Coolant leak - Culprit is the Coolant inlet valve seal

[inchshort]

My car was back with the dealership this week, with a coolant leak. I was constantly having to top up the coolant every 4-5 days.

I couldnt see any any obvious signs of leaks when looking from above, or on the drive, but Audi have shown me on the Audi cam and the leak is visible from underneath the car. They have diagnosed it as the seal in the coolant inlet valve. Apparantley there is a TPI on this.

Despite having Audi Extended warranty, this was not covered bizarrely. Apparantley if it was a valve failure then it would have been covered but since it was a seal it was not! :zx11:

anyway the dealership have said they would cover the cost since the car is regularly serviced by them. :Blush:

Hopefully pick the car up today. The loan car Q7 50 tdi (which I didn’t even know existed) was nice :biglaugh:

[sven_bcn]

On my car they discovered a coolant leak as well after I had to top it up with over 2 liters in one month... not sure if it is a seal or the valve itself, but it’s an 8 hour job and gets done next week (covered by warranty).


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[inchshort]

Sounds like the same issue. Covered by warranty hence the TPI.

[Papereyes]

Does anyone know what models are impacted by the TPI?

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[inchshort]

The ones that have a leak, keep an eye on the coolant level. And when its about 5cm below min level you will get a red warning on the dash.

[ragebe]

That's useful. I've had to do a top-up twice in the last few months. Not sure I've a leak but I'm certainly going to check/keep a close eye on it now.

Do you know the TPI number?

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[inchshort]

Then car shouldn’t use coolantbat all, if your topping up you have a leak. Suggest getting it into Audi mate.

[inchshort]

Quick update, turns out it is the coolant shut off valve and it’s on back order from Germany.

2 weeks wait.

[inchshort]

Dealership managed to source a valve locally and was supposed to pick car up yesterday however they said the front Pre sense light was on.
This has been blamed on a aftermarket screen fitted to the vehicle which I wasn’t aware of!

i pointed out that the Pre-sense light was not on when I dropped the vehicle off, or has it ever been on before. I suspect the dealership have done something whilst it’s been in. They have said that they never went near the windscreen mounted Pre sense camera!

i have been into the front camera/rear mirror housing about 6 months ago to put the loom in for power for the dashcam, but it’s just a bit suspicious that the light has never been on before and it has just come on.

Anyway they kept the car for investigations as I was not happy.

[inchshort]

Anyone else had random yellow front Pre-sense come on?

[ragebe]

I read somewhere, that different coloured coolants, shouldn't be mixed; i.e. if you've got pink in you car currently, don't top up with blue.

Surely the specification of the coolant is the only thing that matters?

Anybody mixed their colours?

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[inchshort]

Your not supposed to mix them, the approach I would take is if the manufacturer was ok for you to mix they would have made them the same colour.

[inchshort]

An update to this thread, it turned out to be the coolant valve leaking rather than just the seal. The car has been back since then because I noticed the coolant had dropped again but they never found any leaks and said it may have been an airlock that has worked it’s way out this dropping the level. Will keep an eye on this.

[ragebe]

Your not supposed to mix them, the approach I would take is if the manufacturer was ok for you to mix they would have made them the same colour.I've just had a look in the manual and you can mix them, according to the blurb at the bottom of page 390.

My car goes in on the 21st Jan, it'll be interesting to see if the problem is the same as yours. I'll report back once the car has been repaired.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190112/50c4b6cb83d382e2d3ec6d30ab537315.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190112/5fe371aff368143a966098901dc589f7.jpg

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[ragebe]

Car back, work done. There IS a TPI but only for internal use by Audi and their dealers. I asked for the TPI number and was told it wasn't available.

This suggests that Audi are well aware of the problem and are looking to avoid paying for the work to be done.

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[andyhud007]

Car back, work done. There IS a TPI but only for internal use by Audi and their dealers. I asked for the TPI number and was told it wasn't available.

This suggests that Audi are well aware of the problem and are looking to avoid paying for the work to be done.

Sent from my SM-G965F using TapatalkI'll try find the tpi number

[DBAudiOwner]

Hi - has anyone else had this problem? I have exactly the same issue with the coolant shut off valve failing but sadly I'm a couple of months on the wrong side of my warranty. My local dealer is trying their best to get Audi UK to contribute to a £2k repair bill but so far has had no success.

Any info on similar cases and what your dealer did would be much appreciated!

