This Certainly Looked Catastophic

I'll give you a qualified "it depends".

Is it really oil? Could it be coolant? This is often how leaking radiators behave.

Is the oil from your car? Whata about the truck you were following.

How much oil/coolant is missing? Check power steering also.

If the leak isn't obvious I wonder how clean your engine bay is.

It sounds like a pinhole in a radiator or oil cooler or a high pressure line (power steering?).

I hate to second guess your guy but I can't see an easy path for the oil from the crank to the windshield. A crankshaft seal (front or rear) is usually a dripping kind of leak, typically onto the ground or the underside of the car (like every Jaguar does). To get to the windshield it is likely coming from somewhere high up on the engine.

 

Still sounds like a lot to come off a belt.

 

Hi,
First of all:is the fluid oil?
Don't say "yes" before you are 100% sure...
If it is really oil,you should know that ONLY high pressurised oil can go up to the windscreen. Engine oil is pressurised inside the engine,not outside...If the engine oil stays under solid pressure outside the block,you have serious problems...and you won't go far!
Check the color and the smell of the fluid.
Red,green,black,brown/beige transparant?
My guess:you have a leaky power steering hose.
Is the hood inside greasy(take care of the ignition box on the inner side of the hood,don't flood it with oil or any fluid!)?
I would do this:1 look level of power steering oil.
2 start engine,turn the steering wheel left and right.
3 look into engine bay for a jet of oil,coming from/trough a hose.
4 wear GLASSES!!! Chances are small,but you don't want oil into your eyes...
5 if the problem is the power steering system,you may only see a jet IF YOU EXERCICE FORCE ON THE WHEEL. Do not just "look",you really have to turn the wheel to built high pressure inside the hoses.

Other possibility:it could be just water(your car had just been washed),and water that got greasy becuz of your "not so clean" engine bay.
Good luck!
Speedman

 

What did you smell? Did it smell sweet or hot? And clean or not anything spraying that much would be obviously wet. What about under the car? Funky smelling? Power steering. Sweet smelling? Coolant. Hot smelling? Oil. Nothing? Check all of your levels, clean the bay some let it dry and drive it. If it was your car it will happen again and then you'll know.

 

Forget about crankcase leaky seals or oil-throwing belts...
This ain't a SF movie...
Gravity meansil should be drippin' down on the ground.
Don't listen to people who will tell you "it could be this or that".
In this case,you only need 1 thing:a solid confirmation...
Speedman

 

Hi,
Look,some powersteering pumps can be broken very easy by putting the wrong oil in it. Some Audi's (all?) are very prone to that. It's like ATF(Automitic Transmission Fluid),the color additives are just added to be sure (not everybody reads what is written on the bottles!!),or the antifreeze in the radiator...
Suppose that your leak is comin' from the powersteering unit,be aware,this is NOT a major leak,it's a very small leak that lets the fluid through in certain cases (turning the wheel usually and you will see it),but it is very high pressurised,so when it comes out,it goes instantly in a "vaporation",if you may call it that way,and it LOOKS a huge mess...
I had this problem once on a Porsche 928 S4,and it was a high pressure hose that was leakin',but only when you turn the wheels when the car wasn't movin'.Once the car was rollin' and much less pressure was needed to make the wheels turn,there was no problem. We were 2 to localise the problemne guy turned the steering wheel,and I was lookin under the hood,untill I saw a very very tiny small jet of fluid comin' through a hose when the pressure was buildin' up...
Problem was solved next day...
Good luck!
PM Rifledriver,he could give you some very good advice.....
Speedman

 

Bill, I didn't realize you were in New Orleans. When I read about the hole in the engine. I immediately thought of your "mechanic". Then I saw you were in N.O.

 

I'll have to show one of my supplemental repair bills from him with the add ons for whining and crying about the a/c not working

 

Oh that's just wrong!!

 

I quote from the bill , "Fee for whining about a/c not working and crying about car sitting here for 8 weeks. Bill was $5,000 but has been increased by 20% for lack of patience. "

I also have seen another bill with a $125.00 cheeseburger on it.

 

Probably can repair the leaking line, post a photo if you can or PM me with your phone #

 

Actually I meant that I could fix it if there's a problem locally. There probably isn't an OEM replacement available. I've had good success using hydraulic hose and fittings. May require a little machine work or TIG welding.