IHK 11

No problem 👍

Hi Colin im no expert but i had a problem with my temp gauge being tempremental and then not working at all. If its a wiring issue then it will either be at the instrument cluster or the coolant temp sender. If you havent removed the instrument cluster then its more likely to be at the temp sender. The wiring can be very thin and brittle going into the sender especially as the cars are quite old now. Its also an area with a lot of heat around aswell. I fitted a new temp sender to my Audi 80 coupe and i managed to weaken one of the wires going into the sender as i put everything back. My temp gauge was always slow moving and stayed low and then stopped working altogether. Once i repaired the wiring the temp gauge has been ok ever since. Its possible it might be something at the instrument cluster tho seeing as its a temp gauge and a fuel gauge. I had a similar problem on a Bmw e36 where the fuel and temp gauge would work fine then totally drop to empty and cold and this ended up being a fuse that just wasnt in fully. I dont know if this is any help to you but i hope you manage to sort it out. Good luck from Ian!

Thanks Greg

Hi ive had the same problem getting a steering rack for my 1990 coupe. I cant see my part number on the rack whilst its on the car and didnt want to try and remove it incase i mess it up and cant get it to the garage.i phoned my local Audi dealer and gave them the reg and engine size of my car and they gave me the part number which helped me get another one. They were really helpful. Someone on this forum suggested i phone Audi and i was a bit sceptical as i havent been able to get information in the past from them. Id recommend you phone your nearest Audi garage and if you dont get the part number try a different Audi garage. Good luck from Ian!

Hi Gareth and Greg thanks for all of your help and advice. I phoned my nearest Audi dealership to ask for the exact part number for my steering rack and they were really helpful and gave me the exact part number which i was really grateful for and this helped me to find a new steering rack which i picked up yesterday. This will be fitted next month. Ive really missed driving the Audi. It will be good to get it back on the road. Im going to keep the original steering rack and have it refurbished as a spare so really pleased. Thanks from Ian!

Ye youre probably right about them not being cheap. I think the roofs just wearing as the cars getting older. Thanks for replying.

Hi Gareth and Greg. Thanks for both replying. I was planning on sending the rack away to be refurbished to a company in Yorkshire but the problem ive got is im not confident id be able to remove the rack myself and the garsge ive used said they couldnt remove it as it would be stuck on theyre ramp and they wouldnt be able to use the ramp then. I see theyre point. A mobile mechanic was suppose to come to my house to remove and then refit the rack when refurbished but keeps being delayed.! Il ask the guy in Scotland. Thanks for your help. Much appreciated. Ian!

Hi ive got a 1990 Audi coupe 2.3e B3 which ive owned for 10 years now. Ive spent quite a lot of money on it this year with new suspension brakes clutch and exhaust and now the steering racks leaking fluid and completely gone. Ive tried to buy a replacement for about 2 months now but im really struggling as there are so many different versions im told. When i give my chassis number im told this is not recognised and dont want to buy the wrong one as it will be a huge job for the garage to remove. Ive tried looking for the part number on the rack thats on the car but cant see one. Does anyone know the part number for this part or know how i could find out or even know if one off ebay fits my car? The car is off the road now as the mot has expired but i really want to get this car driving again. Any help or advice would be really appreciated. Thanks from Ian!

No problem.

Hi i had a similar problem on my coupe a few years ago. Is that the 2 litre 16v 140bhp dohc engine you have? Id check a few things that could be causing this. Make sure your air filters clean and the clips are closed properly on the airbox. This can be a nightmare around the airbox on these cars. Then make sure your metreing head rubber boot is totally flush with the metreing head cos any leaks here can cause idling and revving problems. Id also clean any rubber hoses going into the metreing head rubber boot as these can get clogged with grease and stuff and even perish or collapse. Its good youve cleaned the cold start valve which can be problematic on these. Im not sure if your cars got a isv on it. A idle stabilizer valve. On my 2.3 10v this is located at the front of the engine near the grill and has 2 hoses going into it. One goes to the metreing head rubber boot and these can get very dirty. If your car has one then id clean all of that and the hoses out with a bottle brush if you have one and hopefully youl see a huge difference. I hope this helps you. Good luck from IHK 11