[inchshort]

As long as your car has been serviced according to schedule I would fight to get Audi to pay up mate. That is a catastrophe failure of a non serviceable part just past warranty. Hope you get it done by Audi.

I bought extended warranty before my warranty expired so I could argue if Audi didn’t pay, and then Audi warranty probably would have paid.

[Crasher]

We have one coming in next week with this, a 2016 with the CRTC engine and using his VIN there are no TPI's about this problem on ELSAPRO nor for any other 4M I have tried.

[DBAudiOwner]

Thanks for your update. It is pretty infuriating to say the least. In all credit to my dealer they are trying their best to argue my case with Audi. It certainly sounds like there may be a manufacturing fault with the component. I’ll let you know how I get on

[DBAudiOwner]

Thanks Crasher - it sounds like you’re “in the know”. Is there any way of finding out through Audi's how many incidents there have been of this part failure?

[Crasher]

Well this one is on a car where Sytner Audi Nottingham have recently rebuilt the engine under warranty and now it is pouring water out of the V but we have yet to get in there, certainly supplies of the valve are erratic.....

[ragebe]

Crasher, on the internal paperwork, that the dealer presumably uses as their claim for the work to Audi UK, there was a TPI number. I looked at the paperwork when I was alone at the desk and saw it written on that paperwork.

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[Crasher]

It may be a very new TPI, my ODIS has been down since late November and I have not been able to restore it, the help desk has been unobtainable for the last three weeks and six separate attempts at stripping the PC clean and re downloading and installing the 14 Gb of files has failed and multiple emails unresponded to. The dongle itself cost £1K and the service costs 10Euro an hour and it is useless...

[booba]

I had a coolant leak. low coolant warning, found evidence underneath and on the carport. topped it up with G13 and sure enough slow leak. Took it back to audi and diagnosed with waterpump leak, 24 hours later and all fixed under warranty.

[inchshort]

Good result booba, Waterpump leak is a first, will have to keep an eye on that. My fixed leak seems to be stable now and it was the coolant inlet valve.

[DBAudiOwner]

Sadly I'm still arguing the toss with Audi UK about who is going to pay the bill. Any tips re negotiating with them would be gratefully received!

[andyhud007]

Ive just checked tonight on the TPI and there is only one new one really that is sort of related from 24th May 2016 where the coolant hose chafes on the air conditioner pulley (only applies to 3.0 TDI Q7 4Ms too)... but nothing to do with seals/valves

Andy

[Crasher]

I found the same thing, no TPI relating to the valve but the valve is in huge demand on cars under warranty.... I wonder if there is a special book in addition to the "red" book that is on paper only and very closely guarded...

[andyhud007]

I found the same thing, no TPI relating to the valve but the valve is in huge demand on cars under warranty.... I wonder if there is a special book in addition to the "red" book that is on paper only and very closely guarded...

I think you could be right. Defo nothing in the "red book" as of yesterday.. I find that bizarre.

I've ping my Master Tech mate at my dealer too, see if he knows anything he is willing to share.

[Nemo78]

Well looks like I have the coolant issue also - third time in 3 months I’ve had the warning - car is booked in so let’s see what the outcome is...

Andy/Crasher have you come across anything new on TPIs?

[inchshort]

Oh dear, hope they sort it out for you mate, mine was a replacement coolant inlet valve.

[Nemo78]

Oh dear, hope they sort it out for you mate, mine was a replacement coolant inlet valve.

Thanks [emoji1360]

Did they diagnose it nice and easy?

Here is a pic from this morning [emoji17]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190314/ae5310a7d7041c837ea65453e8412374.jpg

[inchshort]

Originally they said it was the coolant seal, when they probed into it the said it was the valve. So the seal is not covered under Audi extended warranty but the valve is. Mine was just out of manufacturers warranty. It was done under the extended warranty.

[Nemo78]

Just to keep thread updated - shut off coolant valve replaced - visible to see that coolant had leaked so diagnosis was simple [emoji1360]

[inchshort]

Good result, keep an eye on the level for a few weeks, mine dropped after the valve replacement which was blamed on a air pockets so required topping up. Been watching it for a while and all seems well.

[Crasher]

mine dropped after the valve replacement which was blamed on a air pockets so required topping up.

