Hi guys,

Part 1:

So after doing a search on here and coming up with no real answers here is my situation. I have a 2000 1.8TQ and I've noticed over a few weeks my coolant seams to slowly disappear I've read about leaky head gaskets but my oil doesn't look milky does have a few small bubbles though everytime i pull the dip stickand I've had some condensation on muffler but it's not sweet smelling and def looks like water to me. My question is what could be causing my coolant loss since it never appears in puddles under the car?

Part 2:

I noticed a broken vacum line today is it safe to drive the car for a day or two till i can get it into the shop, i basically took the tubing and duck taped it together?

Thanks, JC

 

Water on the exhaust is no indication of anything, it's a byproduct of combustion, there will always be some water there.

You have "bubbles" on the dip stick? What are these bubbles? Water or oil? If there is any "water" based thing on the dipstick, you have bad stuff getting in the oil. You can send a sample off to get tested, this will tell if there is coolant in there.

Since we have NO CLUE what vacuum hose it is, how can tell you if it is safe? Duct tape will help, but any vacuum leak is bad, & should be fixed ASAP.

 

If you open the cap to the coolant reservoir and there's pressure, that'll help indicate if you have a leak in your head gasket. ONLY DO THIS WHEN THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY COOL

Head gasket leaks don't come about very often unless your car overheats, or if you've recently removed the valve head to do some work and didn't put a new gasket on (or put one on incorrectly).

Check your lines connected to the coolant reservoir...if they have leaks your coolant will only disappear while driving because nothing is being sucked through them until the car is actually on. That'll explain why you don't see puddles under the car.

If you do indeed have a blown head gasket, coolant will be seeping into your engine block and mixing with the oil. If your exhaust smells of burning coolant that's another sign of the blown gasket. Hope any of this helps!

LampyB.

 

Well you could do a cylinder leak down test, or use a block tester. Look around the base of the timing belt cover also for a pink colored build up. I have seen this a few times on TT's and other 1.8t's were the water pump will leak very slowly. Then the coolant will get baked on under the cover. How fast is the coolant disappearing????

 

Guys wow thanks for the quick replies I just came from twinturbo.net(my old 300zxtt) and I have to say this board rocks!. So I took the car to a local independant audi/vw mechanic and he just cut the vacum line and replaced a small portion with new tubing and cover. Now I kinda wanted the whole hose replaced, but will it make any real differnce or am I fine this way?. In regards to mtm's and Lampy's questions My coolant takes about 1.5-2 weeks to see a noticable drop(I'm wondering if it only happens when i run heat or a//c). In regards to 2K S4 the bubbles look to just appera in the oil not water based and only when i check the engine after it's been running for awhile..........................any suggestions?

thanks again for all your help, JC

 

As to the vacuum pipe, if it is rubber and part of it cracked, cutting it out will help for some time, but the rest of the pipe is still old, right?

 

Yup. The outside always looks better then the inside.