Hi, really need some help. I have a 96 Audi A4 Quattro, it overheated the other day. Had to have it towed home. We pulled thermostat and checked it, working properly. I need to know where to go from here. My father in law is a mechanic but not for an Audi. He says blown head gasket or cracked head. Could it be something easier? Please, he wants to tear my engine apart without consulting someone with Audi knowledge. I love my car just wanna get it back on the road. Thanks for any help.

 

There are really only a few things it could be. Not getting good air flow through the radiator fins, radiator partially clogged, water pump, thermostat, etc. It really doesn't matter what brand car it is, as far as the cooling system they are pretty much the same.

 

Why is it overheating? Because you are losing coolant and there isn't enough to cool the motor? That might be a head gasket. But head gaskets are pretty rare on either the 1.8 or 2.8.

If you aren't losing coolant but it stilll overheats, think blockage. I can't tell you how often I've seen the result of some weenie who put stop-leak in a system. Clogs the radiator, oil cooler.

I wouldn't assume head gasket. There are other things that can cause you to overheat, and from what you typed, we don't know enough to narrow it down to any thing yet.