Burning oil and oil on engine bay

[LlamaswithTophats]

Hello, been having issues with car burning oil and am noticing oil residue on the engine head, just wondering if this could be the cause of the loss of oil?

Also wondering what I should replace to fix this issue? I’ve heard threads saying that it might be the upper timing cover gasket, but it looks dry, thanks for the help!

Motor has a little less than 70,000 miles on it

 

[BudgetPhoenix]

Could be upper timing gasket, it may not look like its leaking but overtime it will start to pool up on top of the cam cover like that. Also looks like the cam cover sealant is weeping too. These problems can be made worse from a dying PCV which is causing excessive crankcase pressure and oil consumption. Have you ever replaced it?

 

[fsures]

I'd go with the PCV valve going out and pressuring the system.

 

[aregister]

I have 110k on mine and the cam cover sealant was nonexistent. I would start with replacing the upper timing cover and gasket, it looks warped, and then chase after the PCV, only because that is the cheaper option. Your PCV hoses don't look terrible but if you haven't done it yet, I would just upgrade to the new PCV revision here: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/audi-vw-pcv-valve-06h103495ae
it requires the crank seal too, but that's only 4 bucks plus the 8 dollar bolt for the crank pulley. Only after I did those would I tackle the cam cover sealant based on your mileage.

 

[BudgetPhoenix]

I'd do the opposite tbh. The PVC is practically a maintenance item on these engines the longer you you risk blowing out your rear main and other seals when it inevitably starts to fail. Replace OEM PCV, then spray degreaser all over the engine and wash it down. Monitor your oil consumption and see what gaskets start to leak if any.