Help - Puddle of coolant at passenger side

[hyperplus]

I am about to loose it with my car and get rid of it since I really can afford to be doing the mechanics all the time.

So now I turn the car on and get the coolant alert... pop the hood and find coolant reservoir empty! Inspecting around I see the coolant is all puddled in the passenger side. Inspecting around the turbo I don't see anything obvious, but I still have to lift the car. What else should I check tonight?

I didn't any leaks coming from thermostat housing or coolant flange at the back.. So what to check? Radiator, turbo lines, anything else? I will see if next crank I am burning white too, so it could be leaking internal to the turbo.. right? GT2871r

[CyberPMG]

Check the end cap of the radiator. They are known to crack and leak.

[seanj130]

X2 on the Radiator end tanks..

[hyperplus]

If I see too much white smoke from the muffler, pretty much is a coolant leak getting into the turbo, right?... I just rebuilt my head so I doubt is that...

[coowhip]

How recent was the rebuild? Could someone not have tightened down a coolant line properly? To the turbo perhaps...

Why did the head need rebuilt?

Puddles indicate significant leaks, so re-fill tank and start the car. When it starts to cycle you should be able to see where its coming from. How much white smoke?

[hyperplus]

Thanks coowhip. I guess I am more nervous / irritated than actually thinking. Being at work with not much time to really look at the car has me frustrated.. Ok, vent done!

So I rebuild it like 1.5 month ago. The original problem was my AMB cracked and all the coolant leaked from the head to the turbo. When I disconnected the exhaust manifold, I saw the turbo flooded and the manifold all wet. After the rebuild, the car has been running good and really all I had is the DTC: "Too rich (Add) / Too Lean (Mult)" which I think comes from having a vacuum leak. I have not driven the car hard and only cruise, but I do about 80miles daily.

About 2 weeks ago I started seeing a small dripping in the garage, but on the driver side. I think it was coolant as I saw the resorviour a little lower than what I expected so I fill it up. My plan was to fix all this little things over the holidays.....

Today I remember seeing quite a bit of white smoke coming from my exhaust in the morning. I thought it was the cold and normal, so I drive to work. When I turn on my car again is when I got the light for coolant and pop the hood to find the resorviour empty! I didn't feel anything wet from touching the hose from the resorvior down to the temp sensor in the bottom. Nothing wet in the thermostat housing. Coolant flange looks ok and nothing we on the top of the transmission.

Looking around I see the puddle on the passenger side. Need to determine where it dripped from. I will lift the car tonight and inspect. I am trying to figure out what to check.

So far I guess the plan is lift and turn the car on and check for obvious dripping.

Worst case, let's say is dripping in the GT2871r turbo (4 years old - and hard driven)... that's should be dripping outside unless is a seal or the hose it self.. right?

Oh.. I remember I should check the hose the crosses across the engines front. I will be back and check if level has changed after I refilled the resorviour. Good think I have a complete kit in the trunk to refill and fix the car.

UPDATE:
I don't see the resorviour has gone down since I filled it 4hrs ago. The puddle formed from the point I parked the car in only 1.5hrs.

[CyberPMG]

I've been tracing tiny coolant leaks myself.. not from a rebuild, but from replacing the entire engine. I would suggest checking the coolant hose that goes in front of the engine. It also connects to the turbo. It's likely that the clamps aren't tight enough or may have slipped off if they are too close to the ends.

I'm actually planning on replacing that very same hose as it's looking rather worn on one side. I would check the end tanks on the radiator and the clamps on the coolant lines.

[hyperplus]

Thanks, I will check those and update tomorrow.

[hyperplus]

Quick question.. why when I turn off the car after driving (~40miles) the motor sounds like boiling water like in the cylinder area?

The coolant driving over went down just some, but noticeable.

[old guy]

Quick question.. why when I turn off the car after driving (~40miles) the motor sounds like boiling water like in the cylinder area?

The coolant driving over went down just some, but noticeable.

Unfortunately that doesn't sound good at all. Strong possibility of a head gasket leak or cracked head.

[hyperplus]

- That's the kind of sound I had when my original cracked.... I hope not! .
- Head gasket is new like 2 month old and I made sure it was put well.

I just found my muffler like it was sprayed in pink! I am trying to determine the source... but I see coolant scatter all over. Lots around the transmission mount and some in the line the goes from the back of the engine and under the exhaust manifold. Not sure what that one is for. I don't see any on top of the transmission coming from the coolant flange.

[hyperplus]

I am a little puzzled.. the leak seems to hit in the passenger side of the transmission and drip down..... But I really don't feel anything wet in the coolant flange nor the hose. No actual pink spot below it neither. Only on the side toward the exhaust manifold.... I haven't determine yet what is the issue.

Adding a stupid thing I found; The green sensor plug that connects under the Intake Manifold was disconnected. That the N112.

Currently reading what I messed:
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...the-N112-valve

Oh.. and about my setup.. My SAI pump is electrically disconnected, and the hose connection from the N112 to the Combi Valve is plugged

[coowhip]

I understood the bubbling sound as if air was getting into the system. Hence a leak obviously. After you drive it a little ways and its nice and warm, you must open the hood and check things out while it'c cycling. Have to inspect every part of the cooling system, not just the passenger side where the leak is showing up. It could be running down another part.

[hyperplus]

Cycling? Meaning inspect while running?...

I know that when I filled the coolant after the rebuild, I had the cap the runs above the manifold open plus the reservoir. After "filled" I started the car and let the current amount drain... At some point coolant comes out of the upper cap and I closed it. Then top off the reservoir. The car has run like for two months with no coolant issues.

