Sparky001

Hi I have a A3 1.9tdi 2007 and using lots of water quickly (2 litres in 30 min drive) . I have removed the EGR cooler and noticed that there water coolant residue in the cooler and then was oil and water in the egr valve and also the inter cooler pipe and traced it back to the inter-cooler. One side of the inter-cooler was fine the other side was a watery oily sludge. So I am assuming that water is enter the engine from the inter-cooler and then to the exhaust as I am having a lot of white smoke out of the exhaust. But I take it that the inter-cooler is air to air so not sure where the coolant is being lost. i have done a coolant pressure test and doesn't lose any pressure. Do not think its the HG as no sludge or bubbles in the header tank etc. Any suggestions would be great!

Update: After taking it it to a VAG specialist for diagnosing they informed me that it was either cylinder head cracked or head gasket as the the coolant system was pressurising. Will I put up with it for 6 months and after completing my Defender 90 rebuilt I started and removed the head from the A3 and just after getting the head off and no obvious sign on the gasket or head and continued to strip if down to get it pressure and crack tested. However having removing the EGR I wondered if the EGR cooler had a leak and after blowing in one end and my finger over the other it didn’t hold air and could hear it releasing air. It was confirmed after using water hose and I have a pin hole leak which now explains a lot just a shame that i had to strip down the head to discover the real problem but getting head tested still to confirm!!!

Hi I have a Audi A3 8P 1.9tdi 2007 and have been having some strange coolant problems It’s started out when driving a long and the low coolant light come on but temperature was fine, if I continue to drive the light would go off. However I am having to top up the coolant about 2litres a day now. It is has started to get worse as now driving on the motorway if I come to an incline and the engine has to work a bit harder the temperature climbs to 130. I ease right off and it reduces back to normal but the low coolant level light doesn’t not come on during this. During the whole time the heater would only blow out hot air for about 5 minutes and then just cold air. I have had it pressure tested and the garage said they could not find a leak anywhere, they tested it for the whole day. He said he had a mate who has the same problem and it was the cylinder head turning porous. I have googled this and I believe that this only happened to the earlier models of the 1.9 and 2.0 and the symptoms do not seems to be this but not sure. I have changed the thermostat and water pump, flush the rad and coolant out. I have read that it could be the EGR cooler having a leak and leaking into the exhaust but not sure. There is no obvious signs of a blown head gasket , no smoke or bubbles in the top tank, or water in the oil and starts fine. Anyone have any suggestions?