That is what we int trade like know as “burping”, a bit of a conundrum. Do you keep the car overnight so it cools and “burps” but **** off the owner who MUST collect the fruits of their loins from school in something the size of a mid WWII tank, or send it out at 2.30 in time for the school crawl and hope the thing is burp free and does not drop a smidge and set the bloody warning light off.... if only everything in life was so easy as flying a desk......

[mariusmyi]

Same problem here. Coolant valve located under intake manifold.

[wardienet]

Same problem here; just fixed last week. See other thread from me. Under extended warranty. Needed a couple of coolant top ups for the ‘burps’.


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[surfdub]

Same issue with mine - dropping about half a litre every 4 weeks. Audi traced it to the coolant shut off valve and as it’s an approved used car their extended warranty will cover it. The original warranty lapsed 3 weeks ago so lucky to have the extended, although that runs out in November...
in fairness to the dealers they were pretty good about agreeing to it under warranty. I thought I’d have a fight on my hands.

[inchshort]

Glad to hear you got it sorted. Looks like a batch of valves used on the earlier models only last 3-4 years.

[wardienet]

Glad to hear you got it sorted. Looks like a batch of valves used on the earlier models only last 3-4 years.

I hope you are right and they changed the part, otherwise a bunch of newer owners will be looking at “valvegate” after main warranty...


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[Gazwould]

What does the leaky part look like ?

[wardienet]

What does the leaky part look like ?

Not sure maybe someone will know the exact part. I do have a shot of the leak residue from under car though on the thread I posted here
Coolant leak strikes again... good dealer experience so far
Coolant leak strikes again... good dealer experience so far (https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=7960&share_tid=191908&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Evwaudiforum%2Eco%2Euk%2Ffor um%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D191908&share_type=t&link_source=app)



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[folkwagen]

Not sure maybe someone will know the exact part. I do have a shot of the leak residue from under car though on the thread I posted here
Coolant leak strikes again... good dealer experience so far
Coolant leak strikes again... good dealer experience so far (https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=7960&share_tid=191908&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Evwaudiforum%2Eco%2Euk%2Ffor um%2Fshowthread%2Ephp%3Ft%3D191908&share_type=t&link_source=app)



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Just left in a 2015 A6 Quattro for a service, I have two year extended warranty to August 2020, CRTE engine 160Kw. I pointed out the slow coolant loss, was convinced it was the coolant pump, I could see liquid on the belt and little drop below it. Just got a call back to tell me its the Coolant valve, (they didn't say it was just the seal), they are "waiting to see if it's under warranty", and also to source the part (big main dealers?). Its a functional part of the engine, how could it not be covered ? I'm sweating now. has anyone documentary evidence of the TPI/TSB in relation to this?? This looks like the US version of it,
SB-10058574-8951.pdf - Google Drive (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ipYhswysPGhEH0NcqsrnnO2ChsF0Zsg6/view?usp=sharing).
How would I find a European version of this. At least I have this document to argue with, if it comes to that.

[inchshort]

Don’t worry, they will cover it if you have warranty.

[folkwagen]

Don’t worry, they will cover it if you have warranty.

I hope you're right. They've had the car since 9.30 yesterday. Still not done. The coolant valve in that TSB ( if thats the one, part 4H0121671D, ) is a simple enough solenoid two port valve, costs €35-70 for generics. What worries me is 15 minutes after I dropped the car in, the service receptionist rang me to ask me to authorise the use of the diagnostic tool to read the codes, as "diagnostics are not covered under the extended warranty". I told them "that's nice". This does not augur well. Can they really get away with **** like that? "That'll be €500 each for parts and labour, plus €150 for plugging in VagCom, another €100 for using a Torgue wrench, etc". Maybe they're used to gouging business owners, who don't even look at receipts.
What really pees me off is I paid for a Main dealer service last year, over €550 for engine oil, filter, and a fill of auto box fluid. Thats it. The rest was just faffing, check this, check that. "One tyre has only 4mm thread, we can replace it for €250", for a €95 Hankook? That's nice, also.
DIY, I would do the service for about €100 for the above materials, but extended warranty dictates I must have a service record. Now they're already making sounds about "warranty coverage". We'll see

[inchshort]

Is it Audi warranty or third party?

[folkwagen]

Is it Audi warranty or third party?
I just bought the car, approved used, with 2 year warranty, from top main Audi dealer. January 2015 pcp A6 Quattro they'd being trying to shift since it was handed back exactly at the end of 3 years. I bought August 2018, big discount on the Jan 2018 price tag. The warranty I bet is 3rd party, but I would have no knowledge of that, no documentation, just a single sheet statement. I bet they cheaped out, now they're squirming.

