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View Full Version : A3 2004 2.0L FSI Low coolant warning light



dumpee
31-03-2008, 05:51 PM
Driving back this afternoon when an audible beep warning along with the low coolant level light came on the dash. Stopped only to find that the coolant level is slightly below the minimum mark on the header tank. This was serviced last December and there is no visible sign of any leak. The temp guage is fixed at 90°C, I loosened the cap off the tank and the fluid came back to the correct level. Once I got home I checked to see if the level had changed only to find that the level is back down below the minimum mark again, only this time there was no warning sound or light.

There doesn’t seem to be any mayonnaise on the dipstick (hopefully meaning that this is not a head gasket job) shall I just fill up to the correct level and see what happens. Has anyone here experienced any thing like this before?

Crasher
31-03-2008, 06:03 PM
Just top it up when it is cold and keep an eye on it.

dumpee
01-04-2008, 04:29 PM
Update.

Had it up in the air this afternoon, unbelievably it appears that the cylinder head has corroded from just beneath the exhaust manifold and a small leak has been seeping away quite happily for ages, there's water staines all down the back of the block. This is a car with a full Audi service history, it’s just over 3 years old and has done 47,000 miles.
I expected better than this…:aargh4:

AudiA3Jo
01-04-2008, 05:08 PM
OH NO!! mine did this at the weekend before quite a long drive, got me there and back after i topped it up slightly but hope its not anything major, its due a service in a few hundred miles tho so surely they will pick it up if it is. hasnt happened since so might just wait and see.

Crasher
01-04-2008, 05:24 PM
That isn't good, time to talk to Audi customer services.

Abs
01-04-2008, 06:00 PM
I have the same car and low and behold not long after the warranty ran out the same indicator failure lamp came on, for me it was a water pump failure which the dealer quoted £600, i just scoffed and told them i was going else where to which they replied 'that'll be £100 for the diagnosis' .. after some serious bartering managed to get them down to £250.00. I know it doesn't necessarily help you out but i do seem to have had lots of issues with my A3 since the warranty ran out!

dumpee
02-04-2008, 10:36 AM
Looking through the archives on here this is clearly a well-known and expensive problem. I'm simply not prepared to spend the sort of money quoted on a car that's probably only worth about £9k at best. At the moment it's not leaking too much so time to chop it in me thinks... and what ever I end up with you can guarantee it won’t be another A3

dumpee
02-04-2008, 11:09 AM
Out of interest I got a price for an exchange built up head from TPS in Purley @ £1,300.00. I think you could add another £500 + for swaping over the old and new heads

Crasher
02-04-2008, 01:09 PM
I think you could add another £500

And the rest!