Hi i had the same problem many years ago on a 1993 2 litre audi coupe.the cars hazards would come on when i indicate either left or right and this would sometimes last for about 2 days then it might not do it again for a month or 2 but would always eventually do it again. The problem turned out to be that there was an old alarm on the car that was intermittent. The garage removed the old alarm and any connections from it to the battery and the car was fine afterwards. This might not be relevant but i had the same problem many years ago on a 1991 mitsubishi colt and the problem with that was a faulty flasher unit. Sometimes tapping the flasher unit would stop the hazards coming on when indicating but eventually i had to replace the flasher unit. I hope this is of any help to you. From IHK 11

Hi my girlfriends got a 2004 Audi A4 1.8t cabrio which is a really good car and something she really enjoys. The only problem is when it rains as much as it has done recently the roof does tend to leak. I was wondering if anybody knows where i could buy a hardtop roof for winter from or have a part number. Ive heard that they arent standard but aftermarket ones are out there.ive been trying for a while but cant seem to find one as theyre very rare. Any help or information would be much appreciated. Thanks

Hi i have had similar problem with a 1993 Audi coupe 2.3e i bought which had not started for 10 years but i have had running. Firstly id check youve got fuel in it which you have then make sure the fuel pump primes. If the fuel pump primes then id check your fuel filters not clogged up which does happen. Then id make sure you have a good spark. If all of these are ok then id check the rubber boot is totally flush and has no kinks on top of the metreing head. If the car doesnt start and you know its got fuel it primes theres no air leak and you have a spark then id say your metreing head is clogged or damaged. Could also be injectors or injector seals. Im not a mechanic but ive hsd 3 of these cars and have had similar problems with them. The metreing heads can get blocked especially when the cars not been used for a while. Good luck from IHK 11

Hi Gareth thanks for your help. I know now i need to to look for a m6 bolt with a 10mm head. I think i might know why my cars temperature keeps dropping while driving. I know the thermostat works and the thicker end goes nearest to the engine and the oring goes on between the thermostat and the housing. I think the problem might be that the thermostat is installed with the cross metal piece fitted horizontally from 9 to 3 o clock when it should be installed vertically from 12 to 6 o clock. I read an article saying this can cause an airlock behind the thermostat inside the engine block and can also cause problems with the cars heater. Im just waiting for a new oring to arrive then im going to change it and see what happens. Im hopeful this will work. I fitted the thermostat horizontally because the old one was fitted that way but the heater was never good then. Thanks for all the advice youve given me previously. Its been really helpful and much appreciated. Il let you know how i get on when i change the stat around. Thanks Ian! The top image shows how the stat is installed at the moment and the bottom image shows how i think the stat should be fitted. Theres no air or bleed hole or arrow so i think it doesnt matter which way up it goes. Thanks again Ian!

Hi ive got a 1990 Audi coupe 2.3e B3 and ive opened the thermostat housing up so many times the 2 bolts holding it in place dont seem too good. Im worried incase i round them. Does anyone know where i could find some or have a part number? I know i open them with a 10mm socket. Thanks Ian!

Hi Thanks for all your replies and help. I recently put the thermostat in the engine then the oring then the housing and all is fine. There are no more leaks at the housing. I bled the system when id finished and took for a drive but the temperature gauge still drops when the car gets up to speed on the road. My heater is nice and warm when the car is idling and the temp gauge sits at half way but as soon as i start driving and get up to about 40 plus mph the temp gauge drops to the top of the cold the heater gets colder. I know my thermostat works as my bottom hose does get hot when my temp gauge nears half way but when driving the temp gauge drops again. Ive now ordered a new coolant temp sender as this could be stopping the temp gauge from rising when up to speed.If that doesnt work then il try ordering a new coolant temp sensor. Im pretty sure the thermo switch on the radiator is fine as the fan comes on as soon as temp gauge passes half way immedietely. Im hoping that a new coolant temp sender may have something to do with the reason my expansion tank is always cold. Thanks for all your help Ian!

