tapered alignment tool is a big help here.

I would re-use the factory nut with the large washer. If your kit came with a lock nut, it's too small and will torque down on the insert inside the wheel bearing which can slide out - Hand tighten for now.

Did you lose the orientation of the bolts? That's why you do one side at a time!

Ok, now that the uppers arms are swapped out and the lower straight arm is removed and installed, it's time to tackle the lower curved arm.

16) The curved arm is a little tricky because the nut is inaccessible without loosening the sub frame and prying it down to allow clearance for removal. Someone came up with the idea of reversing the new bolt, which eliminates this step.

In order to do that, you have to cut the old bolt off. There are many ways to do this - body saw, grinder, dremel tool, and sawzall. The bolt is extremely hard and will take a little time to get all the way through. Trust me, even if it takes you 15 minutes a side, cutting the old bolt is a much better option all around.

I bought an expensive air body saw for this job and it just doesn't have enough torque for this kind of cutting. A cutoff wheel on a grinder is the quickest but access is a little harder. Although bulky, a sawzall with a good metal blade works well. Cut roughly 1/3, rotate, and repeat until you're all the way through.

Tip: You can gain more access by loosening the fender liner and peeling it back out of the way. Remove three 10mm plastic bolts (one on the bottom and two inside the wheel well) and remove and the Philips screw on the side. Pull the liner off of the three metal studs and use a bungee cord to hold it out of the way.



Due to sub frame interference, the curved control arm bolt won't come out and it is easiest to cut with a die grinder and cut off wheel.



Lower curved control arm bolt cut for removal.

17) At this point, you can reinstall the new lower arm. Installation is the opposite of removal with the exception of inserting the new bolt in the opposite direction. Where you saw the nut previously would now be the bolt head. Working the bolt through the hole in the frame is a little tricky but you'll get it.

Install the ball joint end the opposite of removal. I would re-use the factory nut with the large washer - same issue as the straight arm.

· Tighten both ends basically hand tight. All final torque settings will be done on the ground.

18) Reinstall sway bar links to the lower straight arm. Don't connect the sway bar end just yet until you complete the other side. Torque to 52 lbs.

Everything should be back together now. It cannot be stressed enough that you have to put the car back on the ground, bounce it up and down a few times and begin torquing all of the loose nuts/bolts. It's tedious but necessary to do it this way so you get the maximum life out of the new arms. Refer to the torque specs below.

The only thing left to complete one side is the tie rod end. They are pretty straightforward but like the pinch bolt, seized hardware could be your biggest obstacle.

Tie Rod End Replacement

• Use an 18mm wrench on the tie rod end to lock it in place while using a 22mm wrench to loosen the nut on the threaded shaft. Once it's loose, leave it in place for now.
• Remove the 13mm bolt on top of the tie rod. This one should come out very easily.
• Remove the nut on the horizontal bolt. Tap out the bolt with a hammer. These tend to get frozen too so use anti-seize on the new one.
• You should be able to disconnect the tie rod from the housing with a couple of taps downward with a hammer.
• Now, either take a measurement, or count the threads so you can get the new end installed reasonably close.
• With the nut backed off, start unscrewing the end from the threaded shaft. Keep going, it might take quite a few turns.
• Installation is the reverse of removal, refer to torque specs below.

Tips:

• If the horizontal rod bolt doesn't go through it's because the tie rod is keyed in the wrong place. Put a 10mm hex socket on top (where the 13mm bolt goes) and turn it so that it lines up. You should be able to see clearly through the hole. If not, turn it until you can.
• If the rubber boot starts to bind up when doing the step above, use a small pick and run it around the inside of the boot so it will flex back into position.

Repeat the process for the other side.

Torque List
Some of these are for reference; you can't fit a torque wrench on every fastener.

Upper sub frame nuts - 74 lbs (same for vertical brace if applicable to your year and you decide to reinstall it).

