I liked you and your video right away when you admitted to knowing the car had a suspicious coolant smell, but you were in love with the car and had to have it anyway. That kind of honesty and just being candid is appreciated. I came here because I've got a slow coolant leak in a coolant pipe on my 3.0TDI engine. Not sure if yours was a gas engine, but from what I've learned--this is a known problem on Audi, VW and Porsche (mine's a diesel Porsche). I agree with you that it should be a recall. I mean, who designs an engine with plastic parts deep within the engine which would surely wear from the heating and cooling (expand/shrink back)? I bet every single engine with this design will need the same repair sooner or later. Dealer said 12 hours labor and parts. Going to find an independent. Great video.
First thing to check is the coolant tank cap. It's a pressure cap, and they fail. My coolant was going down to the same exact spot each time (only twice, mind you) and so I wondered if it could be my tank cap. My '87 Porsche 951 once had a similar problem when it's coolant tank cap wouldn't seal, so the system couldn't properly reach it's specified pressure. Well, same here with my (C6) 2010 Audi A6 3.0T quattro. With the difference being that this cap has a pressure release valve in it, and at a certain point, it pops and let's out coolant to relieve the pressure. Or, in this case, if that valve fails, then it will always allow coolant to flow out through that valve until the system has come to some kind of equilibrium. The telltale sign is that it'll go down to the same amount. In my case, it would equilize right above the bottom of the tank, 2cm above where the lower tank hose connects to the tank on the front bottom of the tank. So if you have that problem, then it could just mean that you need to replace the cap. So, check that first. Simple fix, and aftermarket caps are much cheaper than the dealer's expensive caps. $8 vs. $48!!!
Had the same issue! Lucky I was doing a carbon cleaning when I noticed coolant filled in valley. When I removed the only screw that holds pipe in it literally fell out of the thermostat housing. I found exactly the same pipe end! Scares me how cheap a lot of these Audi parts are! And yes just to change the belt is a pain unless you put it in the service position, which is a pain in itself, not hard just a lot of parts gotta come off. Great video I will try to post something soon.
I think this should definitely be a recall. Seems like this motor is notorious for this . I’m glad you figured your issue out. Leave another comment if you do post something .
The fun part about Audi is driving them. Working on them is a knuckle buster and a back breaker, the damn hard pipe coolant hoses can snap after they get brittle. I wish they used soft rubber hoses.... Absolutely no room to work, I end up breaking something else when I go to fix something. Most time even if you take it to Audi dealer the will leave stuff broken like the electrical connector locks. I have seen many times screws bolts missing, fallen bits in the engine bay after returning from dealership. You really have to know what you are doing if you are working on VW otherwise you can cause more problems than you started with...
Agreed . It was definitely a challenge, but also fun to work on . I felt accomplished once it was fixed . Well nice to know that Audi isn’t perfect lol . Thanks for the comment .
@@OneSquidOneBike There is a service position for the front bumper that gives a lot more room to the front of the motor. Worth the 20 minutes to do...FCP Euro has some great how to vids on the 3.0T motor that applies to all platforms....Here's one ua-cam.com/video/zMGjs3pDoQQ/v-deo.html
you are the only person who has explained this. My Audi a4 2006 model has the light keep showing , but ive changed the coolant reservoir twice and still the light comes on
Thanks, glad I seen your video. Watched another, but yours showed me away to test and find the same pipe with the end cracked off. Hack: I attached a harbor freight no-spill radiator funnel kit adapter to the coolant reservoir and added an extension to the adapter to blow in. Then plugged the SC coolant hoses with my fingers, while blowing throw the extension into the reservoir. This revealed I had a leak at the pipe and thermostat connection. Removed pipe to discover the end cracked off.
Nice post. Having unexplained coolant loss in my 2012 A6 3.0T. Now I know where to start checking. Looks like the blower is coming off. Sucks that such an advanced powertrain uses such cheap parts and no forward thinking...thx again...
Thanks for this video and explanation bro, super helpful. My S5 just started smelling of coolant the other day so looks like I’ll be doing the same job lol
I had the same problem. But there were multiple issues. Mine one had leaked at PCV valve. it was a hairline crack. So I went ahead replaced the cross pipe (the same one you showed), PVC valve, Water pump, and thermostat at the same time. 2011 S4 70,000 miles. The dealer would charge $1,500justfor the replacement of the water pump alone. Did it all myself took three days to complete. Now owned an S7.
Great job on replacing all of those parts! I’ll tell ya what, it’s a good thing to know how to work on your ow car when you own one of these videos. The dealership is a killer! How do you like your S7?
3.0T engines pain to work on but damn fun to drive. I got a 2009 A6 premium plus and I had an issue with epc light coming on and scan tool said oil pressure switch malfunction we'll I replaced one still did it come to find out their is a low pressure sender and a high pressure sender low pressure is in front of the oil filter and the high pressure is behind the oil filter on the back side of the engine I replaced it with the updated sender the purple one and no more epc light.
Uggh..I have 2017 A7 and have coolant leak. Unfortunately, I’m taking it to the dealer since I don’t have the tools or patience to do this myself. I don’t trust independent mechanics either to work on this complicated german engineering. I expect it will be like $2k smh
I have a 2016 A7 with just under 55K...slow coolant leak coming from the same area...I have an appointment at an independent shop to do work. Fortunately, I got an extended warranty when I bought the car 2 years ago.
