hi guys can any one help on here ,i was getting a little coolant leak couldnt find any leaks ,well today was coming home from work to pick up fathers car from garage ,i parked up and heard a hissing sound looked under the car and there was a pool of coolant ,i could see it looked quite bad ,the garage said its a big job as the manifold has to come of etc to see where the leak is coming from im worried this is going to cost a lot
do you think its a broken hose or a faulty auxilary pump ,im gutted as i was going to trade it in for a newer car
could it even be the gasket is going ,the car runs fantastic has regular oil changes so looks like il have to keep it another year
any prices on how much it could be to fix thanks guys great forum

2003 audi 2.7t ,101000 miles

 

Willkommen to the forums!

you need to supply a bit more information to adequately diagnose where you coolant leak is. I understand you say you saw a puddle, where under the car did the puddle form? where is the hissing sound coming from? when the car is warmed up and running, open the hood and look for steam coming up from around the motor. how quickly do you estimate you are losing coolant?

when, if ever, have you had the timing service done. If the timing service has not been done on your car yet, you are due. combining the timing job with locating/fixing the coolant leak can probably save you some time and money. this one of those things that is going to cause you major sticker shock unless you can do the work yourself, or find someone to do it for you at a reduced rate. If you are not prepared to spend the money, you may want to think about trading the car in on something else while the car is still worth something

good luck

 

the puddle was right in the middle under the engine,the steam looked like it was coming from around the engine i shone a torch and could see water lying around the manifold ,the timing belt was done at 80 ,000 miles,its losing coolant rapidly as soon as you top the coolant tank up it starts to pour from under the engine,i have a decent capable mechanic but he says he cant tell till he takes off the manifold,

 

OK

if the puddle is coming from the middle, of the back of the engine, you are most likely looking at a leak in the crossover pipe/auxilary coolant pump. it is a common fail point and not too much of a pain to get to. if the puddle is in the middle of the front of then engine, well this where things get dicey. could be the radiator, lower radiator hose, thermostat housing, thermostat, or water pump. based on what your mechanic has told you, I'm assuming that he believes this is where your problem lies. it is a time consuming job to expose and check all of those components. therefor you will be paying a lot in labor, just for a proper diagnosis. not to mention the potential costs for parts and repairs.

seems like you have a difficult decision.

good luck

 

thanks i think il have to get it done hes going to strip it down and see, hes saying could be up to 12 hours to take apart and put back to gether is that right, if its the auxilary pump would so much coolant come out as the way its coming out seems like a broken hose or pipe,it deffo looks like the back middle of the engine where the leak is coming from

cheers

 

if it is the crossover pipe/auxiliary coolant pump it should not take more than an hour or two. if it is one of the other things I mentioned, at a minimum the car needs to be put into service position, but the best option is to remove the whole front of the car. even if that is the case, it should not take 12 hours. maybe two hours to take apart, two hours to put back together, and not terribly long while it is apart to diagnose and fix. perhaps he is also figuring the time to check the crossover pipe/auxiliary coolant pump in addition, but still I would not estimate more than 8 hours total.

I am not, however, a mechanic. I can only give you my estimations based on the work that I have done on my own car and the experiences I have heard from others who have done similar work. it may be that the mechanic is preparing you for the "worst case scenario" so that you will not be terribly upset if the work does, in fact, take as long as the estimate.

again, best of luck. be sure to post back when everything is sorted so I (we) can know what the problem was. it may be helpful to others in the future

 

will post when hes had a look, if it needs any parts wheres the best place to get a auxilary pump from if it is that lol im hoping ,as ive seen a kit euro parts do where the actual pump fits to the front of the engine instead of by the manifold,or do i just buy a normal one ,same if i need hoses etc any places to get these quickly for the uk
or do i just phone a audi dealer as im guessing the prices wont be cheap

thanks

 

not sure the best place to source parts in the UK. occasionally, the parts that you can get from the dealer servicing department can be quite reasonably priced. at other times they can be quite exhorbitant, at least that is the way it is here in the states.

 

well went to a specialist audi garage to get a price on a auxilarypump,online they go for
around cheapest 90 dollars upwards about 60 pound,he took my car reg and quoted just 50 quid,i was shocked and said you sure this is the right part,
knowing nothing about cars is there more than one water pump on the audi a6 2.7
as with the manifold coming off i might as well replace it at that price and buy a few new hoses etc,as ive had the car 5 years i think it could be the pump causing the leak

seems to me hes quoted for just a water pump not a auxilary rear coolant pump any ideas

 

Its been my experience that if the coolant goes out as fast as you pour it in, its likely a blown hose. Housings tend to have smaller leaks. The faster it hits the ground as you pour, the lower it is on the engine.