Hello all,

I have a 2001 A4 Quattro 1.8T AWM. My problems started innocently enough - I needed a new thermostat. This is where my idiocy came in. I have very little access to tools, so my attempt at removing the thermostat housing resulted in my only being able to reach and remove one of the two screws, which I then lost. This resulted in a slow leak. I'm unemployed, so I didn't have the money to just get it fixed quickly. As such, as the coolant slowly leaked out, I added small amounts of water to compensate. This continued until there was only pure water in the system, and still with a thermostat seized closed no less. Whenever the temp gauge got too high for comfort, I opened the coolant reservoir cap, allowed steam and pressure out, and poured cold fresh water into the system. I unfortunately drove this way for almost a month, when I finally got the $100 to replace the thermostat and coolant.

When the car was returned to me from my local (and crooked) garage, the water pump suddenly wasn't functioning. The result of the car being driven was a rapid heating of the engine to extreme levels after about five minutes of driving. This time however I only drove it three times or so, only when it was absolutely necessary. I bought a new water pump/timing belt kit. I took it to a new garage, this one was run by a friend of a close friend, so I trust his work and his word. He just called me and informed me of a truly horrific situation. Before work was even started, he found the engine would not start - it would turn and turn, but wouldn't kick on. After a cursory examination, he discovered a bad cam chain tensioner and large amounts of coolant in the oil pan. It's his contention that the timing is off due to the tensioner, the head is cracked, and god knows what else could be screwed up. He thinks I should opt for a used motor, but as I said before, I'm unemployed and broke, so price is important.

So I suppose my question is, based on the info I've given, can anyone venture a guess as to whether the problem is as severe as he says, or could the head just be severely warped? Could I get by with machining the head and flushing out the engine's oil and coolant systems? If not, would a refurb cylinder head be a good idea, or is it possible that the bottom end also could somehow be damaged? I realize this is a large problem whose answer requires more information than I currently have, but I would appreciate any insight.

-Jason

 

Ask him about what concrete evidence he has to support the assumed issues and post them up. That'll help get this ball rolling.