Hi Gareth sorry for the late reply. Just been really busy at work and not enough hours in the day. Il have a look on ebay to try and find a temperature gun. It would be a useful tool to have in general. I agree with you about the drive belt. It probably is something that i dont want to leave for too long. I changed the ultinator belt on 176,000 miles which was around 30,000 miles ago so i need to be changing both the drive belt and the ultinator belt asap. Its something i could easily mess up so i might just take it to my local garage who is very good and knows the car fairly well. Its worth doing for piece of mind as well. Il have a look at putting the new oring on the old thermostat on the correct side this time while ive got some time off over Christmas. Thanks for all of your help and advice. Its been a big help to me. Much appreciated. Thanks Ian!

Hi Gareth your advice sounds very good. I will try and do one thing at a time. Its a good idea what you say about removing the belt to make sure that is where the noise is coming from. Ive actually got a temperature gun which i bought to check my temperature incase i got coronavirus symptons so dont know if that would work but i could try it. Like you said previously about the heater. I should put that on hold as it works but just could be hotter. My new plan once i get time will be to put the originsl thermostat back in with a new o ring thats on the correct side and then try the tempersture gun on it. Once ive done that or even before i could remove the drive belt to check for noise. One step at a time. Thanks for your advice. Its so easy to try and change or tamper with too many things at once. Thanks a lot. Very helpful and much appreciated Ian!

Hi Gareth im mistaken sorry the water pump is cambelt driven. Which makes me worry as the guy who replaced the water pump also changed the cambelt at the same time which is fine if he has done it. Just heard hes dodgy off many mechanics. The noise seems to be coming from the drive belt tho. When the drive belts rotating if you look at it carefully it looks a bit wobbly. Im not sure if thats just because the belt needs changing or the pulley is worn. I think il just put the original thermostat back that was in the car as it was functioning fine but just thought it might be worth changing due to the lack of heat but that problems not related to the thermostat as far as i know and it seems to function correctly and is as warm as the others. This one has no make or name on it. Il make sure i get a new seal and it is on the correct side. Il also change the drive belt and see how everything seems. I see your point with checking the temperature the thermostat opens at but i dont have the tools. The fan seems to kick in exactly when it should so im fairly confident all thermostats are opening when they should. As for the heater i agree with you that the other issues need fixing first. What i dont understand tho is if the heater matrix has a partial blockage then how can the heat going up towards the windscreen be fairly warm and the heat coming out of the vents in the dash be much colder? Do you think it would be worth me putting high temp tape around the kind of tunnel that the air travels through behind the dash to the vents where the foam is quite worn? Sorry for asking so many questions and thanks for your patience. Much appreciated Ian!

Hi Gareth and thanks for getting back to me again. The water pump is belt driven and im not sure whether there is a noise coming from the water pump as the drive belt is making a noise and is right next to the pump. The car doesnt overheat or leak coolant from the water pump so i know it works to a certain extent. It might actually be ok. With the thermostat i just bought the one that was quickest to get hold of but wasnt sure where i could find a genuine thermostat from. Ive seen some advertised as original quality but dont know if thats true or not. I could get hold of a gates one. Do you think Gates would be ok? Im working every day at the moment so once i get time after christmas il replace the thermostat and seal along with the drive belt and the ultinator belt. With the heater problem i initially thought the matrix might be clogged after seeing the condition of the coolant that came out of it the first time i flushed it so although coolant seems to flow through it fine i wouldnt be surprised if it needed replacing. Apparently its a huge job and i think beyond my capability. The heater is better than it was tho to be fair but i know it should be hotter. Thanks for all of your advice and knowledge. Its been a huge help. Thanks and much appreciated Ian!

Im also not convinced that the water pump is ok either. I always wonder maybe the pumps not new like ive been told and may be too weak to fully pump coolant around the system and through the heater matrix. So many questions. I wont rest until i fix it. Thanks Ian!

Hi Gareth and thanks for telling me about circoli thermostats. Do you know of any thermostats that you would recommend or where to get one from? Also do you know of any product that would flush the heater matrix better than the forte biodegreaser ive already used? This may sound totally stupid but do you think it would do any damage if i put washing machine cleaner in the cooling system then flushed it out? I was just thinking now when i went for my mot the pulley that my drive belt is attached to makes a kind of a tappety sounding noise and the mot guy said it looked a bit wobbly when the engines running. He advised me to replace the belt which i havent yet done. Do you think this could be an issue with the car not reaching temperature or even the pulley being worn. I know when i got the water pump replaced the guy who changed it who i later found out by many honest mechanics is dodgy after this should of replaced this belt and changed coolant which he didnt but charged me for. Im thinking maybe if i replace the thermostat and seal then the drive belt and possibly the pulley this might help. I think it might be worth finding something really powerful to flush the matrix with. Thanks for your help again Ian!