[folkwagen]

Now if the coolant valve is the one listed in the TSB I posted above, read this nightmare.

A6 TCU Fried Due To Coolant Control Valve Issue - AudiWorld Forums (https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-c7-platform-discussion-194/a6-tcu-fried-due-coolant-control-valve-issue-2972465)
The coolant leaks out of the valve, through the electrical connection, and travels under pressure INSIDE the plastic cable loom. Next stop, the plug into the auto gearbox electronic controller, which it fries. Jee-Zus! Lots of €k if you have no warranty.
Good news, I messaged that TSB to the Audi garage, plus a comment on them not having to replace entire box under warranty as I acted quickly. Got a call within the hour from them saying they will replace the valve under warranty, no messing with charges for diagnostics. If you have this leaky coolant valve, don't hang around until the dashboard lights up and transmission dies.

[andyhud007]

The TSB for the common coolant Leak issue is 2047044/8

[folkwagen]

Doesn't show up on any search, maybe code has an error

[maudi25]

My 2015 A6 Allroad has developed this issue. Audi Dealer has diagnosed as TSB 2047044/8. The car has an Audi extended warranty and the dealer are seeking authorisation to do the repair - I called this morning to get an update and it seems that the warranty claim is being rejected, the dealer are chasing it.

I'm surprised the claim is being rejected as this is a full component warranty from Audi...I see a fight coming. Does anyone have any experience of getting this issue resolved under warranty?

[folkwagen]

I've just had mine sorted, 2015 A6 Quattro on the latter end of a 2 year extended warranty. After initial resistance it was done under warranty. I've no record of parts used, TSB, or any information, like its a big secret, but all resistance crumbled when I presented them with the TSB I referenced earlier.
See here .
A6 TCU Fried Due To Coolant Control Valve Issue - AudiWorld Forums (https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-c7-platform-discussion-194/a6-tcu-fried-due-coolant-control-valve-issue-2972465/#post25416219)

[ragebe]

Audi rejected my claim for a new Bluetooth module on my A6 Avant a few years ago.
Car out of warranty but the rear-wash problem, with the split hose, meant the passenger-side carpets, under the seat were flooded and eventually wrecked the BT module.
I had to drive to Austria in February with no MMI and had a £600 repair bill to replace the module.
This despite there being a notice to effect this design problem repair, sent to dealers.
I was tempted to go the legal route for redress.
At least after my moaning about it, to a friend who was working for Audi UK at the time, means I now seem to get decent responses from Audi UK, whenever a dealer ***** up.

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[wardienet]

My 2015 A6 Allroad has developed this issue. Audi Dealer has diagnosed as TSB 2047044/8. The car has an Audi extended warranty and the dealer are seeking authorisation to do the repair - I called this morning to get an update and it seems that the warranty claim is being rejected, the dealer are chasing it.

I'm surprised the claim is being rejected as this is a full component warranty from Audi...I see a fight coming. Does anyone have any experience of getting this issue resolved under warranty?

Yes mine was done under the Audi all-component extended warranty recently, no issues with dealer at all, they got authorisation through in couple of hours.


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[maudi25]

Yes mine was done under the Audi all-component extended warranty recently, no issues with dealer at all, they got authorisation through in couple of hours.

Thanks, just spoken to the dealer, the extended warranty people want photographic evidence before they authorise the repair which is ridiculous since to get this they need to strip the car down and given they haven't approve it I have to authorise the work which funnily enough I'm not prepared to do! It's been escalated now to the Dealership Warranty Manager who in turn is escalating it within the extended warranty team..

[folkwagen]

Such knobs, its obvious their definition of warranty is different from what you expect from a new/extended warranty. This is likely because they can purchase cheaper extended warranties from 3rd party supplier/insurers, with all sorts of exclusions. The customer assumes its a longer new factory warranty, however, it's anything but, and especially if the 3rd party agent feels the claim was a known but untreated TSB issue. I've read that coolant seals are not covered in extended warranties, but valve failure is, so if the valve is still working, though leaking, its deemed a seal failure, (which it is of sorts), but its not a servicable seal. If it goes, the valve goes. Good luck on this, it'll leave a sour taste even if you succeed.

