Rear Main Seal Failure on VW and Audi 2.0T TSI Engines

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The rear main seal is a circular seal mounted where the crankshaft comes out of the engine.  This seal would be mounted behind the flywheel or flex plate and prevents oil from leaking from the engine while still allowing the crankshaft to rotate.

The rear main seal on the TSI engine may sometimes fail.  This will often be caused by a failed PCV valve which causes crank case pressure issues.  When the Rear Main seal fails you will find an oil leak that is coming from the bottom of the vehicle where the engine and transmission meet.  Be sure the leak is not coming from higher up on the engine before deciding this is bad.  You also may experience fault codes like P0171 - System too lean, or misfire fault codes P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303 and/or P0304.  It is very important to note that these fault codes should only be considered as potentially related to a bad rear main seal if you are experiencing an oil leak from the area between the engine and transmission where the rear main seal is located.

Genuine VW/Audi Rear Main Seal

The Rear Main Seal is between the engines crankshaft and the flywheel, which means the transmission, must be removed to replace this part.  It is important to note that if you have an issue with your rear main seal leaking on your VW or Audi 2.0T TSI engine you should definitely replace your PCV Valve.  Failing to do so may result in premature failure of your new rear main seal.

Parts Discussed Above

OEM VW/ Audi 2.0T TSI Rear Main Seal

OEM VW/ Audi 2.0T TSI PCV Valve

Why the 2.0T TSI rear main seal leaks?