2002 A4 1.8T Coolant Level Low

Hello everyone. It's me again, with yet another problem with my least
favorite car of all time!

My coolant level light went on the dash this morning. I had driven
the engine hot, so I brought it home and checked the level. When hot,
the level was two or three inches below the "min" line.

So I got out some engine coolant (the red stuff) mixed it 1:1 with
water, and added it in. However, when I opened up the engine coolant
compartment, the liquid must have still been pretty warm, so it kind
of boiled and bubbled a bit. As the air seeped in and the screw top
came off, the level rose back up to the exact right level.

Not sure what to do at this point, so I waited for the car to cool
completely. Once I did, the level dropped back down again, but not
all the way to where it was when I first checked it. Maybe just an
inch or two below the "min" line.

At this point, I added in my coolant mix up to the proper fill line
and re-capped the tank. I haven't driven it since.

There are no leaks coming through to the ground, although it does seem
like there is a bit of liquid collecting underneath the passenger side
of the radiator compartment -- not in front of the radiator, but on
the engine side of the radiator.

So what's the prognosis? I know I should take it in, but I have to
get to the airport tomorrow morning. I'm hoping the top off holds for
a bit and will be fine in long-term parking for 6 days.

By the way, this is a 2002 A4 1.8T with about 44,000 miles on it. It
has been in the shop (in just the last six months) for the following:

New thermostat, two vacuum hoses, air-conditioner that wouldn't blow
cold air, and all the regular maintenance. And, of course, the car
has also developed the clunking noise under the driver side wheel that
I am talking about in another thread. This should not be happening to
a car that is under 50,000 miles.

Anyone in the market for a used car?

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hello everyone. It's me again, with yet another problem with my least
> favorite car of all time!
>
> My coolant level light went on the dash this morning. I had driven
> the engine hot, so I brought it home and checked the level. When hot,
> the level was two or three inches below the "min" line.
>
> So I got out some engine coolant (the red stuff) mixed it 1:1 with
> water, and added it in. However, when I opened up the engine coolant
> compartment, the liquid must have still been pretty warm, so it kind
> of boiled and bubbled a bit. As the air seeped in and the screw top
> came off, the level rose back up to the exact right level.
>
> Not sure what to do at this point, so I waited for the car to cool
> completely. Once I did, the level dropped back down again, but not
> all the way to where it was when I first checked it. Maybe just an
> inch or two below the "min" line.
>
> At this point, I added in my coolant mix up to the proper fill line
> and re-capped the tank. I haven't driven it since.
>
> There are no leaks coming through to the ground, although it does seem
> like there is a bit of liquid collecting underneath the passenger side
> of the radiator compartment -- not in front of the radiator, but on
> the engine side of the radiator.
>
> So what's the prognosis? I know I should take it in, but I have to
> get to the airport tomorrow morning. I'm hoping the top off holds for
> a bit and will be fine in long-term parking for 6 days.

If there's a slow leak, it will be less pronounced when the car is not
running. Just check when you return to make sure there's not a large pink
puddle under your car. There are severalpossibilities for the source:
cracked coolant recovery tank ( the thing you opened up to add coolant),
leaking radiator (I had to replace mine at 65K miles for about $700),
leaking hose, leaking heater core (but then you'd likely smell coolant in
the passenger cabin), leaking temperature sender, cracked engine block (but
then you'd be seeing some whitish smoke out the tailpipe.)

> By the way, this is a 2002 A4 1.8T with about 44,000 miles on it. It
> has been in the shop (in just the last six months) for the following:
>
> New thermostat, two vacuum hoses, air-conditioner that wouldn't blow
> cold air, and all the regular maintenance. And, of course, the car
> has also developed the clunking noise under the driver side wheel that
> I am talking about in another thread. This should not be happening to
> a car that is under 50,000 miles.
>
> Anyone in the market for a used car?
>
I know some of the responses to your woes have been a tad defensive but I am
one who agrees with you on the reliability of that vintage of A4 (I have a
98.) Somone earlier lauded the sophisticated Audi engineering but as an
engineer myself who has worked in the automotive industry, I can assure you
that "sophisticated engineering" requires attention to longevity of
components and the overall system and that's something that VW/Audi has
taken a long time to learn if it yet has. Hyundais OTOH were pretty crappy
when they first arrived on our shores but the improvement in those cars has
been nothing short of amazing.

iws knastet inn: :
> > wrote in message
> oups.com...

