Is a shaft seal the same as an RMS

[ivanuf]

I took my car to the dealer for a CEL but when the mechanic inspected the vehicle he also diagnosed the following items causing oil leaks:

Part # 996-107-023-54 Oil Separator (1)

Part # 996-105-223-52 Vario Cam Seals (2)

Part # 999-113-490-41 Shaft Seal (1).

The last item will be replaced under warranty since it was changed less than a year ago. Is this seal the same as a RMS failure. The charge me 21.00 usd for the seal and 850.00 usd for the labor to change it, but they warranty the parts and labor for 24months. What is this seal and is it common to last less than a year or 3,000 miles since last replaced.

My car is a 1999 CA2 with 73,000 miles. Triptronic.

By the way the CEL was for the P1123 code and was diagnosed with the following parts needing replacement:

996-606-160-01 Idle-Speed Sensor

996-606-123-00 Mass Air Flow Sensor

000-043-205-01 (2) Vacuum Hose.

Edited August 31, 2005 by ivanuf

[Loren]

Shaft seal (listed) is the RMS seal - that is not the latest part number though. The latest part number for the RMS seal is 997 101 212 00.

Their CEL fix sounds like a shotgun approach ($$$). It most likely is the MAF and the idle speed valve likely just needs cleaning (IMHO).

[ivanuf]

What is the average time frame that the RMS usually needs replacing if installed correctly and the car is not tracked.

[geza]

What is the average time frame that the RMS usually needs replacing if installed correctly and the car is not tracked.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It seems to be all over the place - although the tech section on the pca.org website has a lot of information where 20,000 miles per leak is one benchmark. It would be interesting to learn if anyone has any real stats on the "average" life.

[0586slb]

Don't judge the longevity of the seal by my car - it lasted 2000 miles.