Ha! I had the same happen to me this evening. I was in the middle of changing the PCV valve. I noticed a bunch of goop in the valley when removing it. I was very gentle with it but if broke off in the housing. This is a 2012 that I'm working on for a friend.
@@OneSquidOneBike Thanks!! I should've had the rest of the parts today but not sure what FedEx tripping on! That spring clip looks like it going to be a motha to get back on at the back of the engine. Any tips or tricks there?
@@jeffreygwinn5081 Awl man. I wish I still had the car. I don't even remember what the spring clip looks like lol. I honestly don't remember having any problems near the back of the engine. Most of my problems were in the front near the radiator, due to limited space.
Good job! I believe this may be my issue and I already purchased the waterpump and thermostat. It looks like someone had the supercharger off before me so I’m guessing they did the work and still had a leak. Oh well!
I have a Audi I been driving for a few years now & for the life of me couldn't understand where I was loosing from & with that being said as of yesterday 2022 I now know what a freeze plug is one of the guys at Advance Auto Parts didn't even know or heard of this part before
2014 audi s5 prestige coupe 90k miles no sign antifreeze leaking, but there is a lose of coolant had tensioner put on in Dec. 2022,but do see some gel on oil fill cap,no misfire,oil change 1k miles ago,audi dealership had my car for 2 mths. Had below freezing a few weeks ago, do hear some burping from under my dashboard inside?
Appreciate the video can you help me identifying the hose which goes from the reservoir tank to the engine? I just replaced my thermostat housing and got a leak from that hose and just need help figuring out the name of that hose, so I can order it and get my baby back on the road.. 2018 Audi A6 2.0
Apologies for being so frank & understandable if this was your 1st video but maybe 20% of what you were saying was useful the rest was just talking… Maybe 2 out of the 6 minutes was somewhat useful & the rest could care less about & actually can be annoying to those of us who are Type-A personalities. We just want to hear (who, what, when,how, etc). The cheerleading & story telling don’t go well with us. That being said, several others commented your video being useful so Iam only 1 opinion as well as I commend you for even making a video which is much more than I have done so please don’t take this as disrespectful. Only offering true honest feedback.
Thanks for your feedback brother. I made this video years ago, and I like to be straight to the point, but this video wasn’t . I hope you were able to find something useful out of it. I’ll take heed for any future videos that I do. Blessings
I have a 2012 A7 prestige and have this mystery coolant leak as well. Although I overheated when i found out LOL. My question to you is, ? Mine does, yet it has no misfire and no loss of power. I dumped the oil and replaced and have yet to notice coolant again in the oil again. A mechanic tells me its a cracked head or head gasket but I'm hoping it's PCV, intercoolers, anything better(cheaper) than head gasket. 82k miles
Awl man!! Yes there’s always a possibility of a cracked head if it over heated. But hopefully you were able to shut the car off quickly when you found out to minimize the damage
Man bro. That sucks. That's good you identified the problem but, it's always best to replace some things if you have things off an it's accessible because eventually you will have to. But honestly, that's too bad that ended up happening to you. Sane thing happened to me a couple years ago where I had my eye on this 2008 bmw 750i sport for a few months. Researched it and all. Went to the car lot and asked all kinds of questions about the vehicle. The guys told me everything I wanted to hear. Before I even got the car home the whole left undercarriage body molding flew off on the freeway, and as the days went on there was one problem after another. I only drive the vehicle a couple months before sensors started going off. And my car started acting weird. And then one day, it happened. My check engine light comes on. I had it diagnosed by three different shops, $3600 for some engine work on one side of the block. Then, he said tge other side will more than likely needs repairing as well. $3600 bucks. Total job, $7,0000. I drove around town with no power in limp mode before noticing my gear selector lights keep flashing. By the time I got to the stop light and stopped. It didn't go in any gear let alone move. $7,000 tranny rebuild. So, after paying $10,000 cash plus upgrades totaling $3,000 I ended up selling and parting the vehicle out. So now, I have my eye on some audi a7's. Between 2012-2014 all sub models but am scared to invest because I hear that this is a common problem.
Damn bro I hate that happened to you. It seems like thats what it is when it comes to "older" luxury cars. It seems like thats just what comes with it. One thing that made me go ahead with the purchase of my A7 is the fact that it was leased. And leased cars as SUPPOSED to be maintained. I don't have my A7 anymore . But I do miss it, and I would definitely buy another one. However, with the A7 and probably any other luxury car, I'd try to stick with the most recent year that I can afford and I would definitely get the warranty... I declined the warranty when I got my A7 since I knew how to work on cars. But remember, this isn't a regular car, it's a luxury car! Get the A7, I promise, you'll love it. Just make sure you get an extended warranty if you plan on keeping the car.
I'm going to borrow a pressure tester from Auto Zone and determine whether the leak is in front of the supercharger or under it, before removing it. It only has a small drip that seems to be landing under the belts on a cross-member. Fingers crossed.
