Please read/help, my poor broken S3

[Splab333]

Hey all, i think im in trouble

My '51 AMK s3 has been stuttering for a while now, when it comes on boost and a bit rough on start up, i was thinking along the lines of an electrical misfire although i have had a small suspision in the back of my head for a while about something a little worse than a new set of plugs...................

I have noticed the exhaust seems to steam a little bit more than before and for longer after a cold start, then a week or 2 ago, i drove about 30 meters from a cold start and i got a red DIS symbol and 3 chimes for coolant. I stopped immediately and popped the bonnet, i had lost coolant from the expansion tank, i filled it up again and drove off, everything seemed fine (except the usual stutter). I decided to get a new set of plugs to try and cure the missfire but when i took the plug out of Cylinder 1 it was soaked, totally covered in water/antifreeze, the rest looked in perfect condition.

To me, this is seeming like a head gasket gone and after writing it, it now seems more obvious. Is there anything else i can check for the gasket?
It hasnt overheated or anything but i have stopped driving now because i lost coolant again, topped it up to pick my girlfriend up from the train station and on the way back, would only run on 3 cylinders.

I have looked for some info on changing the gasket, can anyone point me in the right direction? I have changed a good few head gaskets etc but never on a 1.8T, is there anything i need to know about sequences etc??? Like what order to do things? Also im thinking it will be wise to fit a new cam belt set and water pump.

And, do you know the most suprising thing...... the autoparts places i rang were very in decisive and gave me some extreme qutoes for gaskets without bolts etc BUT my local audi dealer (truro) were so helpfull, the parts bloke really took time to advise me on a few things and the prices for gaskets were around the same if not better and the cam belt set from audi was the cheapest out of all of them.

Does anyone know if any companies can beat £108 for a gasket set including bolts, £88.13 for the cam belt kit and £33.59 for a waterpump?
All genuine parts.

Sorry for the long muddled thread, i think mainly im after some good info/instructions for changing the gasket. Many thanks for everyones time

James

 

[PUP]

James
I dunno about prices of spares, but if you decide not to do the work yourself, I know an independent garage in Redruth, not too far from Truro. The guy used to be the service manager at audi dealer in truro

 

[markyp2002]

Head gaskets on the 1.8T ive heard can be a bit of a pig to do, not sure why, never got round to asking that.

If there is water in the chamber, its most definitely the head gasket and definitely the cause of your car only running on 3 cylinders and stuttering (to be honest im surprised its running on any at all!)

If i were you, id leave it up on your drive and not move it because if too much water managed to get into those chambers, and you tried to start it at some point, you could very well do a lot more damage (crank shaft, pistons, camshaft etc); trust me, i found out the hard way on an old mk3 fiesta

 

[cjhill]

if your going to be doing lots of work yourself it would be a good idea to get a copy of elsawin, the computer workshop manual that audi dealers use...

has instructions on how to everything.

Usually availble from ebay, about £5.

It has saved my bacon many times.

 

[Splab333]

Ive just installed elsawin!! Looks REALLY helpful and gave me a lot more confidence in doing the job, now i just need the money for the rediculously priced parts!!
Its actually running way better now too though, when i was inspecting things, i found that 1 coilpack had popped out, and another had lifted a bit, thus causing the permanent miss, i pushed them back and its is running so well, i guess when there is poor contact it still runs ok but not to full power. On the other hand tho, like you say markyp, there is still a bit of water in the cylinder when i cold start it so it misses for a few seconds while it clears but i will be stupid to drive it again and risk trying to compress water! is this hydrolocking an engine? im not sure on the jargon! Many thanks for the input, i know i have to change it very soon but damn the cost of parts!

PUP do you live in cornwall? a fellow s3 owner?!?!

Thanks, james

 

[S3 Wannabe]

Great to hear from fellow s3 drivers in cornwall! -A meet in future perhaps?????

 

[Splab333]

indeed! what area are you from? Theres a few others Near helston, one of the vw parts boys has one and there is a yellow one lives between helston and redruth. Aaaaaaand a miserable git in a ming blue s3 like mine who i used to pass in helston about 7 30 most mornings who never once looked in my genearl direction lol!

 

[PUP]

James,
Ive got an A3 TDi 110 sport on a W plate
(the wife says its hers, but she only pays for it!!)

Im in Camborne

 

[Splab333]

James,
Ive got an A3 TDi 110 sport on a W plate
(the wife says its hers, but she only pays for it!!)

Im in Camborne

Diesel

Haha, have you been to RK engineering for a re map yet? I hear it makes a huge difference on the diesel engines:weight_lift2:

 

[S3 Wannabe]

indeed! what area are you from? Theres a few others Near helston, one of the vw parts boys has one and there is a yellow one lives between helston and redruth. Aaaaaaand a miserable git in a ming blue s3 like mine who i used to pass in helston about 7 30 most mornings who never once looked in my genearl direction lol!

grampound road mate. however I seem to spend so much time in the car with work and footie, -I can be seen all over mid to west cornwall!
there's a black one in the village quite often, and a another noggie blue I've seen few times in and around truro. always nice to see other s3's, but not to often though -helps to keep that exclusivity!!!

 

[PUP]

Diesel

Haha, have you been to RK engineering for a re map yet? I hear it makes a huge difference on the diesel engines:weight_lift2:

Nah, My days of fekin about like that are long gone.....