Increase in oil leak/IMS sign?
 

Good afternoon, I have a 01 S with 41K and have had what I call an oil seepage issue for the last year. It has been only enough to create an occasional drip. After a 500mi trip I noticed that the seepage has become a leak, creating a stain about 3" in diameter overnight. This week I will have it on the hoist to investigate. I presume that it is time to do the RMS/IMS/Clutch operation? My clutch is functioning just fine. Any thoughts about the correlation of the increase in oil leak and possible IMS bearing issues? Thanks for looking.

Oil leaks never heal, they only get worse. I would be concerned about getting a 3" puddle under the car as the RMS is above the oil level in the sump when the engine is not running, but the IMS is below the oil level. Even though your clutch is working fine, considering that most of the cost of doing the RMS and IMS is labor, I would replace the clutch (which may also have oil on it as well), along with the throw out bearing and pilot bearing. Be sure to test your dual mass flywheel for twist while it is apart, oil can kill the elastomer pretty quickly.

I first checked the filter and found it to be very free of metal of any kind. I decided to bite the bullet and deal with the leak now. After interviewing a dozen possible indies, I decided to go with Euro Autowerks of Rockford, MI. I ended up replacing the IMS, RMS, Clutch and Flywheel. The clutch and flywheel were not as pristine as I thought, as it has a much improved feel. Thanks for the prompt and sage advise. This forum has been very valuable to me in my purchase decision and first year of ownership.