[maudi25]

Such knobs, its obvious their definition of warranty is different from what you expect from a new/extended warranty. This is likely because they can purchase cheaper extended warranties from 3rd party supplier/insurers, with all sorts of exclusions. The customer assumes its a longer new factory warranty, however, it's anything but, and especially if the 3rd party agent feels the claim was a known but untreated TSB issue. I've read that coolant seals are not covered in extended warranties, but valve failure is, so if the valve is still working, though leaking, its deemed a seal failure, (which it is of sorts), but its not a servicable seal. If it goes, the valve goes. Good luck on this, it'll leave a sour taste even if you succeed.

Indeed! I have also read that the seal isn't covered but if it isn't a serviceable part then by definition the valve assembly has failed, I'll probably end up arguing the toss on that too! Part of the reason I spent £1100 on the Audi Extended All Component warranty was peace of mind....little did I know!

I'm promised an update in the morning, I'll update the thread when I hear.

[andyhud007]

Yep, 1000% the part is not servicable. Its a sealed unit and the bit that leaks you can't change.. you have to swap the whole unit out. Ironically it takes like 5 minutes to swap, it just takes 2 hours to get to the damn thing!

[maudi25]

Good Afternoon All,
So finally Audi Warranty have agreed this is covered by the warranty and the car is now booked in on the 1st April! No joke either :) They are also giving me a new All Road as a courtesy car which is nice!

Will update once the car is fixed and back to normal duties.

Finally, I should say I can't fault the Audi dealership, it's taken a little longer than I had hoped but the Warranty Manager took this on personally and got it resolved. The warranty company on the other hand...well the less said about them the better.

[Crasher]

Aftermarket warranty companies are hard work for garages.

[maudi25]

Aftermarket warranty companies are hard work for garages.

So it would seem and this is where the franchise model breaks down...you spend £25k on a 3 1/2 year old Audi, have it serviced at Audi and purchase a £1k plus warranty from Audi...you'd have thought when something breaks that shouldn't have, it really should not be a fight for the owner to get it fixed under the terms of your agreement with Audi!

[folkwagen]

Problem is the main dealers won't take your money and carry the risk, they'll shop around and get the cheapest package they can. Example, I bought a main dealer 3 year old Mercedes approved used car last year for swmbo, 1 year Mercedes own extended warranty included, priced at £750 to buy. I was exporting, and the warranty was not valid on export, so I asked for a discount to the value, so as to purchase my own 3rd party warranty outside the UK. I was offered £240, and with a straight face the salesman told me that is what MB dealers pay 'wholesale' for what costs 3 times that retail. Absolute BS, they take your £750-1000, pocket most of it, and buy a cheap minimum 3rd party package, taking a chance that the 2/3 of your premium they've kept will cover small exclusions. Hence the standoff between dealers and insurers. MB's warranties are actually Allianz insurance products. Audi would be no different.

[wardienet]

I think it depends how you buy it. I have the extended Audi warranty direct from Audi’s website. No dealer involved in the purchase.


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[folkwagen]

You'll find that that "Audi" warranty is underwritten by an insurance company, and how much of what you pay to the "Audi" online broker actually goes to the underwriter is the issue. The warranty from the website is just an insurance policy. The warranty with a used car purchase is the same, it will come from Audi's warranty provider, but methinks retail purchasers of extended warranties are subsidising dealer used car warranties. I got the full warranty policy documents for the unusable MB warranty in the post, (though it had been cancelled), exactly the same warranty that a private individual would purchase from MB's "own" warranty site, except privately I'd pay about £750 for 1 year, dealer says he pays (to Allianz) a third of that. The MB direct warranty website is
https://www.mercedes-benzwarranty.co.uk , which is of course not belonging to MB at all, but is run by Allianz subsidiary, AWP Assistance, also know as Allianz assistance.

[wardienet]

The Audi warranty is from Audi Financial Services (VWFS UK) but it is sold and administered by Lawshield UK and underwritten by VW Versicherung AG.

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[folkwagen]

The Audi warranty is from Audi Financial Services (VWFS UK) but it is sold and administered by Lawshield UK and underwritten by VW Versicherung AG....


....which is a trading name of an Alliance subsidiary.

[wardienet]

....which is a trading name of an Alliance subsidiary.

That’s the way insurance works. But I guess the things that matter are (a) is the coverage and claim experience good when you need it and (b) do you think it’s value for money.


