Notices
 
 

  

User Tag List

Thread: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please?

Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Ipswich, UK
    Posts
    98
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    7 Post(s)
    Firstly I have tried searching the forums and there appear to be posts around the 4 cylinder and diesel engines but I'm struggling to find information on the 3.0 litre petrol engines. Having bought my 55 plate A4 3.0 litre cabriolet a few weeks ago it's been losing coolant ever since, it's been to my local garage twice, they pressure tested the system the first time and couldn't find any leaks and it held pressure within tolerance.

    The very next time I drove it and there was a small amount of steam came out from under the bonnet, which I opened straight away and it appeared to be coming from the bottom of the expansion tank. Having read these can be a problem I took it back and they fitted a new expansion tank and cap and I hoped that would be the end of it but sadly not. Having done around 50 miles yesterday it was down on coolant again but there are no visible signs of where it's leaking from other than traces of coolant on the wires and electrical connectors directly below the expansion tank and the two rocker cover bolts at the back end.
    I've looked for the coolant flange as that's something else that I also found mentioned and even though I couldn't see it specifically past everything else I couldn't see any obvious traces of coolant anywhere around the back of the engine from what I could see.

    Any advice would be greatly received as I don't want to keep racking up bills having pressure tests that say there's nothing wrong or throwing parts at it in the hope that I get lucky, thank you.
     
    0 0 0
     

  2. Re: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Nottingham, England
    Posts
    42,103
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    4
    Mentioned
    108 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    1816 Post(s)
    That sounds suspiciously like a head gasket, if it is using that much water it may show up on one of the plugs by it being cleaner than the others.
    Anthropogenic climate change, the biggest con inflicted on mankind since religion...

    Slava Ukraini
    !


     
    0 2 0
     

  3. Re: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Ipswich, UK
    Posts
    98
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    7 Post(s)
    That would be a bugger, the garage assured me that it's not a head gasket as that would show up on the pressure test and there's no white smoke coming from the car or mayonnaise in the filler cap, the only external indication has been the small amount of steam coming out from somewhere near the expansion tank and the residue on the wiring and connectors beneath it?
     
    0 0 0
     

  4. Re: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Nottingham, England
    Posts
    42,103
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    4
    Mentioned
    108 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    1816 Post(s)
    Often a small head gasket leak, especially with modern Metal Layer Shim (MLS) head gaskets, will not show up during a pressure test as the pressure is from the opposite direction and will only show up under load when driving.
    Anthropogenic climate change, the biggest con inflicted on mankind since religion...

    Slava Ukraini
    !


     
    0 2 0
     

  5. Re: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    South Yorkshire, UK
    Posts
    57
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    4 Post(s)
    Maybe you should try a coolant combustion leak detector. Inexpensive and will give you an answer within 30 minutes.
     
    0 1 0
     

  6. Re: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Nottingham, England
    Posts
    42,103
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    4
    Mentioned
    108 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    1816 Post(s)
    Unfortunately they also let me down, it seems impossible to stop the coolant going into the tester and contaminating the fluid.
    Anthropogenic climate change, the biggest con inflicted on mankind since religion...

    Slava Ukraini
    !


     
    0 0 0
     

  7. Re: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    South Yorkshire, UK
    Posts
    57
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    4 Post(s)
    I purchased a kit off of fleebay. I had no problems with it.
     
    0 0 0
     

  8. Re: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Nottingham, England
    Posts
    42,103
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    4
    Mentioned
    108 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    1816 Post(s)
    I have the Snap Off version, useless,
    Anthropogenic climate change, the biggest con inflicted on mankind since religion...

    Slava Ukraini
    !


     
    0 0 0
     

  9. Re: 2005 Audi 3.0 litre petrol coolant leak - help please? 
    #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Ipswich, UK
    Posts
    98
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    7 Post(s)
    So unfortunately you're diagnosis was correct, I've contacted the seller and I'm returning the car for a full refund, which now leaves me searching for a replacement
     
    0 1 0
     

Similar Threads

  1. Attention Audi A8 2011 4.2 litre Diesel - Transmission Coolant Valve failure
    By MilanB in forum A8 - S8 - V8
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 10-01-2018, 08:37 AM
  2. Please Help 2005 B7 Audi A4 1.6 petrol burning oil
    By Dobber1979 in forum Audi A4 - B7 Forum - 2005 - 2008
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 18-05-2016, 08:15 PM
  3. Audi A4 1.8T petrol leak
    By ratbag_03 in forum Audi A4 - B6 Forum - 2002 - 2005
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 15-02-2009, 12:44 PM
  4. Problems with Audi A8 2005 3L Petrol
    By adnan348 in forum A8 - S8 - V8
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 19-03-2008, 06:46 AM
Bookmarks
Bookmarks
Posting Permissions
  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


 



  


Disclaimer: VW Audi Forum is an "independant enthusiast website", administered in line with guidelines supplied by VAG in the UK, and is in no way related to any of the Worldwide Volkswagen,Audi,Seat,Skoda,Bentley,Bugatti,Porsche or Lamborghini group of Companies. For official up to date information on any of there vehicles, please visit the official websites. Any comments made throughout this website, are the views of the respective poster, and in no way represent the views of the VW Audi Forum Administration, or the worldwide Volkswagen & Audi Group of companies.


VW Audi Forum do not vet and are not responsible for any information which is posted in this forum. All content is viewed and used by you at your own risk and we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of any of the information.


Copyright: Certain "words", "phrases" and "Images" used on this website by the Administration are "Copyright" of Volkswagen GB, Volkswagen AG (Germany), Audi GB, Audi AG (Germany), Volkswagen Motorsport GB, Volkswagen Motorsport AG (Germany), Audi Motorsport AG (Germany), Volkswagen Racing GB, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche and Lamborghini. No image can be replicated by anyone WITHOUT the relevant Companies written permission.


All trademarks and copyrights remain property of their respective owners.

No part of the VW Audi Forum website or forum may be reproduced without written permission from the site administration


PLEASE NOTE - PERSONAL ABUSE, ABUSE AGAINST THIS OR ANY OTHER WEBSITE OR ANY COMPANY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. OFFENDERS WILL BE MODERATED OR EVEN BANNED.


This website and forum are best viewed at a minimum resolution of 1024 by 768.



  



- VW AUDI Forum - The #1 Volkswagen (VW) Group Forum - Volkswagen (VW) - Audi - Seat - Skoda - Bentley - Bugatti - Lamborghini - Porsche - Scania - MAN - Ducatti - VW Audi Forum -


- www.vwaudiforum.co.uk - www.vwaudiforum.co.uk -