I've confirmed the gasket is the only source of the leak. How risky is it to drive on? If I check oil every outing? The repair is not something I'm able to DIY and is quite pricey at a shop, need some time to set aside funds.

 

You risk losing so much oil during an outing that you could damage your engine, but you have to do what you have to do. I would say if youve been driving it like that, you might be fine.

 

Maybe it's best to try to stick to short hops around town if that's the case. I'm not sure exactly when the leak developed, could be very recent. Thanks

 

Yes but the longer you wait the bigger the mess it becomes.
do you have a garage?
I am doing in my garage when I have time I do one thing at a time.
right now I am looking at attempting to clean the oil off front of engine.
I waited too long to do this so a mess.
the oil pump will continue to push oil it will just Make a mess.

 

No garage, no mechanical skills sadly. I'll keep that in mind and set money aside aggressively to get it done asap. Hope your DIY goes well

 

Do a Google search for a reliable, independent German motor shop in your area. Those guys charge a fraction of what stealerships normally do. Getting that seal replaced shouldn't cost any more than a normal charge for a regular oil/filter change.

 

Finding a good shop that has knowledgeable mechanics & does not overcharge?
Any large metropolitan area will have a few to choose from in the country less so.
these vehicles have many issues that cannot be left to fix themselves.

 

Wrong. It’s a grand

 

It’s a big PITA to do yourself (that didn’t
stop me, however).
Nothing really hard, but a lot of
labor to get to it.

 

It’s a b*tch because you have to remove the front. So I found a mechanic under the table. $500 is the cheapest. God bless you for trying

 

Removing the front is the easy part.
you also have to remove the turbo
heat shield, then the
downpipe (without snapping one
of the studs on the turbo and
having to drill it out and re-tap,
like I did), plus several other bits,
and removing and putting back
the bolts to the housing is done
blind from behind for some of the
screws. I also replaced the turbo
oil feed line, since that’s prone to
failure, and it’s right there when
you have everything off for the
housing.