Hack: I attached a harbor freight no-spill radiator funnel kit adapter to the coolant reservoir and added an extension to the adapter to blow in. Then plugged the SC coolant hoses with my fingers, while blowing throw the extension into the reservoir. This revealed I had a leak at the pipe and thermostat connection. Removed pipe to discover the end cracked off.
Hey great video, how did you bleed air pocket in coolant system after you install the coolant pipe. Did you have any issue with heat after you add the coolant back to the system.
Hello. I didn’t have any issues with heat. You can take the top off the radiator to bleed it. Just be cautious so you don’t burn yourself. Replace the cap as soon as you feel it bubbling.
I changed the serpent belt yesterday on my 2005 Audi. During the change my hand just barely touched a coolant hose and what do you know - the old, fragile plastic nipple broke and the hose came loose from the pipe, spilling the fluid everywhere. "Premium" car
i think I am having this same exact issue. took it to my local guy, he told me $1,600 due to cost of labor taking the entire engine apart for a pipe that cost $60.. I still haven't gotten it fixed. I am very "dyi" too but I wouldn't dare try this on my 2012 A6 3.0 smh. I hope you are able to put all of that back together!
Awl man! I hate to hear that! If you’ve got time, and the right tools, I say go for it! It’s not as bad as you think. Just take your time , label everything , and do everything in reverse. There is pretty much a step by step video on UA-cam
@@OneSquidOneBike can you help me find that video? after watching a few vids for the S4 i was able to locate the source of the leak (i think). engine valley is full of coolant under the supercharger, which leads me to believe its the same pipe that busted on your A7. but the process of getting to it is different than the S4 so not sure i can use the vid i found to guide me through the repair. i want to replace that pipe, the thermostat, and the water pump.
Great video, I've also had to replace my water pump because it was making noise and leaking.I did not have to remove my bumper cover, radiator or any of those body parts that I was told that needed to be removed to do this repair.I bought my pump for 146.00 from Jim Ellis in Cobb County and changed it myself because Audi was trying to charge 1k.The only problem I have now is a faint smoke coming from pipe during idle.Have you experienced this issue yet?
Wow. It’s great to know how to work on your own car isn’t it? Saves you a ton of money . But yes! I also have smoke coming from the rear . It really scared me because I noticed it in the summer time, so I knew it wasn’t because of the weather. I haven’t looked into it. In my old car , the faint smoke turned out to be the head gasket, but I don’t think that’s the issue here .
It could be very well be the headers bc they do start leaking after some time. I removed it and changed them myself. Same step as this but just removing the bolts to the headers and changing out the gaskets.
@@OneSquidOneBike did you ever change your pcv and was there ever coolant in your oil reason I ask before assuming it may be a head gasket? I seen someone had this issue lots of coolant in valley and in oil during oil change. They changed the pcv no more white smoke out of tailpipe!
Need help my q5 is pouring out antifreeze from under as soon as I pour it in so i go under bottom and see my hose is off i put the hose back on now when i pour it in my reserve tank instantly goes empty but this time it’s not coming from from hose I literally don’t know where it is goin because there is no puddles on the ground any suggestions
Bro im doing that pipe right now. Got everything i need to do in there except that pipe. And thats been the worst part so far haha. Its common and not many videos showing getting that thing out.
Good vid! I have an A6 with same motor and have been noticing a faint coolant smell. Gonna have to figure it out at some point I guess. How long did it take you to do?
Thanks ! Oh no, I hope you don’t have the same issue . With my work schedule , it took me about 3 days . However, I’m sure this can be done within 4- hours or less if you know what you’re doing . I took extra precaution just to be sure not to damage anything . If you need any help, just let me know. And don’t forget to label all of the tubes in the intake. Good luck!
It was trying to, because of the loss of coolant. The thermostat would open up, the coolant would start shooting out of the car, then once I would really (I’d see the needle going up), I’d immediately pull over and let the car sit.
@@tonystockersr5018 $1100?? That’s a ripoff ! Once you take the supercharger off, it’s pretty much right there on the left. It should be held on by 8 bolts . If I recall, there is a plastic pipe that may need to be removed before you can access it .
Thanks! I bought it online . I would be happy to give it to you but it’s literally over 7000 pages. So I’m not sure how I’d be able to send a file that big. I could try uploading it onto an online data server and you can download it from there
@@OneSquidOneBike do you happen to know which site because I bought one Monday from a particular site and I can’t download it or get in touch with support. I really need to fix this gas leak coming from the engine bay like ASAP because I’m unable to drive it
@@rsslljcks I got it from factory-manuals.com . They’re legit but it took a day or two for them to send the download link . If I recall correctly, there has lines are on the top of the motor . If you remove the super charger, they should be right there . I had to disconnect them when doing the coolant leak repair .
@@OneSquidOneBike hey bro let me ask you on taking the super charger off with all the harnesses like the throttle body and some others did you disconnect your battery first or did you have any problems when everything was put back together and starting it up for the first time?
@@rsslljcks Yes, I disconnected the battery that way all the electronics would reset once everything was reconnected. Also, did it just for precaution as well. The only issue I had as a check engine light for the exhaust. I forgot to plug up one of the tubes . Other than that, no problems , it crank right up and ran just fine.
