PCV, thermostat and water pump replacement

[jomama229]

looking for some advice here - has anyone replaced any or all 3? i'm at about 95k miles with all original parts. i've gotten an MIL 2 or 3 times in the last 12-18 months and my mechanic believes my pcv/oil separator may be the issue. in between my previous 2 oil changes, i did have to add a quart of oil (first time ever), so i'm guessing he's right about the pcv.

since the s/c has to come off for the pcv fix, i figure i may as well get the thermostat and water pump replaced as well. from what i've read, it appears that the thermostat is a more invasive job than the pcv, but according to my mechanic, whether i do the pcv or thermostat, replacing the other part is no additional work/labor. the water pump also looks like a pain to replace, but he said that it's not, and that i can put off replacing it until it fails if i want since it's not that big a job.

he's a legit/knowledgeable audi mechanic, so i'm wondering if he's confusing my 3.0t with the 2.0t possibly? regardless, i'm going to get all 3 done and wanted to know what other parts, while they're in there, to also have replaced. i'm thinking the breather tubes for the pcv and the serpentine belt should be replaced, but other than that, anything else i should consider?

a part of me wants to pull the trigger on a stage 2 tune since swapping out the pulley would take them no time, but the other part of me is trying to be a responsible dad and not drive like a maniac with my 1yo in tow.

thanks in advance for any advice!

[KillerQuattro]

PCV and T-stat both require having the S/C off. However, the water pump can be done separately. I would address the PCV and t-stat now, since you have experienced some issues. In my case 6 months ago, I had the exact same thought when I could smell coolant when I got home from work. I really thought the pcv and t-stat would be good to do at the same time, but it was not required, and I'm glad I only addressed what I needed to at that time. Pulling the S/C for the PCV and T-stat was going to be 5 hours labor, plus the labor for the water pump and all parts, it is not a cheap service..

The stage 2 consideration is all yours at that point, depending on what you have opted to do, and how much your wallet has left after all that.

Good luck!

[SQive]

While the supercharger is off, replace the pulley and have it ported.
I mean. . .might as well, right? You've already got it off.

[jomama229]

PCV and T-stat both require having the S/C off. However, the water pump can be done separately. I would address the PCV and t-stat now, since you have experienced some issues. In my case 6 months ago, I had the exact same thought when I could smell coolant when I got home from work. I really thought the pcv and t-stat would be good to do at the same time, but it was not required, and I'm glad I only addressed what I needed to at that time. Pulling the S/C for the PCV and T-stat was going to be 5 hours labor, plus the labor for the water pump and all parts, it is not a cheap service..

thanks for that info, KillerQuattro! so did you replace anything else other than the parts themselves? i hear the breather tube should be replaced...can't think of anything else other than that if i'm just doing the pcv and tstat. i don't think the serpentine belt needs to come off for that either.

as for stage 2, it's not really that much more money. $449 to upgrade from stage 1 to stage 2 with EPL's current sale, and no additional labor. i've gone back and forth with chris on so many different iterations of tcu/ecu tune, ad nauseam, and have always concluded that "i just don't NEED it!" i'm trying to stay strong and keep it that way, haha!

While the supercharger is off, replace the pulley and have it ported.
I mean. . .might as well, right? You've already got it off.

that thought has crossed my mind, haha! another thought that has crossed my mind is to not fix anything and trade this thing in for a Q7 or RR sport!

[bajan01]

I recently had the water pump on my SQ5 replaced at about 54k miles. It was leaking about a quart of coolant every 2 days. You could say that the timing was perfect as I had a ported sc being done by Evan Doel and as the sc was off the water pump, thermostat and pcv were replaced. Thermostat and pcv weren’t showing any signs of failure but I decided to replace those as the sc was off.

[bajan01]

..

[jomama229]

I recently had the water pump on my SQ5 replaced at about 54k miles. It was leaking about a quart of coolant every 2 days. You could say that the timing was perfect as I had a ported sc being done by Evan Doel and as the sc was off the water pump, thermostat and pcv were replaced. Thermostat and pcv weren’t showing any signs of failure but I decided to replace those as the sc was off.

i want to say that i occasionally smell coolant, particularly when it's cold outside and the heater is blowing inside the car. assuming there's a leak somewhere, would it be from the water pump or tstat, or could it be either one?

i really don't want these occasional fixes to become motivation to shop for a new car!