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[folkwagen]

That’s the way insurance works. But I guess the things that matter are (a) is the coverage and claim experience good when you need it and (b) do you think it’s value for money
Which brings us full circle to the original mystery. Why were top dollar manufacturer Branded extended warranties being contested when they cost so much, 3 to 4 times that of a simple 3rd party warranty from an indy like Mapfre? Is your £1000 warranty really just a dressed up £240 generic warranty with a big margin for the Brand, for licencing Allianz to use the MB, Audi and VW brand names and logos on the vendor websites and paperwork. Who knows.

[wardienet]

It is half that price BTW, and I would be interested to see how much an equivalent “all component” extended warranty is to cover the Q7. I’m sure there’s an element of brand premium but at the end of the day using their insurance I expect makes it a hell of a lot easier just getting your broken car fixed at a main dealer when you need it without any hassle, which is worth something.


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[folkwagen]

See post #59, Maudi25 spent £1100 on warranty, yet they tried to shaft him.

[tweetyblu]

I have to change the shut off valve for the 2nd time in 65000km, the car has 67000km, the first time when I’ve changed it, the old part wasn’t upgraded so I got it changed under warranty with the same P/N. This time it seems a new P/N is available since mie-2018, 059121737AR.
This time even if the car is still under warranty Audi has been a little bit reluctant on supporting the cost, around 800euros, but after some litigation and telling them that I’m gonna sue them, they agreed to support the cost. The car is part of a fleet and has maintenance fleet contract and warranty, don’t know how much this matters though.

[Danny-boy]

I have suffered with the coolant leak issue since I bought my approved used Q7 in January.

Took the car in last week, and thankfully they are fixing it under the 12 month warranty.

Thought I’d have an argument there.

[Georgefdavies]

Just had my Q7 3.0 TDi repaired after it started losing too much coolant.

Brilliant service again from my local Independent VAG service - Pony Road Auto Specialists, Oxford - who confirmed the faulty part was the inlet valve and replaced it.

Was pleased to hear that it didn’t need any other parts (in other cases the coolant has corroded seals requiring more expensive work) though it was a £500+ job.

Peace of mind now though.
Cheers

[inchshort]

Good result there George, keep an eye on it though, as you will need to top it up at least once as the air escapes.

[folkwagen]

Just had my Q7 3.0 TDi repaired after it started losing too much coolant.

Brilliant service again from my local Independent VAG service - Pony Road Auto Specialists, Oxford - who confirmed the faulty part was the inlet valve and replaced it.

Was pleased to hear that it didn’t need any other parts (in other cases the coolant has corroded seals requiring more expensive work) though it was a £500+ job.

Peace of mind now though.
Cheers

£500, what was the labour charge? The valve is a common pattern part, £30+ on EBay, maybe £70 at most from a motor factor.
Coolant Solenoid Valve For Beetle Golf AUDI A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 Q3 Q5 | eBay (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163129259729)

[wardienet]

£500, what was the labour charge? The valve is a common pattern part, £30+ on EBay, maybe £70 at most from a motor factor.
Coolant Solenoid Valve For Beetle Golf AUDI A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 Q3 Q5 | eBay (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163129259729)

There’s a lot of engine disassembly work involved to get to it apparently. I think mine took most of day at dealer, all in. Rates much higher than independent, but luckily covered by extended warranty.


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[Papereyes]

Looks like my q7 might have succumbed to the same issue. Notice a leak on the driveway put some cardboard under the car and looks like it's pink colour.

Booked into dealer for investigation but next available appt is beginning of June.

Car has extended warranty, did most people with extended warranty get this fixed, under earranty sounds like there was push back but the dealership helped fight the cause.

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[Nemo78]

Looks like my q7 might have succumbed to the same issue. Notice a leak on the driveway put some cardboard under the car and looks like it's pink colour.

Booked into dealer for investigation but next available appt is beginning of June.

Car has extended warranty, did most people with extended warranty get this fixed, under earranty sounds like there was push back but the dealership helped fight the cause.

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Mine was all fine under warranty (could well
Have been just inside the three years) my guess is it’ll be covered under the all component extension if you have that. Plus I’d use the it’s a common fault - Andy posted a TSB number earlier in the thread also I think. Good luck with it but nothing until June seems strange as I got my car serviced earlier this week booked in couple weeks back but with appts available from next day.


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[Q717]

I noticed collar level drop on m Q7 with 53000mls.

Got Audi Dealer to diagnose the issue while the car was in service.