There is pink splatter around the transmission passenger side, and all downward. I am impress about my pink muffler.. is all the coolant dried in the muffler. What is strange, there is no coolant on top/center of the transmission. I tried looking at the flange with a mirror, but no obvious pink around there.

About the head gasket, I don't see anything terrible. I only see some oil from the bolt/line that goes from the engine to the turbo.

So where can coolant be coming from? The turbo lines looked clean.

[coowhip]

cycling meaning inspecting while fans are running.

Did you actually bleed the oxygen using the little nozzle along the right side of the valve cover on top? You turn it enough to where a little liquid comes out. If it's bubbling then you have oxygen, leave open until no more bubbling is present.

While the car is running, and fans are cycled on, you need to inspect every crevice of the cooling system/radiator. If no leaks are present on the outside, then like OG said, you have problems again on the inside. Head gaskets leak internally and get pushed through the oil and exhaust. Hence the white smoke.

[hyperplus]

Ok. I will re-inspect tonight.

About bleeding.... I saw it squirt at the begin through the hole until the stream flowed steady. With the car running still, I tight the cap.

[walky_talky20]

Pressure check the cooling system at 20psi. You will find your leak.

[hyperplus]

Is there a DIY link? I only see references to the VAG tool and hand pump. I guess I have to get creative. Also I read the testing should be ~14psi.

About leaking inside through the head gasket, I am not discarding issues there but because I see spots running through the transmission and from the flex pipe through the muffler is all pink... I am believing / wishing for an external leak. Also when I checked the oil, is as expected level and color. The only part that surprises me is the breather tri-way hose to the PCV. The hose had a more thicker "milky" oil inside. From reading it seems normal due to high cold and humidity that we are having lately. I didn't see any of this in the oil cap at the valve cover.

Important question... Is it really a bad idea to run normal coolant from Advance Auto Part for a couple of days while I get a chance to go to Audi and buy theirs?

[walky_talky20]

I use a test kit that looks like this:



As for a DIY, it's pretty simple. You just put the adapter in place of the tank cap, and "pump it up" (Note: must be said in Arnold Schwarzenegger voice for this to work). Here is a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp4gvyc8ZSg

And you are correct, if you can find the leak at a lower pressure, then that is ideal. But everything will hold 20 psi just fine, should the leak be difficult to find.

[coowhip]

I think unless it's an emergency, never mix coolants. The G12 does not react well to outside additives, or it's not good for the coolant or car (can't remember which, just is bad in general). If you do that, you will want to do a full flush and fill.

[hyperplus]

I had to do that in my initial issue before the head cracked.. The coolant was getting wasted to 1 reservour a day so I had to use generic coolant from Adv Auto.

Hopefully they sell a kit like that there... My area is very weak in automoble... I even have to build things up from Home Depot to survive.

[hyperplus]

Quick update, coolant flange is the culpit. WTF, this one had 1k miles only.......

Is there a "gasket" for this pos? Or some better upgrade than OEM? I have an AEB head if it matters vs AMB.

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2

[themadscientist]

Pressure check the cooling system at 20psi. You will find your leak.

Exactly this.

The boiling sound can also simply mean you have a leak, and the coolant is boiling because of that. Not enough head pressure on the system, means lower boiling point.

[themadscientist]

Quick update, coolant flange is the culpit. WTF, this one had 1k miles only.......

Is there a "gasket" for this pos? Or some better upgrade than OEM? I have an AEB head if it matters vs AMB.

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Tapatalk 2

Use a fresh O-ring, and more importantly, torque it exactly to spec. If it's leaking that shortly after install, it was probably tightened down too much and deformed.

[hyperplus]

thermadscientist, this quote really worries me....

The boiling sound can also simply mean you have a leak, and the coolant is boiling because of that. Not enough head pressure on the system, means lower boiling point.

I guess if I replace the flange and coolant stays "on mark" at the reservoir.. at least I can believe is not leaking internally.

Vent section:
I don't know how much I can keep playing mechanic or just move on to another car. It really sucks that here in Milwaukee I don't find good Audi mechanics near me and makes living with the car such a pain!! I always end up doing all!!! Even I call the dealer for a coolant flange estimate, and they couldn't help me because the head isn't the OEM one. WTF!!! Couldn't they say, "Part division can help you, let me transfer you", instead of "well, we need to have you bring the car in for the tech to see the head at a $100 charge". I am like WTF! I am telling you I know what I need and what it is....

[viTamin b6]

Use a fresh O-ring, and more importantly, torque it exactly to spec. If it's leaking that shortly after install, it was probably tightened down too much and deformed.

Unfortunately this happened to me :banghead:. But all is well now. Torque specs are a must on this job because 2 times in 1 week is not fun.

[hyperplus]

Anyone knows the torque? I try a couple of DIY... I think is 10Nm?

[hyperplus]

HELP! My mechanic friend told me there are 2 parts for the AEB coolant flange. I thought that even the AMB and AEB coolant flange where the same.

Can someone shine some info or links?


UPDATE: Answering myself...
So because I have an AMB system (A4 B6 '04 late), I need an AMB coolant flange. The others will not work.

AMB


AWM


AEB/ATW

[old guy]

Anyone knows the torque? I try a couple of DIY... I think is 10Nm?

The torque spec really isn't that big of a deal. Take a look at the flange. There are metal inserts where the bolts go through the flange. The inserts control how tight you can pull up on the flange. After the bolt bottoms out on the flange any additional tightening will have no affect on the seal as long as you do not strip out the bolt. The key point to remember is to tighten the bolts EVENLY on the flange. First run them both up finger tight. Then alternate tightening each bolt further by no more than ¼ turn per side.

Done.

[hyperplus]

Thanks OG!