Tie rod - top bolt (7nm or x inch pounds = not tight at all)

Horizontal pinch bolt – tie rod end - 37lbs

Upper short/curved arm nut - 37 lbs + 1/4 turn

Lower straight and curved arms (ball joint end) - 92lbs

Curved arm (bolt you cut) - 66lbs

Shock bolt - 66lbs

Lower straight arm - 66lbs

Upper control arm pinch bolt – 37lbs

Sway bar links:

- link to arm 52lbs
- link to swaybar 66lbs

Strut nuts - 15lbs

Wheel - 89lbs

Audi A8 Audi A8 Transmission Output Flange Seal Replacement

Symptoms of Seal Replacement
The transmission output seal is the seal that seals between the rotating output flange (which is bolted to the drive shaft) and the distributor gear chamber. This distributor gear is filled with gear lube, it has the gears that drive the the transmission output flange and the final drive - front, on the forward bottom side of the transmission.



The seal that rides on the output flange can leak gear lube across it. Once it drips out, it falls on the left side catalytic converter. This produces a nasty gear lube oil smell when it burns off. It is most noticeable during hot weather after shutting the car down. If you smell gear lube burning (it has a very distinct smell), this is most likely your problem.

If you get under your car, you'll be able to see burned oil on the left hand catalytic converter. That will confirm your problem.


Parts Needed

• 018 409 399 B Seal (about $20)
• 1 litre of gear lube (use only Audi product)
• (6) Output flange to drive shaft bolts (or you can reuse if you'd like, I replaced mine)
• (4) 8 x 40 mm high grade bolts
• (4) 8 mm high grade nuts
• (8) 8 mm washers

The 4 nuts, bolts and washers are to be used on the left hand side exhaust flange. The old hardware will be rusted and in need of replacement. I also purchased the exhaust donut which sits between the two flanges on the left hand exhaust, but it is most likely not needed. I did not use the replacement, the part is manufactured from steel, so it doesn't wear out.



Special Tools Required

• T40 torx (3/8" socket drive)
• T45 torx (3/8" socket drive)
• 8 mm (3/8" socket drive)
• 6 mm (3/8" socket drive)
• Rubber mallet
• 3/8" metric socket set with extensions
• 12 mm, 13 mm combination wrenches

Procedure
If you don't have a lift, or access to a lift, you can complete this procedure, but it will be much more difficult. Find somebody with a lift to help you out!



Paul Waterloo's A8 on the way up to perform the job. If you don't have a lift, you'll need to put the jack up on four jack stands so you'll have clearance to drop the exhaust and fill the distributor gear.

Put the car up on a lift or jack the car up and place on four jack stands.

Pull the exhaust system from converters to tail pipes as an assembly. Disconnect at crossover immediately behind catalytic converters.

Using penetrating oil, spray all four nuts. Loosen nuts about 5 or 6 turns, but don't remove from bolts. Make sure you loose all four nuts, the pipes will seperate where they want to. Use smooth, even, torque on the nuts so they break loose, then let them stand for a minute or so before unscrewing them. This will prevent excessive heat build up in the bolt causing it to break.



Loosen all four nuts, this allows the exhaust to come off any of the four pipes when removing the exhaust.

Once all four nuts are loosened, open the clamps with a large screwdriver. With help of a friend, drop the exhaust by removing towards the rear. It is held up by four rubber hangers, it's best to spray with a soap solution and they just pop off with via hand pressure if you push up on the exhaust. If you are doing this on jack stands, place a jack under the exhaust and support it.

Pulling exhaust towards the back of the car, the exhaust pipes should pull out and move it out of the way.



The exhaust hangers just pop off with a little force. It's easiest to remove/install them by pushing up on the exhaust and sliding them off. Lubricate them with some soap solution for best results.

Remove the four left hand exhaust flange bolts. On the 97's it was a 13mm bolt head and a 12 mm nut, on the 98 it was 13 mm on both sides. If they strip, you can cut them with a sawsall. Use penetrating oil on the threads. The exhaust donut will fall out when they are removed. Move the cat off to the side and rest on something suitable so the O2 sensor does not have to be removed.