Hi Gareth and thanks for replying again. I think once ive fixed the leak on the thermostat housing hopefully i can concentrste on getting more heat out of the heater. The Heaters never been great since ive owned the car but was excellent on my old coupe. The thermostat ive just bought for the car and is currently fitted is a circoli and has the part number 209440130. I bought it from euro car parts and was told it is the right one for my registration. It opens at 87 degrees like it should. When i get some time il open the housing up again and take more time to see if the stat has a groove for a seal and make sure ive got the right size seal and its on the right side. Do you think an airlock could stop my temp gauge from rising to half way when driving? Im not too sure why the heat isnt great as all leaking hoses and jubilees have been replaced. Heater matrix has been totally flushed with forte biodegreaser and water and ive put air through it with a tube as well. It was pretty horrendous the first time i flushed it but its been thoroughly flushed on about 3 different occasions in the last 6 months and my expansion tank was also pretty sludgy when i flushed it first but has been cleaned with hot water and forte biodegreaser twice and is much better. Expansion tank is always cold as well which is strange. Coolant was brown when i first drained it but is always red now. I know red isnt the correct coolant for the car as it should be green but i find the red is good quality and has not been mixed with any other colour. Do you think it would do any harm to switch the hoses to the heater matrix around to see if that would unblock anything then bleed the system then put them back the correct way and bleed again? Ive also took the glove box out and the panel under the steering wheel and noticed that the foam around the heater passageway looks fine on the drivers side but coming away a bit on the passenger side. I thought about insulating it to see if that helps increase the heat temperature. While i was behind there i noticed the metal mechanisms that move with the heater controls seem to move as they should. Sorry for asking so many questions but the heater has really bugged me since ive owned the car and ive put a lot of time and effort into fixing it as i know its capable of better. Thanks for your time and any advice or tips would be much appreciated. Thanks Ian!

Hi Gareth and Thanks for replying again. Ever since ive owned the car the heaters not been great and ive done loads on it recently. Ive totally flushed the whole system with forte biodegreser and replaced all leaking hoses and jubilees. Ive also blown air through the matrix. Radiators fairly new, car has good quality coolant and heater matrix appears clean and doesnt leak coolant into car. What is strange tho is i could drain coolant then refill and bleed system for a good half hour until coolant comes out of the bleeder hose then bleed it again the next day or day after thst and coolant would still come out the bleeder hose again. It does seem as tho air is getting into the system and its only recently ive been getting low temps on the gauge. The car never overheats and ive also replaced expansion tank cap. Everytime i bleed the cooling system nomatter whether its for 20 minutes or even an hour there is always a gurgling noise coming out of the middle of the dash which im told suggests theres still air in there. Since ive put this new thermostat in the heater is warmer but not warm enough. It seems fine coming out of the vents up to the windscreen but cold coming out of the dash vents. Im also suspicious of the water pump as the guy who replaced it has a bad reputation which i didnt know at the time. so many questions. Car runs great tho and never overheats. Ive also read about blend door being an issue with the heater or foam breaking away that acts as insulation to keep heat in. I think il try taking the housing appart and inspecting where the seal goes then replacing the thermostat seal and go from there. Thanks for all your help Ian!

Hi thanks for your reply. I tested the thermostat by putting it in a pan of boiling hot water with a cable tie attached and then taking it out and ive had the same results on 3 different thermostats. The opening temperature is 87degrees and they do seem accurate. I could go into more detail and get a temperature probe but i dont think 3 thermostats would be faulty. A friend just told me about an hour ago that the thermostat should go in directly against the engine in the housing then the rubber seal goes over it then the housing cover goes over it. I actually put the seal directly against the engine side then i put the thermostat over the seal. If the seal is on the wrong side of the thermostat then that could be causing my leak. Do you know which side the seal should go? I have also thought about the temp sender being faulty as the coolant was quite sludgy when i bought the car and may be damaged. I do think that the tempersture gauge is accurate and isnt an issue. Thanks Ian!