It took me about 3 days since I was on my 12 hour shift rotation at the time, but I’d say this would be a 3 hour job for someone who knows exactly what to do and and one day job for a DIY person with the time and mechanical skills. Just keep your bolts labeled because there’s a ton of them and they’re all different sizes. Good luck
I have a puddle of coolant in the same area and took my supercharger off and pressure tested it and it doesn't hold pressure but I don't see the leak. I don't get it, it loses 5 psi within about 10 minutes or so. After about 100 miles of driving it would go from the max line to the min line in the coolant reservoir.
@@OneSquidOneBike I'm hoping its the same as yours, or maybe the thermostat. Hoping its not the PCV. When you pressure tested you could see the coolant leak from the top pipe right? I think ill just have to take more apart to know.
@@fastslash25 I suggest taking it apart. You’ll have a lot more room to see all the coolant access and exit points. It’s not hard , trust me. Just go slow and label everything you take off. If you need help let me know, I’ll send you a few pages of the manual that show step my step details of the removal process
@@OneSquidOneBike Yea I've got the supercharger off. From what I've researched there's a bolt holding the top coolant pipe in that's hard to reach? its on the back I think. Ill try to figure it out, thanks
Look it up on Amazon. My dad used to be a mechanic years ago, so I have no idea where his came from. Im pretty sure any auto parts store would have it as well
Travis St.Marthe I hope they figure it out without having to go to the dealership. Luckily I was about to drive for a few months before the coolant started pouring out like a water hose
Hi Travis! Great video and I appreciate you sharing your experience. I bought a 2017 q7 about 4 months ago and about a week ago I got the coolant light on, The level was low so I went a got a gallon from VW, and added about 3 cups of it to get it back to the proper level. Last night while I was taking care of the oil change, I noticed it is dripping coolant very slowly, it is so slow that I can’t see exactly where the leak is from. Thank to your video I can focus now on those 3 components: the plastic hose, the thermostat and the water pump. I dont know if my skills are good enough to tackle that job. Do you recomend replacing the water pump and thermostat at the same time since it takes all that work to get in there? My q7 only has about 55k miles
@@OneSquidOneBike yeah she had to use the dealer. She got stranded about 5 hours from home. It was a 6 hour job and they didn't want to change that hose until I told her to press it on them
Do you know where its coming from? Have you checked the coolant reservoir? First thing id do is take that it and check the lines and the reservoir for leaks/cracks.
I liked you and your video right away when you admitted to knowing the car had a suspicious coolant smell, but you were in love with the car and had to have it anyway. That kind of honesty and just being candid is appreciated.
I came here because I've got a slow coolant leak in a coolant pipe on my 3.0TDI engine. Not sure if yours was a gas engine, but from what I've learned--this is a known problem on Audi, VW and Porsche (mine's a diesel Porsche). I agree with you that it should be a recall. I mean, who designs an engine with plastic parts deep within the engine which would surely wear from the heating and cooling (expand/shrink back)? I bet every single engine with this design will need the same repair sooner or later.
Dealer said 12 hours labor and parts. Going to find an independent. Great video.
First thing to check is the coolant tank cap. It's a pressure cap, and they fail. My coolant was going down to the same exact spot each time (only twice, mind you) and so I wondered if it could be my tank cap. My '87 Porsche 951 once had a similar problem when it's coolant tank cap wouldn't seal, so the system couldn't properly reach it's specified pressure. Well, same here with my (C6) 2010 Audi A6 3.0T quattro. With the difference being that this cap has a pressure release valve in it, and at a certain point, it pops and let's out coolant to relieve the pressure. Or, in this case, if that valve fails, then it will always allow coolant to flow out through that valve until the system has come to some kind of equilibrium. The telltale sign is that it'll go down to the same amount. In my case, it would equilize right above the bottom of the tank, 2cm above where the lower tank hose connects to the tank on the front bottom of the tank. So if you have that problem, then it could just mean that you need to replace the cap. So, check that first. Simple fix, and aftermarket caps are much cheaper than the dealer's expensive caps. $8 vs. $48!!!
Had the same issue! Lucky I was doing a carbon cleaning when I noticed coolant filled in valley. When I removed the only screw that holds pipe in it literally fell out of the thermostat housing. I found exactly the same pipe end! Scares me how cheap a lot of these Audi parts are! And yes just to change the belt is a pain unless you put it in the service position, which is a pain in itself, not hard just a lot of parts gotta come off. Great video I will try to post something soon.
I think this should definitely be a recall. Seems like this motor is notorious for this . I’m glad you figured your issue out. Leave another comment if you do post something .
The fun part about Audi is driving them. Working on them is a knuckle buster and a back breaker, the damn hard pipe coolant hoses can snap after they get brittle. I wish they used soft rubber hoses....
Absolutely no room to work, I end up breaking something else when I go to fix something.
Most time even if you take it to Audi dealer the will leave stuff broken like the electrical connector locks. I have seen many times screws bolts missing, fallen bits in the engine bay after returning from dealership.
You really have to know what you are doing if you are working on VW otherwise you can cause more problems than you started with...
Agreed . It was definitely a challenge, but also fun to work on . I felt accomplished once it was fixed . Well nice to know that Audi isn’t perfect lol . Thanks for the comment .