>> There are no leaks coming through to the ground, although it does seem
>> like there is a bit of liquid collecting underneath the passenger side
>> of the radiator compartment -- not in front of the radiator, but on
>> the engine side of the radiator.
>>

> If there's a slow leak, it will be less pronounced when the car is not
> running. Just check when you return to make sure there's not a large pink
> puddle under your car. There are severalpossibilities for the source:
> cracked coolant recovery tank ( the thing you opened up to add coolant),
> leaking radiator (I had to replace mine at 65K miles for about $700),
> leaking hose, leaking heater core (but then you'd likely smell coolant in
> the passenger cabin), leaking temperature sender, cracked engine block (but
> then you'd be seeing some whitish smoke out the tailpipe.)


With good [high] pressure in the coolant system, it's not too much
to worry about. You got it with the new thermostat ... higher
temp, higher pressure.

Sounds more like a small leak around the water pump axle, may happen
when it's time to change the pump. I drove mine for several months
since it started leaking... Until it was time to change timing belt,
then - I replaced both timing belt and water pump.

Could it be that coolant pipe on the rear of the cylinder head?
Look at the oil cooler sometimes those hoses leak.
That is IF you have a leak. Usually you will see some red cruddy looking
coolant residue at the leak.

Maybe the thermostat has the leak. Why was that changed?
--
later,
dave
(One out of many daves)

"iws" > wrote in message
...
>> Hello everyone. It's me again, with yet another problem with my least
>> favorite car of all time!
>>
>> My coolant level light went on the dash this morning. I had driven
>> the engine hot, so I brought it home and checked the level. When hot,
>> the level was two or three inches below the "min" line.
>>
>> So I got out some engine coolant (the red stuff) mixed it 1:1 with
>> water, and added it in. However, when I opened up the engine coolant
>> compartment, the liquid must have still been pretty warm, so it kind
>> of boiled and bubbled a bit. As the air seeped in and the screw top
>> came off, the level rose back up to the exact right level.
>>
>> Not sure what to do at this point, so I waited for the car to cool
>> completely. Once I did, the level dropped back down again, but not
>> all the way to where it was when I first checked it. Maybe just an
>> inch or two below the "min" line.
>>
>> At this point, I added in my coolant mix up to the proper fill line
>> and re-capped the tank. I haven't driven it since.
>>
>> There are no leaks coming through to the ground, although it does seem
>> like there is a bit of liquid collecting underneath the passenger side
>> of the radiator compartment -- not in front of the radiator, but on
>> the engine side of the radiator.
>>
>> So what's the prognosis? I know I should take it in, but I have to
>> get to the airport tomorrow morning. I'm hoping the top off holds for
>> a bit and will be fine in long-term parking for 6 days.
>
> If there's a slow leak, it will be less pronounced when the car is not
> running. Just check when you return to make sure there's not a large pink
> puddle under your car. There are severalpossibilities for the source:
> cracked coolant recovery tank ( the thing you opened up to add coolant),
> leaking radiator (I had to replace mine at 65K miles for about $700),
> leaking hose, leaking heater core (but then you'd likely smell coolant in
> the passenger cabin), leaking temperature sender, cracked engine block
> (but then you'd be seeing some whitish smoke out the tailpipe.)
>
>> By the way, this is a 2002 A4 1.8T with about 44,000 miles on it. It
>> has been in the shop (in just the last six months) for the following:
>>
>> New thermostat, two vacuum hoses, air-conditioner that wouldn't blow
>> cold air, and all the regular maintenance. And, of course, the car
>> has also developed the clunking noise under the driver side wheel that
>> I am talking about in another thread. This should not be happening to
>> a car that is under 50,000 miles.
>>
>> Anyone in the market for a used car?
>>
> I know some of the responses to your woes have been a tad defensive but I
> am one who agrees with you on the reliability of that vintage of A4 (I
> have a 98.) Somone earlier lauded the sophisticated Audi engineering but
> as an engineer myself who has worked in the automotive industry, I can
> assure you that "sophisticated engineering" requires attention to
> longevity of components and the overall system and that's something that
> VW/Audi has taken a long time to learn if it yet has. Hyundais OTOH were
> pretty crappy when they first arrived on our shores but the improvement in
> those cars has been nothing short of amazing.
>

