Audi A4 1.8t coolant problem

[Bigpoppa81]

hi, my audi has developed a coolant problem- it pours water out and the fluid reservoir is emptying a lot?!

The car gets up to temp fine and stays at 90 and the internal blowers are hot and cold as you could expect. It still drives ok. I don't get any warning lights on the dash apart from the coolant light when the bottle is empty. I can fill it up and go for a drive but when I stop the underside of the car has a puddle.

I had the car at a garage and they said it looks like it's leaking from the front of the car but I'm wanting confirmation it is the water pump before I get it changed. The coolant reservoir is very pressurised when I take off the cap when the engine is warm.

I've read loads of info on this matter but I still can't be sure it's water pump as the temp is fine so I think the thermostat is ok and there is no gunk on the oil cap or white smoke so I'm ruling out the head gasket (I hope)

Is there any other way to confirm its the water pump? I've been quoted £200 to have it changed as they said it needs the front taking off? Is that right and is it a good price?

 

[Mike B]

If the pump had failed it would soon boil with hot water and steam coming out of the res overflow and of course the temp would go well over 90.Might be a leak from the pump gasket or something else but if its bad it S/b easy to trace.The system is meant to pressurise quickly .I agree that it doesn't seem a major issue but if it is the pump gasket you may as well have a new pump and if the price incl that and VAT not too bad

 

[john777w]

Doesn't a leak from the water pump cause premature cambelt failure, as the belt is driven off the pump??

 

[Bigpoppa81]

I've always had vag cars in the past and nearly all of them had wandering thermostats and you could tell by the needle not workin correctly and the blowers in the car was no working correctly and that it needed changing but this waterpump thing has me baffled. I've been checking the history of the car and it's got receipts for a cambelt change 20k ago. The car starts fine bar a light tapping noise in start up. A mechanic looked at the car and said it was a common fault with this type of engine? But the oil and pressure was fine.

Can you think of what I can do to stop this tapping? It doesn't get louder when you accelerate it etc

 

[Mike B]

You don't seem to have had much luck.We have had lots in our family and none gave any bother apart from my sons S3 which needed a new stat when he bought it a few years ago.He and his mates know the 1.8T well and would say you need to be aware of the oil pick up pipe problem.This can cause tapping on start up due to oil starvation and is common often cos they are on longlife servicing which can lead to the pipe blocking.He has dropped the sump to clean this up as have others and they change the oil frequently to stop it happening.My wife has a Bora 1.8T which has never had longlife now over 130k and no tapping so I assume that it is healthy.

 

[Mike_B]

Have you checked the coolant flange at the back of the engine? I only ask as this has been the most recent coolant related problem on mine. And yes, the leak did appear to be coming from the front of the car.

 

[hendrix1963]

I recently fixed my coolant flange as I was leaking coolant. I could smell it at traffic lights as it dripped onto the manifold. It took me a couple of hours to fix but only cost £20 for bits.

 

[dope]

I've had the flange and the water pump changed in the last 10 months. Though and still coolant leaks from the new flange a bit....

Bigpoppa: I paid around £100 for the parts and £150 labour for the waterpump and cambelt to be changed. How many miles have you got on it? Could be it's due to be done anyway.