[KillerQuattro]

i really don't want these occasional fixes to become motivation to shop for a new car!

Fwiw, I dont think that will be the case. The known failure points on this engine is just about what you have in scope right now, plus the crank pulley failures.. Speaking of, if you havent done the crank pulley, that may be your optimal option for stage 2 anyway, instead of the S/C pulley. 2 birds with 1 stone..

Otherwise, there isnt a ton of other things that will leave you broke or stranded that is well documented to happen consistently. Since they are somewhat independent jobs, maybe tackle the t-stat and pcv now, and see if that fixes your coolant smell from time to time. If not, move on to the water pump next. The water pump will need to be replaced no matter what at some point so plan for it now or later.

[mkasperzak]

I was at BW Performance yesterday getting my new Vors mounted to some rubber and had an oil change done while I was in. Tech noticed my coolant levels were below min and noted that it very well may be the PCV failure as there was no evidence on coolant leaking in the bay or on the belly pan. They topped me off and and asked me to keep a close eye on coolant levels. I'm at 65k and went stage 2 at 46k. BW has done a few 3.0T PCV/T-stat jobs recently and thought it was the likely cause.

Is there a way to check and see if it is perhaps the water pump? They did not mention the water pump being another common cause. NOT too bummed as this will be the first fix for my SQ other than general maintenance and I had read this thread prior so was relatively informed.

[KillerQuattro]

Is there a way to check and see if it is perhaps the water pump?

Yes. Mine was visibly weeping at the pump gasket. The factory water pump has a plastic housing that is known to fail and has been revised to an all aluminum pump... My mechanic confirmed the leak at the pump when I complained about the smell. He saw dried coolant around the pump and pump seal..

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...herapy-Session

[jomama229]

Is there a way to check and see if it is perhaps the water pump? They did not mention the water pump being another common cause.

i was wondering this myself. but my mechanic said, and KillerQuattro confirmed, that the water pump is a separate fix that doesn't require the s/c from being taken off...so i'm going to leave it and see the problem persists.

NOT too bummed as this will be the first fix for my SQ other than general maintenance and I had read this thread prior so was relatively informed.

same here. other than front brakes, i've had no issues with the car. all 4 upper control arm bushings appear to be worn/cracked, so that may be next, along with rear brakes. i'm just glad i've been able to find a good and relatively affordable indy mechanic close by.

if it helps any, here's a list of all the parts i ordered for the pcv and tstat replacement. i got it thru fcp euro instead of audi livermore because of the "lifetime" warranty on parts offered by fcp euro. that being said, audi livermore prices are very very competitive for anyone looking to order from a dealer. oh, and you'll need a bottle of coolant on top of all this.

[mkasperzak]

Yes. Mine was visibly weeping at the pump gasket. The factory water pump has a plastic housing that is known to fail and has been revised to an all aluminum pump... My mechanic confirmed the leak at the pump when I complained about the smell. He saw dried coolant around the pump and pump seal..

Thanks, I'll go check and see if I see any dried coolant around the pump/seal.

i was wondering this myself. but my mechanic said, and KillerQuattro confirmed, that the water pump is a separate fix that doesn't require the s/c from being taken off...so i'm going to leave it and see the problem persists.

if it helps any, here's a list of all the parts i ordered for the pcv and tstat replacement. i got it thru fcp euro instead of audi livermore because of the "lifetime" warranty on parts offered by fcp euro. that being said, audi livermore prices are very very competitive for anyone looking to order from a dealer. oh, and you'll need a bottle of coolant on top of all this.

Big Help, they sent me an estimate already and everything looks in line except the Crankcase Vent Valve - little pricey from my shop.. i'll definitely get with them on it if I go through them.

[jomama229]

Big Help, they sent me an estimate already and everything looks in line except the Crankcase Vent Valve - little pricey from my shop.. i'll definitely get with them on it if I go through them.

breather tube was the only item i was thinking "maybe i don't need it." but i didn't want to be penny wise, pound foolish, so $135 for a peace of mind.

ecs tuning offers an aftermarket option at 1/3rd the price:

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/Sit...h/06E103217AF/