@@OneSquidOneBike There is a service position for the front bumper that gives a lot more room to the front of the motor. Worth the 20 minutes to do...FCP Euro has some great how to vids on the 3.0T motor that applies to all platforms....Here's one ua-cam.com/video/zMGjs3pDoQQ/v-deo.html
you are the only person who has explained this. My Audi a4 2006 model has the light keep showing , but ive changed the coolant reservoir twice and still the light comes on
You’ve probably got a leak somewhere . Hopefully external. That should hold what you put in up to the max line. Is your car running hot ?
Im here in 2024 and thank you. Appreciate your honesty and straightforwardness
Thanks, glad I seen your video. Watched another, but yours showed me away to test and find the same pipe with the end cracked off.
Hack: I attached a harbor freight no-spill radiator funnel kit adapter to the coolant reservoir and added an extension to the adapter to blow in. Then plugged the SC coolant hoses with my fingers, while blowing throw the extension into the reservoir. This revealed I had a leak at the pipe and thermostat connection. Removed pipe to discover the end cracked off.
Brah you doing the thang, I applaud you!
I appreciate it !
Nice post. Having unexplained coolant loss in my 2012 A6 3.0T. Now I know where to start checking. Looks like the blower is coming off. Sucks that such an advanced powertrain uses such cheap parts and no forward thinking...thx again...
Thanks for this video and explanation bro, super helpful. My S5 just started smelling of coolant the other day so looks like I’ll be doing the same job lol
I had the same problem. But there were multiple issues. Mine one had leaked at PCV valve. it was a hairline crack.
So I went ahead replaced the cross pipe (the same one you showed), PVC valve, Water pump, and thermostat at the same time. 2011 S4 70,000 miles.
The dealer would charge $1,500justfor the replacement of the water pump alone.
Did it all myself took three days to complete.
Now owned an S7.
Great job on replacing all of those parts! I’ll tell ya what, it’s a good thing to know how to work on your ow car when you own one of these videos. The dealership is a killer! How do you like your S7?
3.0T engines pain to work on but damn fun to drive. I got a 2009 A6 premium plus and I had an issue with epc light coming on and scan tool said oil pressure switch malfunction we'll I replaced one still did it come to find out their is a low pressure sender and a high pressure sender low pressure is in front of the oil filter and the high pressure is behind the oil filter on the back side of the engine I replaced it with the updated sender the purple one and no more epc light.
Thanks for the comment . I’m glad you were able to fix your problem! I definitely agree, they are fun to drive but a pain to work on:
Great video, I have the same problem, thanks alot
No problem. Hope you can get it taken care of soon!
this man loves three things. his car, music and his momma
Uggh..I have 2017 A7 and have coolant leak. Unfortunately, I’m taking it to the dealer since I don’t have the tools or patience to do this myself. I don’t trust independent mechanics either to work on this complicated german engineering. I expect it will be like $2k smh
Great video! Thank you for sharing and your honesty!
You’re welcome my friend. Glad I could help!
I have a 2016 A7 with just under 55K...slow coolant leak coming from the same area...I have an appointment at an independent shop to do work. Fortunately, I got an extended warranty when I bought the car 2 years ago.
Ha! I had the same happen to me this evening. I was in the middle of changing the PCV valve. I noticed a bunch of goop in the valley when removing it. I was very gentle with it but if broke off in the housing. This is a 2012 that I'm working on for a friend.
Good luck with that repair!
@@OneSquidOneBike Thanks!! I should've had the rest of the parts today but not sure what FedEx tripping on! That spring clip looks like it going to be a motha to get back on at the back of the engine. Any tips or tricks there?
@@jeffreygwinn5081 Awl man. I wish I still had the car. I don't even remember what the spring clip looks like lol. I honestly don't remember having any problems near the back of the engine. Most of my problems were in the front near the radiator, due to limited space.
@@OneSquidOneBike Thanks! I got all the parts today. Will hopefully have it all back tomorrow this weekend.
Good job! I believe this may be my issue and I already purchased the waterpump and thermostat. It looks like someone had the supercharger off before me so I’m guessing they did the work and still had a leak. Oh well!
Nice job finding the leak. Another must have tool for these cars is a ross-tech (VCDS) cable. It will save tons of money.
Thanks for the recommendation. I just looked it up. They tool definitely seems worth the investment!
I have a Audi I been driving for a few years now & for the life of me couldn't understand where I was loosing from & with that being said as of yesterday 2022 I now know what a freeze plug is one of the guys at Advance Auto Parts didn't even know or heard of this part before
2014 audi s5 prestige coupe 90k miles no sign antifreeze leaking, but there is a lose of coolant had tensioner put on in Dec. 2022,but do see some gel on oil fill cap,no misfire,oil change 1k miles ago,audi dealership had my car for 2 mths. Had below freezing a few weeks ago, do hear some burping from under my dashboard inside?
Appreciate the video can you help me identifying the hose which goes from the reservoir tank to the engine? I just replaced my thermostat housing and got a leak from that hose and just need help figuring out the name of that hose, so I can order it and get my baby back on the road.. 2018 Audi A6 2.0
Looking to buy a 2015 s4 soon. Thanks for the tips.