On Jul 23, 9:15 pm, "dave AKA vwdoc1" > wrote:
> Could it be that coolant pipe on the rear of the cylinder head?
> Look at the oil cooler sometimes those hoses leak.
> That is IF you have a leak. Usually you will see some red cruddy looking
> coolant residue at the leak.
>
> Maybe the thermostat has the leak. Why was that changed?
> --
> later,
> dave
> (One out of many daves)
>
> "iws" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> >> Hello everyone. It's me again, with yet another problem with my least
> >> favorite car of all time!
>
> >> My coolant level light went on the dash this morning. I had driven
> >> the engine hot, so I brought it home and checked the level. When hot,
> >> the level was two or three inches below the "min" line.
>
> >> So I got out some engine coolant (the red stuff) mixed it 1:1 with
> >> water, and added it in. However, when I opened up the engine coolant
> >> compartment, the liquid must have still been pretty warm, so it kind
> >> of boiled and bubbled a bit. As the air seeped in and the screw top
> >> came off, the level rose back up to the exact right level.
>
> >> Not sure what to do at this point, so I waited for the car to cool
> >> completely. Once I did, the level dropped back down again, but not
> >> all the way to where it was when I first checked it. Maybe just an
> >> inch or two below the "min" line.
>
> >> At this point, I added in my coolant mix up to the proper fill line
> >> and re-capped the tank. I haven't driven it since.
>
> >> There are no leaks coming through to the ground, although it does seem
> >> like there is a bit of liquid collecting underneath the passenger side
> >> of the radiator compartment -- not in front of the radiator, but on
> >> the engine side of the radiator.
>
> >> So what's the prognosis? I know I should take it in, but I have to
> >> get to the airport tomorrow morning. I'm hoping the top off holds for
> >> a bit and will be fine in long-term parking for 6 days.
>
> > If there's a slow leak, it will be less pronounced when the car is not
> > running. Just check when you return to make sure there's not a large pink
> > puddle under your car. There are severalpossibilities for the source:
> > cracked coolant recovery tank ( the thing you opened up to add coolant),
> > leaking radiator (I had to replace mine at 65K miles for about $700),
> > leaking hose, leaking heater core (but then you'd likely smell coolant in
> > the passenger cabin), leaking temperature sender, cracked engine block
> > (but then you'd be seeing some whitish smoke out the tailpipe.)
>
> >> By the way, this is a 2002 A4 1.8T with about 44,000 miles on it. It
> >> has been in the shop (in just the last six months) for the following:
>
> >> New thermostat, two vacuum hoses, air-conditioner that wouldn't blow
> >> cold air, and all the regular maintenance. And, of course, the car
> >> has also developed the clunking noise under the driver side wheel that
> >> I am talking about in another thread. This should not be happening to
> >> a car that is under 50,000 miles.
>
> >> Anyone in the market for a used car?
>
> > I know some of the responses to your woes have been a tad defensive but I
> > am one who agrees with you on the reliability of that vintage of A4 (I
> > have a 98.) Somone earlier lauded the sophisticated Audi engineering but
> > as an engineer myself who has worked in the automotive industry, I can
> > assure you that "sophisticated engineering" requires attention to
> > longevity of components and the overall system and that's something that
> > VW/Audi has taken a long time to learn if it yet has. Hyundais OTOH were
> > pretty crappy when they first arrived on our shores but the improvement in
> > those cars has been nothing short of amazing.

the thermostat was changed out because of a faulty switch, or some
sort of electrical part. i don't think it was related to the plumbing
of that part.

so who wants to put odds on what will go wrong next on my audi of
doom? my money is on the control arms! i'll take bets at 50-1 that
the cd player starts shooting discs at me when i put the car in
reverse.

