Oil

[mr wong]

Does anybody else find that their car seems to be quite thirsty on the oil???

My car seems to use a hell of a lot of oil and as far as I can find I definitely do not have a leek. My MK3 is a second car now so I have had the engine steam cleaned about 4 weeks ago and put her in the garage, I put an old painting sheet down under the car which sat for 2 weeks before I moved her today.

I did not have a single oil drop on the sheet!

Anybody else find this or offer any explanation please.

[Bazzer]

Well if it's not coming out that way, it must be coming out through the 'zorst mate. Could be burning a bit due to piston rings  or the crank case getting pressurised (think it's called blowback), due to the breather hoses getting blocked up.
When I got mine, the one on the top of the cam cover had worn right through. There was a huge hole in it, but the bottom was blocked solid with gunge.

Maybe a starting point? 

[AudiA8Quattro]

The most likely cause will be worn valve stem oil seals.
Get some one to drive behind you or look in the mirror when you boot it and change gear, if you get a puff out the back when you change gear then its the valve stem oil seals.

[Bazzer]

I thought you diagnosed valve stem oil seals when starting the engine - when the car's moving and warmed up I would have thought piston rings would provide more of a place for oil to creep though than a valve stem oil seal....

[AudiA8Quattro]

Yes thats right, piston rings will smoke all the time. When valve stem oil seals are knackered you will only get a puff on overrun ie. when changing gear.