Hi People,

I am hoping for a little help here.

I have a Audi A3 2.0fsi 2004 plate 48k miles. I have noticed i am losing quiet a lot of coolant recently. I am having to top it up every 3-4 weeks. I took it to the local garage after reading on the net this could be a gasket problem. They could not find any signs as to why this is happening. They told me to just monitor the problem. (big help) I have no power loss , no sign of any form of leak inside the car, or underneath. I left the car running for 1 hour put carboard down and not 1 drop came out and not a sign of my coolant level dropping. I have checked the oil cap and no sign of the yellow/browney gunk. It seems as its only happening when the car is being driven. The temperature is fine and the car runs great. I am really stuck at this point as to what to do. If any of you have any suggestons or maybe point me in the right direction at what this could be i would be really grateful.

 

The cooling system should be pressure tested. If no visable leaks are seen then a cubustion leak test should be performed.
Check the floor boards in the car also. Have seen leaky heater cores leaking down under.

 

Thank you very much for your input. My car is booked in for a pressure test on saturday. i did notice when i was giving it a clean that the floor in the back of the car (behind driver seat) was slightly damp in 1 place.

 

Last year in my 3.2 A-3, I had to add coolant. I never saw a leak or smelled anything. When I took the car in for normal service, they found a bad thermostat and that was replaced. No problems since then.

 

Thank you pdxjim,

I had a pressure test done on saturday and nothing was found. How much would it cost me for a new thermostat fitted approx. It might just be worth having it done.

 

Why would you replace a good thermostat. If the seal is leaking then yes also replace the thermostat but i would leave it alone unless it is causing a problem.
Thermostats do not leak unless they are part of the housing. They are a internal part of the cooling system.

 

The thermostat work was about $550. The coolant was leaking out and then vaporizing and so I never saw a leak. It was quite evident I guess when looking from underneath with all the residue that had built up from the leak. Naturally I was out of warranty about 6 months when discovered!

 

Sorry , i was referring to Scottkelly85's post. He made it sound like that would fix his problem without actual proof. I like to figure stuff out before replacing parts.

 

Sorry people for my late reply.
The problem turned out to be my water pump.
Thank you for your help and input.

 

i'd rather place a thermostat than a water pump. that must've been an expensive repair.