On Jul 23, 7:27 am, "iws" > wrote:
> > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
>
>
> > Hello everyone. It's me again, with yet another problem with my least
> > favorite car of all time!
>
> > My coolant level light went on the dash this morning. I had driven
> > the engine hot, so I brought it home and checked the level. When hot,
> > the level was two or three inches below the "min" line.
>
> > So I got out some engine coolant (the red stuff) mixed it 1:1 with
> > water, and added it in. However, when I opened up the engine coolant
> > compartment, the liquid must have still been pretty warm, so it kind
> > of boiled and bubbled a bit. As the air seeped in and the screw top
> > came off, the level rose back up to the exact right level.
>
> > Not sure what to do at this point, so I waited for the car to cool
> > completely. Once I did, the level dropped back down again, but not
> > all the way to where it was when I first checked it. Maybe just an
> > inch or two below the "min" line.
>
> > At this point, I added in my coolant mix up to the proper fill line
> > and re-capped the tank. I haven't driven it since.
>
> > There are no leaks coming through to the ground, although it does seem
> > like there is a bit of liquid collecting underneath the passenger side
> > of the radiator compartment -- not in front of the radiator, but on
> > the engine side of the radiator.
>
> > So what's the prognosis? I know I should take it in, but I have to
> > get to the airport tomorrow morning. I'm hoping the top off holds for
> > a bit and will be fine in long-term parking for 6 days.
>
> If there's a slow leak, it will be less pronounced when the car is not
> running. Just check when you return to make sure there's not a large pink
> puddle under your car. There are severalpossibilities for the source:
> cracked coolant recovery tank ( the thing you opened up to add coolant),
> leaking radiator (I had to replace mine at 65K miles for about $700),
> leaking hose, leaking heater core (but then you'd likely smell coolant in
> the passenger cabin), leaking temperature sender, cracked engine block (but
> then you'd be seeing some whitish smoke out the tailpipe.)
>
> > By the way, this is a 2002 A4 1.8T with about 44,000 miles on it. It
> > has been in the shop (in just the last six months) for the following:
>
> > New thermostat, two vacuum hoses, air-conditioner that wouldn't blow
> > cold air, and all the regular maintenance. And, of course, the car
> > has also developed the clunking noise under the driver side wheel that
> > I am talking about in another thread. This should not be happening to
> > a car that is under 50,000 miles.
>
> > Anyone in the market for a used car?
>
> I know some of the responses to your woes have been a tad defensive but I am
> one who agrees with you on the reliability of that vintage of A4 (I have a
> 98.) Somone earlier lauded the sophisticated Audi engineering but as an
> engineer myself who has worked in the automotive industry, I can assure you
> that "sophisticated engineering" requires attention to longevity of
> components and the overall system and that's something that VW/Audi has
> taken a long time to learn if it yet has. Hyundais OTOH were pretty crappy
> when they first arrived on our shores but the improvement in those cars has
> been nothing short of amazing.

i appreciate your thoughts. i'm just embarrassed more than anything
for owning this car. i'd trade it in today, but it has dropped in
resale so quickly that i'd lose about $5,000. but $5,000 is about
what my repair bill has been over the last year of ownership, and who
knows if it will be $5,000 again for the next year, or maybe more...

my mechanics know me by name. that shouldn't happen on a car with 44k
on it. ti know they're laughing behind my back every time i bring the
car in. 'what a dupe. who buys a clunker like this...'

anyway, thanks for the moral support. i know the car has gotten under
my skin, so i vent here. and maybe i fixate too much, but the other
night i did have a nightmare in which my dashboard lit up like a
christmas tree with dozens of bleeps, dings, lights, and flashing
warnings. you know your car is screwed up when you wake up in a cold
sweat worried about your "check engine light".

I had the same experience as you and Frank.

I have a 2002 1.8 A4 with about 95K and noticed a coolant leak problem
a few months ago. As it turns out, the leak was just a gasket but
after a little research I found out that it's a good idea to have the
timing belt and water pump replaced around 90K so ended up paying
around $1200 to get everything fixed.

If you think your mechanic is laughing behind your back, you might
need a new mechanic!

Paul Johnson knastet inn: :

> If you think your mechanic is laughing behind your back, you might
> need a new mechanic!


Audi & BMW mechanics are often seen laughing, all day long ;-)