Apologies for being so frank & understandable if this was your 1st video but maybe 20% of what you were saying was useful the rest was just talking… Maybe 2 out of the 6 minutes was somewhat useful & the rest could care less about & actually can be annoying to those of us who are Type-A personalities. We just want to hear (who, what, when,how, etc). The cheerleading & story telling don’t go well with us.
That being said, several others commented your video being useful so Iam only 1 opinion as well as I commend you for even making a video which is much more than I have done so please don’t take this as disrespectful. Only offering true honest feedback.
Thanks for your feedback brother. I made this video years ago, and I like to be straight to the point, but this video wasn’t . I hope you were able to find something useful out of it. I’ll take heed for any future videos that I do. Blessings
I have a 2012 A7 prestige and have this mystery coolant leak as well. Although I overheated when i found out LOL. My question to you is, ? Mine does, yet it has no misfire and no loss of power. I dumped the oil and replaced and have yet to notice coolant again in the oil again. A mechanic tells me its a cracked head or head gasket but I'm hoping it's PCV, intercoolers, anything better(cheaper) than head gasket. 82k miles
Awl man!! Yes there’s always a possibility of a cracked head if it over heated. But hopefully you were able to shut the car off quickly when you found out to minimize the damage
Man bro. That sucks. That's good you identified the problem but, it's always best to replace some things if you have things off an it's accessible because eventually you will have to. But honestly, that's too bad that ended up happening to you. Sane thing happened to me a couple years ago where I had my eye on this 2008 bmw 750i sport for a few months. Researched it and all. Went to the car lot and asked all kinds of questions about the vehicle. The guys told me everything I wanted to hear. Before I even got the car home the whole left undercarriage body molding flew off on the freeway, and as the days went on there was one problem after another. I only drive the vehicle a couple months before sensors started going off. And my car started acting weird. And then one day, it happened. My check engine light comes on. I had it diagnosed by three different shops, $3600 for some engine work on one side of the block. Then, he said tge other side will more than likely needs repairing as well. $3600 bucks. Total job, $7,0000. I drove around town with no power in limp mode before noticing my gear selector lights keep flashing. By the time I got to the stop light and stopped. It didn't go in any gear let alone move. $7,000 tranny rebuild. So, after paying $10,000 cash plus upgrades totaling $3,000 I ended up selling and parting the vehicle out. So now, I have my eye on some audi a7's. Between 2012-2014 all sub models but am scared to invest because I hear that this is a common problem.
Damn bro I hate that happened to you. It seems like thats what it is when it comes to "older" luxury cars. It seems like thats just what comes with it. One thing that made me go ahead with the purchase of my A7 is the fact that it was leased. And leased cars as SUPPOSED to be maintained. I don't have my A7 anymore . But I do miss it, and I would definitely buy another one. However, with the A7 and probably any other luxury car, I'd try to stick with the most recent year that I can afford and I would definitely get the warranty... I declined the warranty when I got my A7 since I knew how to work on cars. But remember, this isn't a regular car, it's a luxury car! Get the A7, I promise, you'll love it. Just make sure you get an extended warranty if you plan on keeping the car.
I'm going to borrow a pressure tester from Auto Zone and determine whether the leak is in front of the supercharger or under it, before removing it. It only has a small drip that seems to be landing under the belts on a cross-member. Fingers crossed.
Hack: I attached a harbor freight no-spill radiator funnel kit adapter to the coolant reservoir and added an extension to the adapter to blow in. Then plugged the SC coolant hoses with my fingers, while blowing throw the extension into the reservoir. This revealed I had a leak at the pipe and thermostat connection. Removed pipe to discover the end cracked off.
Hey great video, how did you bleed air pocket in coolant system after you install the coolant pipe. Did you have any issue with heat after you add the coolant back to the system.
Hello. I didn’t have any issues with heat. You can take the top off the radiator to bleed it. Just be cautious so you don’t burn yourself. Replace the cap as soon as you feel it bubbling.
I changed the serpent belt yesterday on my 2005 Audi. During the change my hand just barely touched a coolant hose and what do you know - the old, fragile plastic nipple broke and the hose came loose from the pipe, spilling the fluid everywhere. "Premium" car
Awl man! Well at least they did a hell of a job designing the exterior of the car.
Thanks for the knowledge
i think I am having this same exact issue. took it to my local guy, he told me $1,600 due to cost of labor taking the entire engine apart for a pipe that cost $60.. I still haven't gotten it fixed. I am very "dyi" too but I wouldn't dare try this on my 2012 A6 3.0 smh. I hope you are able to put all of that back together!
Awl man! I hate to hear that! If you’ve got time, and the right tools, I say go for it! It’s not as bad as you think. Just take your time , label everything , and do everything in reverse. There is pretty much a step by step video on UA-cam
@@OneSquidOneBike can you help me find that video? after watching a few vids for the S4 i was able to locate the source of the leak (i think). engine valley is full of coolant under the supercharger, which leads me to believe its the same pipe that busted on your A7. but the process of getting to it is different than the S4 so not sure i can use the vid i found to guide me through the repair. i want to replace that pipe, the thermostat, and the water pump.
