Hi,
I am new to the forum and I own a 2001 A6 2.7T Quattro at 54K.

I went to the Audi dealership in Cary, NC. And they told me that during my NC inspection routine they found that my Turbo coolant pump leaks.
And they are asking for 1000$ to repair it, they showed me the pink residue on the engine, that was coming from the turbo pump.

I don't have that kind of money in my hand, and I just want to know, if it is safe to drive in less hard conditions and keeping an eye on the fluid everyday.

What I know is if it is a leak, it is not so big that, at 6k miles, I have been driving this car, and I just had to add some fluid for once on the coolant tank, as I assume, both turbo and normal engine use the same tank.

My second question is,
They also told me that, my rear and prop shaft diff seals are leaking pretty good; although I don't know how they know pretty good leak and a normal leak compares. And they asked for 1200$ to repair both.

I asked them but they didn't tell me how much diff oil was leaked but they said that it is less urgent than the coolant pump.

My question is how can I look at the diff oil levels on rear and front?
And how safe is it to drive, where I see no sign of oil drops under the car when I park; and no driving steering problems.
I will get them fixed, soon, but I want to make sure that the prices they ask for are fair, and how safe to use the car, which I rarely use my car anyway.

Thanks in advance.

 

If you are at all handy with a wrench, coolant pump replacement isn't too bad, providing they mean the after-run pump under the intake manifold. Sure, there is a ton of stuff that needs to come off but it is just nuts and bolts. A new pump is about $100 on the web and there is only one kind, the Bosch one.

It's not urgent to replace if you aren't losing much coolant. It is only running after you shut off the engine and it is probably working just fine - watch the coolant pump into the top of the tank next time you have the hood open.

Do you live in Cary? I am in Durham and don't mind giving a hand/tools if needed.

Not sure about the diff seals, bit of a pain to change without a lift. It doesn't require an Audi dealership though, any decent shop could tackle them for much less.

 

Waow! I live in Chapel Hill.
Any other place rather than Dealership that you can recommend that does a good job around here?
- Can I supply them with the parts, and will they fix it for just labor.

I am pretty good at fixing things and stuff, but, I am not sure, I want to replace the turbo coolant pump myself, since, it may show a engine light or whatsoever, if I can not close it properly; and since I don't have experience.

I might get the parts for cheaper, if I search online, I guess.

What do you think a fair price for the repair should be?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

 

I have heard good things about http://www.autoprotocall.com/

They are on 15/501 opposite BMW/Porsche etc. I have never used a shop for anything other than an inspection though...

As far as the job goes, it is fiddly and a bit time consuming, maybe 4 hours if you take your time. There is very little to go wrong if you are methodical and label everything correctly. Apart from the pump you will need intake manifold gaskets, which I have always bought from Car Quest because they can get them very quickly. That said, only you know the right choice for you, supplying parts with the job will save some money if they allow it.