Alright, I am about to become a bonified Audi owner and replace my timing belt and water pump. The question that I have is this, out of the suppliers that sell these kits is there one that stands above the rest as far as quality. The JH kit looks good, and it comes with the DVD, I have looked at the ECS and the price is right on this.......I only want to have rip the car apart once. Any insight you pros may have I would appreciate it. Well since I am bending your ears (err eyes), I just wanted to make sure my diagnosis is correct. Well with the belt breaking and grenading the motor. At the end of a 3 hour drive, the coolant light came on and the resevoir was low. I could smell antifreeze but didn't really see any on the ground. The car has 95,000 and nowhere in our repair logs has the belt been changed (we bought it with 75,000). I refilled the resevoir, and drove it again and sure enough I could smell antifreeze again, and I could hear a ticking sound coming from the front of the engine. So putting 1 and 1 together, I'm thinking water pump, and subsquently the timing belt. Thanks again for any advice. And yes I have been reading the DIY over and over........and over

Thanks
Shane

 

If it happens when you drive, the air drift will splash the leakage all over the engine, or the side of the engine, depending on what and where it leaks.
As you stop, you're not going to see a "puddle", since the antifreeze stopped its circulation and remained in the radiator.

If you don't see any visible leakage at one of the radiator hoses, or at the corresponding ends (core heater, and engine block - by the water pump), you may want to check your Expansion Tank.
If the car didn't overheat, then probably your water pump is ok (unless you can detect a leak behind the water pump pulley).

You said that your "Low Coolant" Sensor came on while you were driving? The sensor is located at the bottom of the Expansion tank.
If the car wasn't properly cared for (e.g. generic coolant was used in the car), maybe the expansion tank' s "nipple" (where the hose coming from the radiator connects) got brittle over time and cracked.
If that's the case, you'll need a new expansion tank.

 

Sorry forgot to mention that I have already changed the expansion tank. Ill do some more digging today. Thanks for the reply.

Shane

 

You should buy a pair of cam seals and one cam tensioner seal kit to have on hand in case these are leaking. No point in disassembling the front end twice! You might, if you have time and energy, replace both valve cover gaskets while you are at it as you will have 80% of the components removed for that job as well.

Good luck,

Bob

 

I had good luck with the Blauparts kit and it came with new antifreeze. The water pump has a metal impellor. I think they can loan or rent the tool to lock the camshafts. I've driven 34k miles w/o problems since the TB change.

In Mar 2007 the basic kit cost $254 plus another $90 for the TB damper.

Do some searches on camshaft seals. I have seen some posts about changing them at the same time as a precaution. I'm no expert on these as mine have not been touched as of 125k miles.

 

If your going to change your timing belt change out your water pump,Tensioner, idler pulley and camshaft seals at the same time. Blau Parts will lend you the tools for free if you buy the kit. They even supply the new coolant. They also supply the tools to slide your front end out without having to pull it all the way off. Not too bad just take your time and don't skip any instructions. I've done two of them.

 

You can RENT the tools for $ 35 - one week, ONLY if you buy the kit from them, indeed.
How does it work with the "free lending": do you have to beg for it and they make an exception?

 

By the way, what are the three circled tools needed for?
Does anyone know if they can be found independently?

 

So they appear to be Pulley Seal installers (# 3202?) and Crankshaft Oil Seal puller (it looks like # T40019 - although is listed only for VW...hmmmm; what would it do in the tool kit for an A6? - rhetorical question; don't bother to answer )

I guess until you pull the chestnuts out of the fire with your own hands (read: buy your own manual; spend money just like others; scratch your head to find information, etc), nobody who's done it previously would tell you that you may get burned...
Anyway, you gotta love the help on the forum... it beats the incipient purpose of solely braggin' about nice rides, fancy brakes, exhausts, etc...

 

The three circled tools look similar to the ones shown in the BentleyPublishers.com Audi shop manual CD, for working on the camshaft seals. You can "google" to find a low price for the CD.