@@itsgrichtv what do you need help with ? I’ll try my best
Mate as a mechanic of 20 years I don't want to ever see one of these things in my shop lol
@@mitchellboyd5256 LOL ! That says a lot about these beautiful German machines
Great video, I've also had to replace my water pump because it was making noise and leaking.I did not have to remove my bumper cover, radiator or any of those body parts that I was told that needed to be removed to do this repair.I bought my pump for 146.00 from Jim Ellis in Cobb County and changed it myself because Audi was trying to charge 1k.The only problem I have now is a faint smoke coming from pipe during idle.Have you experienced this issue yet?
Wow. It’s great to know how to work on your own car isn’t it? Saves you a ton of money . But yes! I also have smoke coming from the rear . It really scared me because I noticed it in the summer time, so I knew it wasn’t because of the weather. I haven’t looked into it. In my old car , the faint smoke turned out to be the head gasket, but I don’t think that’s the issue here .
It could be very well be the headers bc they do start leaking after some time. I removed it and changed them myself. Same step as this but just removing the bolts to the headers and changing out the gaskets.
@@OneSquidOneBike did you ever change your pcv and was there ever coolant in your oil reason I ask before assuming it may be a head gasket? I seen someone had this issue lots of coolant in valley and in oil during oil change. They changed the pcv no more white smoke out of tailpipe!
@@bcruzin28 oh wow! No I never heard of that happening. I didn't change my pcv. Once I replaced the pipe, the issue was resolved .
Good video bro 💪🏼 same problem 😂
Need help my q5 is pouring out antifreeze from under as soon as I pour it in so i go under bottom and see my hose is off i put the hose back on now when i pour it in my reserve tank instantly goes empty but this time it’s not coming from from hose I literally don’t know where it is goin because there is no puddles on the ground any suggestions
Bro im doing that pipe right now. Got everything i need to do in there except that pipe. And thats been the worst part so far haha. Its common and not many videos showing getting that thing out.
Good luck bro!!!
Thanks for posting.
I have so many questions. im about to be one mechanic overnight. I brought so many parts, and it's still leaking.
Did you get it fixed?
good looking out!!
Where did you find that repair manual at?? I have a coolant leak on my 2007 Audi A3 2.0 and the dealership repair fees are crazy. Appreciate the help.
I bought the manual from Factory-Manuals.com. I paid $80 bucks for it. It was worth every penny. Over 7000 pages in it lol. Good luck!
Superchargers are belt driven turbos are driven by the exhaust
Where do you get the pressure tester from ?
I have the 2013 q5 v63.0 and it sitting in the shop and it like having the same problem and the mechanics trying to change the water pump
How can I get a copy of that repair Manual?
Good vid! I have an A6 with same motor and have been noticing a faint coolant smell. Gonna have to figure it out at some point I guess. How long did it take you to do?
Thanks ! Oh no, I hope you don’t have the same issue . With my work schedule , it took me about 3 days . However, I’m sure this can be done within 4- hours or less if you know what you’re doing . I took extra precaution just to be sure not to damage anything . If you need any help, just let me know. And don’t forget to label all of the tubes in the intake. Good luck!
@@OneSquidOneBike
Thanks brother! Appreciate you👍🏼
You still have the car? How's it running? Great vid
I don’t have it anymore
I just paid 2k at the dealership for them to do my PCV and Thermostat on my S5. Way to do it yourself, I don’t have the resources
hey bro I have an A6 2006 quattro and i drained the old coolant and put the new coolant in but the new coolant will not go down any advice?
Was ur car overheating? Or just losing coolant
It was trying to, because of the loss of coolant. The thermostat would open up, the coolant would start shooting out of the car, then once I would really (I’d see the needle going up), I’d immediately pull over and let the car sit.
Nice video...what the brand name of your coolant pressure tester?
Thanks ! It’s made by Snap On
Brah I have a question, Where is the thermostat located on this vehicle? I’m going to tackle that myself. $1100 parts and labor on mines.
@@tonystockersr5018 $1100?? That’s a ripoff ! Once you take the supercharger off, it’s pretty much right there on the left. It should be held on by 8 bolts . If I recall, there is a plastic pipe that may need to be removed before you can access it .
Great video where can I find a copy of the repair manual?
Thanks! I bought it online . I would be happy to give it to you but it’s literally over 7000 pages. So I’m not sure how I’d be able to send a file that big. I could try uploading it onto an online data server and you can download it from there
@@OneSquidOneBike do you happen to know which site because I bought one Monday from a particular site and I can’t download it or get in touch with support. I really need to fix this gas leak coming from the engine bay like ASAP because I’m unable to drive it
@@rsslljcks I got it from factory-manuals.com . They’re legit but it took a day or two for them to send the download link . If I recall correctly, there has lines are on the top of the motor . If you remove the super charger, they should be right there . I had to disconnect them when doing the coolant leak repair .
@@OneSquidOneBike hey bro let me ask you on taking the super charger off with all the harnesses like the throttle body and some others did you disconnect your battery first or did you have any problems when everything was put back together and starting it up for the first time?
@@rsslljcks Yes, I disconnected the battery that way all the electronics would reset once everything was reconnected. Also, did it just for precaution as well. The only issue I had as a check engine light for the exhaust. I forgot to plug up one of the tubes . Other than that, no problems , it crank right up and ran just fine.