I have RAC warranty, but they rejected the claim because Audi sent them the service Bulletin, which states that this is an gradual failure of the shut off valve and not an Sudden failure.

So on that basis, my Warranty claim got rejected, my warranty apparently cover everything on car which fail suddenly!! Typical warranty response!!!

Now I will have to pay for it myself, but will get it done at a specialist rather than Audi ********!!

I’m going to send Audi UK email asking for contribution towards repair…probably won’t get any but worth a try.

Any suggestions, how to handle Audi UK?

[Crasher]

Nearly all aftermarket warranties are useless as they are "mechanical breakdown" and specifically preclude "wear and tear" so read the small print. RAC warranties used to be the best but they offloaded the division to a third party and now they play the same dirty tricks as the rest of them, it is a market place that really could do with some tighter legislation as it is a party place for those of a nefarious mind.

[Crasher]

We have another 4M in today with the CRTC engine and a coolant leak. Nottingham Audi have diagnosed the coolant shut off valve and quoted something like £2500 to replace it :eek: I took the lower covers off and they were soaked with coolant but on the engine the only trace of coolant was tiny around the oil pressure valve and cover corner, not a trace further up. I pressurised the system at 1 Bar for an hour and nothing showed, I ran it for two hours, nothing... where it had shown a trace of a leak remained dry. I put the endoscope down in the V and it looks dry and no pink G13 traces. Where is has dripped onto the oil pressure valve looks to be coming from the front cover but I think I am going to have to strip the top down and take a closer look but it could be eight hours down the drain.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51698055269_b6f01488b6_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2mLo3Gv)

[inchshort]

If it was soaked in coolant, it’s likley one of the hoses are leaking. 2 years after my repair, one evening, after putting the power down, I lost all my coolant in one go.

Turns out the muppets at farnborough Audi hadn’t put one of the hoses on properly, the jubilee clip wasn’t over the ridge, and over time it has worked it’s way off. Anyway I found out by adding coolant which was gushing straight out, I stuck a £20 camera down the engine bay, and discovered one of the flexible hoses was off the metal hose connection, reattached this and it’s been fine since.

[Crasher]

I have had it under 1 Bar pressure with a pressure tester for an hour and then engine running for two hours at fast idle, not a sign of a drip, the engine valley looks clean using an endoscope, with the amount the car was losing I would expect the smell of coolant and in this temperature, a wisp of steam but nothing!!

[driverboy]

Hello all this is happening to me this past week, I can’t seem to find the TSB anywhere in search!

[folkwagen]

Here,
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10155655-9999.pdf

And here on my drive

SB-10058574-8951.pdf - Google Drive (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ipYhswysPGhEH0NcqsrnnO2ChsF0Zsg6/view)

[driverboy]

Top Man
thank you

[driverboy]

It’s 2047044/8 I’m after

[folkwagen]

I think that link disappeared for whatever reason. There's no clear searchable source of Audi TSB. This is the best I can find.
AUDI A6 Factory Technical Service Bulletin - TSB | AutoCodes.com (https://www.autocodes.com/tsb/audi/a6.html)
It's searchable using 'find on page', but it

[folkwagen]

I've not seen that one for years, it may be superceded. There's no definitive source of Audi TSB that's easily searchable. This is the largest source I've found, but it's a trawl to go through every page for every model and year using 'find in page' using 'coolant or 'leak. TSB numbers seem to make no sense, or are in any particular alphanumeric order.

AUDI A6 Factory Technical Service Bulletin - TSB | AutoCodes.com (https://www.autocodes.com/tsb/audi/a6.html)
Edit. That TSB couldn't be found January 2020, it may never have been published on a web site. An earlier poster refers to ' internal Audi TPI', which was probably an audi state secret, only available on the audi service system. Those other TSBs describe the exact condition, if not the correct range of cars to which it applies. Read the earlier posts re warranty refusals, where they contend that the failure was a long developing natural wear and tear issue, not a design disaster waiting to happen. The work on my car is unrecorded on the Audi service record for the car. No parts, labour, work descriptions. Very fishy

[Crasher]

There's no definitive source of Audi TSB that's easily searchable.

https://erwin.audi.com/erwin/showHome.do

[driverboy]

Absolutely I was thinking the same yesterday after I seen some of the comments.
Thank you again

[folkwagen]

https://erwin.audi.com/erwin/showHome.do

You wouldn't have a generic username and password for that ERWIN server by any chance?

[Crasher]

You create your own account.