Left hand catalytic converter removed. What a nice design lift to do this job on! Rest it out of the way so the O2 sensor wire does not have to be removed.

Remove three heat shields, with the most forward one shown in the picture below first. They overlap forward to back. So when removing, remove the forward shield first. When installing, install the rear shield first. They are held in place with 13 mm nuts over studs, just bend them over the studs.



Remove heat shields (3) forward to back, install back shield to front. Note all the burnt oil on the bottom of the shaft output shield.

Remove the alloy front CV joint splash shield shown in the picture above. It is a Torx 45. Use a long extension to get to the two screws. Loosen one side, then loosen the other side, then remove the bolts, this will prevent movement of the shield protecting it from breaking during removal.

Loosen the driveshaft to output flange bolts, using a 6 mm hex on a 3/8" socket. If the wheels are in the air, use the parking brake to hold the drive train still.



Removing driveshaft to output flange bolts. Use the parking brake to hold the drive train in place if the wheels are in the air. The forward end of the drive shaft is actually a CV joint.

Gently tap the CV joint (forward end of drive shaft) with a rubber mallet to unseat it. Take care not to damage the flange gasket.

Remove the shield just aft of the drive shaft center bearing. Remove the center bearing shaft support, noting position of mounting and very carefully remove the drive shaft rearward. Support it with a piece of wire to the forward right exhaust hangers so it doesn't get damaged. It is carbon fiber and must be handled carefully. Keep exposed CV joints and flanges absolutely clean. Cover them with plastic bags if they will be left open for an extended amount of time. Do not wipe off the CV joint grease.



Remove shield and center support bearing. The center support bearing location should be noted prior to removal. You should be able to see the washer marks after removing it. Support it with a piece of wire to the forward right exhaust hangers so it doesn't get damaged.

Remove the final output flange using a Torx 40 socket. To hold the flange still while removing it, install two flange bolts and use a large screwdriver to hold the flange still. Before removing the flange, make sure you have an oil catch pan below, about 5 oz of gear lube will dribble out.



Use two bolts to hold output flange with a screwdriver when removing Torx bolt.

Pry out the seal using a screwdriver, take care not to score housing. Just bang on the screwdriver handle with your hand, using the housing as a fulcrum point.



Transmission output shaft seal after removing output flange. Make sure an oil catch pan is in place.


Remove the seal with a screwdriver.

Install the new seal flush to the housing. Tap in with a small hammer and seat with a large socket (1.5" or something suitable). Lube the inside diameter of the seal with a small amount of gear lube after it is installed.

Inspect drive flange. Polish seal surface with 1000 grit sandpaper or 0000 steel wool. Clean well. Reinstall flange and install center retaining bolt. Use lock tite on threads.



Clean the seal running area with 1000 grit sandpaper or
0000 steel wool to remove burnished area.

Remove the gear lube fill plug on the right hand side of the distributor gear with a 8 mm hex wrench. Open the gear lube bottle, it has a long nipple built in. Put the nipple in the distributor gear and fill the cavity until oil starts coming out, probably about 8 oz or less. Put the fill plug back in place and torque.



The Audi gear lube bottle has a built in nipple,
just squeeze the bottle and fill the distributor gear cavity.

Installation is reverse of removal. Torque the Torx bolt holding the output flange to 18 lb-ft of torque. Use new output shaft to drive shaft bolts. If using the old bolts, use loctite on them. Torque to 45-50 lb-ft.

Mount the rear support bearing in the same place as where it was removed.

When hanging the exhaust, first mount the left hand catalytic converter, and hand tighten the four flange nuts/bolts using new hardware. Then hang and mount the exhaust before tightening anything. After everything is in place, tighten all exhaust bolts. Use soap solution on hangers. Start car and ensure there are no exhaust leaks.