Thank you
How lonely did it take u to take it apart
It took me about 3 days since I was on my 12 hour shift rotation at the time, but I’d say this would be a 3 hour job for someone who knows exactly what to do and and one day job for a DIY person with the time and mechanical skills. Just keep your bolts labeled because there’s a ton of them and they’re all different sizes. Good luck
I have a puddle of coolant in the same area and took my supercharger off and pressure tested it and it doesn't hold pressure but I don't see the leak. I don't get it, it loses 5 psi within about 10 minutes or so. After about 100 miles of driving it would go from the max line to the min line in the coolant reservoir.
Any idea of where it MIGHT be coming from?
@@OneSquidOneBike I'm hoping its the same as yours, or maybe the thermostat. Hoping its not the PCV. When you pressure tested you could see the coolant leak from the top pipe right? I think ill just have to take more apart to know.
@@fastslash25 I suggest taking it apart. You’ll have a lot more room to see all the coolant access and exit points. It’s not hard , trust me. Just go slow and label everything you take off. If you need help let me know, I’ll send you a few pages of the manual that show step my step details of the removal process
@@OneSquidOneBike Yea I've got the supercharger off. From what I've researched there's a bolt holding the top coolant pipe in that's hard to reach? its on the back I think. Ill try to figure it out, thanks
@@fastslash25 did you ever figure out your problem or coolant issue. Curious of u fixed it?
I bet these bungholes warranty the cars for 60k miles!! I’ve hit 70k and bam! Coolant is pouring out… I’m losing my mind.. plastic!!! Plastic 😡 🤬🤬🤬
Man good luck. I hope you’ve gotten it taken care of . Nothing like having a luxury car with this kind of problem
@@OneSquidOneBike 1200$. The water pump was 800 from Audi
@@paulywally3780 I’m glad you were able to get it taken care of
Hey, do you have a link to that compression tester?, thanks
I don't, but If you Google automotive coolant pressure tester, you'll find several links.
bro with a full time job, have done all that, makes you look like a pro! respect!! fcuk the dealerships :)
Haha I appreciate! Let’s not make these STEALearships any richer!
I just watched that other video too ... lol
I have an A7 and I think the same issue is in mine
Thanks for watching! lol. Did you get your issue fix?
Bro where you get the pressure tester?
Look it up on Amazon. My dad used to be a mechanic years ago, so I have no idea where his came from. Im pretty sure any auto parts store would have it as well
@@OneSquidOneBike thanks I’ll look into it
How many miles do you have on it?
65k at the time of the video . 82k now .
I have an Audi 2012 A6 leaking coolant I might have the same problem I might have to check the same hose open everything up
Good luck !
Can you share the repair manual?
Yes I could. But I’m not sure how I would get it to you. It’s almost 8000 pages lol . Huge file
BTW get to love it...
Audi's r worth it.
I have an issue now with the crossover tube
What happened with your cross over tube ?
Doesnt it hava an compressor instead of an turbocharger?
Supercharger
@@OneSquidOneBike As I biw it is supercharged, at that meqns that it has an compressor
No it’s has a supercharger definitely not a turbo
@@gapcityracing6086 I don’t know what made me say turbo charger . Correct, it has a supercharger.
You fix it?
Travis St.Marthe Sure did!
LiveLifeFree my friend has the Q7 and just had a coolant leak. Told them this may be the issue and all that needs to be done. Sucks
Travis St.Marthe I hope they figure it out without having to go to the dealership. Luckily I was about to drive for a few months before the coolant started pouring out like a water hose
Hi Travis! Great video and I appreciate you sharing your experience. I bought a 2017 q7 about 4 months ago and about a week ago I got the coolant light on, The level was low so I went a got a gallon from VW, and added about 3 cups of it to get it back to the proper level. Last night while I was taking care of the oil change, I noticed it is dripping coolant very slowly, it is so slow that I can’t see exactly where the leak is from. Thank to your video I can focus now on those 3 components: the plastic hose, the thermostat and the water pump. I dont know if my skills are good enough to tackle that job. Do you recomend replacing the water pump and thermostat at the same time since it takes all that work to get in there? My q7 only has about 55k miles
@@OneSquidOneBike yeah she had to use the dealer. She got stranded about 5 hours from home. It was a 6 hour job and they didn't want to change that hose until I told her to press it on them
I'm having the same issue at 69 thousand miles
Wow! Doesn’t make any sense. Have you gotten it fixed yet ?
Mines just went down too with a coolant leak my coolant drains out as I pour it in
Do you know where its coming from? Have you checked the coolant reservoir? First thing id do is take that it and check the lines and the reservoir for leaks/cracks.
Same thing I bought mine February 1 same problem
I hope you were about to get it fixed. It’s sad to see how common this problem is
+Elie Fakhoury did you ever find out the problem or what parts were changed. How many miles year of vehicle?
Unfortunately my engine locked up and had to engine swap to a new one lol so 10k later
I had about 95k miles when I bought it new engine came with 60k miles
Supercharger not turbo!
What is the name of that pipe?
It’s called a coolant pipe. It connects the heater core to the engine . Here’s the part number : 118546-02085325
Hope this helps !
This is the worst car ever it must be common. I have the same car and experience the same issue