Fast Coolant Leak and Smoke from Engine Bay

[HowdyA3]

Hi everyone,


I’m looking for some advice or opinions on an issue I’m experiencing with my 2009 Audi A3 8P 2.0 TFSI Petrol. I was reverse parking in a tight space and had to attempt it a few times to get it right. Suddenly, I noticed smoke coming from both sides of the bonnet. I quickly tried to straighten up and then got a message on the dash saying “turn engine off” and (I think) “coolant low, top up.” I immediately turned the engine off and checked under the bonnet.


When I opened the bonnet, I noticed splashes of liquid across the middle of the engine bay, reaching as far as the battery. I've added a few pictures to this post. The coolant reservoir looked low, and when I checked it again later, it was empty. I went to the store, bought some coolant, and topped it up—just over a litre, which brought it to the max fill line. However, after about 20-30 seconds, the coolant level started dropping quickly, and I noticed coolant dripping rapidly from multiple places under the car near the engine. The undertray is still attached, and I was on the side of the road, so I couldn’t see exactly where it was coming from, but the tank was empty again within about 5 minutes.


Has anyone dealt with a similar issue? I’m wondering what might be causing this kind of severe leak. I’ve considered a few possibilities such as a loose hose, but I’d really appreciate any input from those who might have faced something similar.


Also, if anyone has an idea of potential repair costs at an independent garage in London, that would be really helpful.


Thanks in advance for your help!

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[gareth23]

Probably a split hose or an O ring somewhere has given up and the coolant system presurises itself as it warms up so any leak tends to spray coolant everywhere. As you can see the engine is rammed in with little room around it and it'll have hoses going everywhere.

It'll be hard to get a price until a garage has a look and found the leak, fingers crossed its not something that needs a load of other parts taken off for access.

[HowdyA3]

Probably a split hose or an O ring somewhere has given up and the coolant system presurises itself as it warms up so any leak tends to spray coolant everywhere. As you can see the engine is rammed in with little room around it and it'll have hoses going everywhere.

It'll be hard to get a price until a garage has a look and found the leak, fingers crossed its not something that needs a load of other parts taken off for access.

Thanks again for the advice. I've just had a look and I can see a disconnected hose. Circled in red in the attached picture. I'm not too sure where it goes but where I circled in yellow was an area I was thinking could be associated with it, but there doesn't seem to be anything there for it to slide or plug into.

Any ideas where this hose is supposed to connect, it's quite a short hose.


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[gareth23]

I'm not entirely sure but it looks like the plastic part in the yellow circle has broken? The hose marked red looks like it was attached to the other part with the grey circle round the hole looking like broken plastic. Can you bend the smaller hose so you can see whats in the bore? I suspect it'll be a broken plastic stub matching the bit circled in yellow.

[HowdyA3]

I'm not entirely sure but it looks like the plastic part in the yellow circle has broken? The hose marked red looks like it was attached to the other part with the grey circle round the hole looking like broken plastic. Can you bend the smaller hose so you can see whats in the bore? I suspect it'll be a broken plastic stub matching the bit circled in yellow.

Cheers. It seems that it does connect there. I don't notice the actual connector. Here are a few pictures I took before leaving for work.

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[HowdyA3]

I was wondering if anybody knows what that part is or how I could get the part number.

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[Crasher]

What is the VIN?

[HowdyA3]

Hi Crasher, I sent you my VIN number through PM. Thanks.

[Crasher]

Sorry for the delay, too much work to do and not getting any younger. You can buy the coupling alone under part number 1K0 122 291 C for £18.30




or the hose with coupling under part number 1K0 122 157 HH for £45.24

[HowdyA3]

Sorry for the delay, too much work to do and not getting any younger. You can buy the coupling alone under part number 1K0 122 291 C for £18.30




or the hose with coupling under part number 1K0 122 157 HH for £45.24

Thanks again! I grabbed the part yesterday. I'm halfway there, lol.

I have a cheap pair of flexible hose clamp pliers I bought from Amazon a few years's ago. They've got stuck closed on one of the hose clips. The release button on the clamp pliers is not causing them to release. Does anybody know how I could get them off?

I first moved the hose clip down with them, then when using it again to move up to the "coupling" part I put into the hose, they got jammed. I removed the coupling part to try and get them working again, plus I saw a video where the person attached the coupling to the connector behind the heat shield first.

I added a few pics of the clamp hose pliers.

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