[folkwagen]

What does it cost to use, by time or by document? Audi wanted €100 off me just to use their scanner to see if there were any codes relating to the leak (there weren't as I already knew). Said using the scanner wasn't covered under extended warranty! Talk about trying it on. They obviously were talking about fees for looking up TSBs or service procedures. I refused, I sent them the TSB. A big main dealers, they must have had some of these failures in by then, Jan 2020.

[Crasher]

It costs €7 an hour to access the dealer level system ELSA PRO and all the TSB's relating to the VIN entered in what we call the "Red Book". There can never be codes relating to the valve itself as it is vacuum operated and has no feedback.

[folkwagen]

The valve that caused the TCU failures was electrical, coolant got out from the valve body via the electrical pins, leaking into the loose fitting cable shroud, hopefully out onto the bottom cover, but in many cases it continued on up the inside of the shroud to the main loom, and from there into the TCU multipin connector, ruining this and even the TCU board itself. Thousands of bucks. It may also have wicked to other controllers and caused havoc. If the loom shrouds were well sealed at the connector collars, you might be hard set to find a drip, as all the coolant was inside the loom and oozing out into critical sealed electrical components. By the time you got codes, you were in big trouble. A few posters on other blogs managed to salvage the situation without losing their Transmission CU.

[Crasher]

I thought you were dealing with the valve in the V leaking?

[driverboy]

I’m after the valve in the engine V too

[Crasher]

Well as I said, that has no feedback and my rule with this engine is "water loss, change the valve"; you could over analyse the problem for weeks only to come to the same conclusion.

[webego]

So appears I have the same issue (Q7 4M 2016 3.0 TDI). Had it at dealers recently to change glow plugs and asked if they would take a look down in the V for coolant and they said they could see it. I'm in SE London/NW Kent. Can anyone recommend a specialist indie for this job? Don't mind travelling outward a bit for a good recommendation.

[Crasher]

Cheap part, just that it takes hours to fit.

[ragebe]

So appears I have the same issue (Q7 4M 2016 3.0 TDI). Had it at dealers recently to change glow plugs and asked if they would take a look down in the V for coolant and they said they could see it. I'm in SE London/NW Kent. Can anyone recommend a specialist indie for this job? Don't mind travelling outward a bit for a good recommendation.Unrelated to the coolant valve (mine has been fine since being changed) what was the £labour time for the glow plugs? My engine light has come on, for 2 x glow plugs.

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[Crasher]

It isn’t so much the time taken to change the plugs but the shear sphincter clenching gas inducing creak, rattle, squeal and squeak of each turn of the plug during removal that strikes fear into the mechanics underwear. Once we had all six snap the end off the plug and just sit there giving us the finger.

[ragebe]

So I understand Crasher. Soaking them in Plusgas or DERV is supposed to help (I'm reliably informed)

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[webego]

I only had a fault on one plug but decided to get all six changed as I was going to pay the dealers to do it. No issues, took less than 2 hours (while I waited) for just shy of £400 all in. Thought about doing it myself but bottled it for the above mentioned reasons.

[webego]

So nobody had this valve replaced by an indie in the South East? Also curious of costs incurred anywhere in the UK to be honest to get a ball park idea of non dealer prices.

[tallrobbo]

Hi Crasher

I have just bougt a Q7 and the coolant bottle is going down. After a lengthy journey I can smell coolant on opening the bonnet. I have pressurised the system and boroscoped everything. Its all dry, no witness on the shut off valve. V comp;letely dry, no drips coming down from V. The undertray is wet with coolant. No drips. The top of the sump is wet right under that valve you posted. I thinkit must be either the valve or the housing.
39320
Did you get to the bottom of your leak? If this valve is oil pump pressure valve then I guess it cant be that.

thanks in advance

[Crasher]

We have had some where the water pump gasket corrodes and allows a small leak you cannot see.

[tallrobbo]

Thanks Crasher
Exactly my thoughts. New one on order. Is it an easy swap? belly pan, belt, pulley and just the bolts round the casing? Access ok?

regards

[SlopeyDodds]

Had valve fitted yesterday at Indie, Durham area £523.

[Crasher]

Thanks CrasherExactly my thoughts. New one on order. Is it an easy swap?

No, it is a major front end strip down, takes us all day.

[webego]

Had valve fitted yesterday at Indie, Durham area £523.

Wow! That seems incredibly cheap. Almost worth the drive up to Durham!!