Do i need a oil pan gasket or not...HELP

[b5power]

so my oil pan is leaking and i want to replace the gasket with a new one but some people are telling me i dont need one and just seal it without a gasket, is that true? or should i just get a gasket to be safe. please let me know and whats the best way to remove the oil pan. Im planning on doing it tomorrow. thanks.

[Ben_]

so my oil pan is leaking and i want to replace the gasket with a new one but some people are telling me i dont need one and just seal it without a gasket, is that true? or should i just get a gasket to be safe. please let me know and whats the best way to remove the oil pan. Im planning on doing it tomorrow. thanks.

had the same problem on my 1.8t passat. When i took of the oil pan it did not have an actual gasket, it was a gas ket in a tube, and that is what the dealer gave me, an audi brand gasket maker in a tube. Should be the same for u. Same engines.
I had some fun getting the oil pan out after i unbolted it, had to drop the engine with the sub-frame a little but i did all that on a car lift, nothing that hard, will be a bit more toying on the ground and
good luck let me know how it goes.

[terraflata]

Yet the sell an oil pan gasket. And on ETKA they mark both the gasket maker and the gasket. Damn mysteries.

[walky_talky20]

Hmm. I had the understanding that only the AEB got a gasket and that the ATW and AWM used the sealant. So I checked ETKA and it did INDEED show both on the same diagram. BUT, there was a lot of ETKA gibberish in the part description that sort of explains it.

"Gasket": 058103609
>> ADR 500 500
>> AFY 005 000
>> APT 020 000
>> ARG 020 000

"Silicone Sealant": D 176404A2
ADR 500 001 >>
AFY 005 001 >>
APT 020 001 >>
ARG 020 001 >>
AVV
APU
ANB
AJL
AWT

This lookup was for a 2000 model year. I also looked up for a 98 model year. While the exploded diagram was the same, showing both the gasket and the sealant, only the gasket shows on the 98 parts list. On the list I've written above, the 3 letter acronyms are all engine codes, and the numbers and arrows are referring to the VIN splits. So the gasket is used for the earlier ones (as shown by the engine code >> "some VIN"), and the sealant is for the later ones. It would appear that the switch happened in the 2000 model year as all of this gibberish is printed in the parts list for 99.5 through 2001.5. So I believe my original thought was correct. AEB's get the gasket and ATW/AWM gets the sealant. This is backed up by ECS's listing which sells a gasket for the AEB and nothing else.

Although, I believe the AEB and ATW use the same oil pan (minus the difference of the oil level sender), so I would think you could use the gasket on the ATW if you desired. Or use sealant of the AEB. But I can't verify.