Hello everyone,

Summer is not even here and I’m having over-heating issues. In the last six months or so, the following have been fixed, replaced, etc.

A leaking water pump was replaced – don’t even get me started on that one.
T-stat replaced
Main Radiator – as opposed to the A/C little radiator

My first thoughts are the t-stat is stuck closed. The temp gauge just goes up and up all the time. It doesn’t even stay at mid point for long. Any way I can find out if the t-stat is stuck, without having to pull the car apart again? All the fans (3 of them) seem to be working.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

One could verify the temperature gauge readings by using infrared or laser external thermometer directly measuring any point/area on the engine.

 

I'm pretty sure it was overheating. Smoking hot by the time I pulled over.

 

Next:

Make sure the water pump is operational.
The radiator flow is not restricted.

Thermostat is most likely the culprit- it will not allow flow thought the radiator-this is the way to diagnose.

BTW - do you have just one thermostat?

 

The culprit was the t-stat. A 20 dollar part and a big bill to get in changed. Like doing the timing belt again Not sure if I'm happy. It's fixed, but it was an expensive fix. I only changed the t-stat and water pump a short while back.

BTW, only have one t-stat as far as I know. I didn't know audi's might have more than one. I know the 2.7 has two water pumps, but t-stats... I'll have to check my Bentley's manual.

 

Is this a true Audi dealership or a garage "specialized" in German/Import repairs?
Last time when they used the Toyota coolant, they should have cautioned you to wait until they get the VW/A proper one. It seems though that they probably forseen you will be back in no time b/c of the wrong coolant. This latest repair should have been on them... as a courtesy for the crappy coolant they used.


Anyway, what I wanted to ask was:
Did they use the right coolant this time?...

 

The repair should have been on them - period! Any reputible repair shop will give a 12 month warranty on those items so your shop should have stood behind their work.

Bob

 

I have a 2000 A6 4.2 and had the same symptoms/problem you described. I noticed the temp gauge was about 1 tick over center for about a week. Then, it would warm up really fast, and then once the oil temp was over 150, the coolant would climb until the warnings all went off. I took it to a dealer (because my extended warranty company told me so), and they told me it was the sensor. They "fixed" it and let me go. 5 miles later, the temp needle's pegged and I'm limping it back to the dealer. So, it turns out it WAS the thermostat, problem solved.

 

Unfortunately I supplied the t-stat myself to a speacialist (from ecstuning, but again they only supplied the part). The warrenty of the t-stat manufacturer is limited to replacing the faulty part (20 dollar ha). The labour is not covered. It's one of those unfortunate things in life, like when your computer hard disk fails, and the warrenty is limted to the drive and not data retrieval or anything like that.

As far as collant is concerned, as long as it isn't mixed with something that makes it sludge, you should be able to put just about anything in there. I don't see how coolant could make a t-stat stick closed and show no other symptoms.

Had the work been done at the audi dealership with genuine parts, I'm not sure what they would have claimed or what would have happened.

 

I'm not sure that is completely true. Chocolate milk or Mt Dew would not work. And red antifreeze is different than the green stuff. Something about protecting the aluminum parts and gaskets.