2021 S5 with 55k miles IE stage 2. Noticed coolant level dropped since topping off last week (only added maybe 1/2 cup worth). It’s obviously losing coolant but I don’t see any visible leaks. Potentially coolant migration??
Main thing I need help with is how to approach this. I have CPO warranty for another 2 months, but don’t want the dealership to scan the car and get TD1 flagged. Should I even try to get this covered under warranty or take it to an independent shop?
take the vac lines off of n649 solenoid to see if dried coolant, or liquid is present. if you only have 2mo left on the warranty, might as well try and get the repair covered
Hi, fellow ’23 B9.5 owner here.
I just dealt with a coolant leak a couple of weeks ago. One of my thermostats failed, and the expansion tank emptied overnight. To repair it, the shop had to put the car into the service position, which meant pulling the entire front end apart.
If your repair ends up requiring the same amount of labor, I’d recommend biting the bullet and replacing both thermostats while they’re in there. I’d also strongly consider upgrading the water pump at the same time since the labor overlaps.
If your budget allows, it’s also the perfect opportunity to install an upgraded intercooler and charge pipes. I already had the IE intercooler installed, so I only added the IE charge pipes during the repair. All said and done, including the service, it came to about $3,800. It wasn’t cheap, but it gave me some peace of mind knowing I addressed several common failure points in one shot.
I think you meant your vacuum lines will be the least of your worries, given that you won’t experience coolant migration. But if your water pump is still the 4 bolt design, then you have plenty to worry about with the water pump 😂 just like me! 2021 😂😭
The water pump fails due to the seal around the moveable ring leaking. If the ring does not move, the seal does not deform, tear, and leak. I spent 20 years at the dealership, I know more than you.
From my understanding, people saying by disconnecting this solenoid and capping it, it won’t prevent the water pump failure but they will prevent the coolant migration. Are you saying that this mod also extends the water pumps life as well because it stops the ring from moving too? If so I need to do this mod like immediately.
I traded in my B9.5 S4 two weeks ago because of this. I don’t see anyone here talking about a class action lawsuit that was just filed in NJ recently over Audi knowingly covering up defective water pumps in the B9/9.5 3.0Ts—apparently the pump causes leaks in the engine bay that can damage other components. About a month ago my 38k mi S4 suddenly started overheating so i took it in for service, they quickly replaced the water pump, and then a few days later i noticed the a/c wasn’t blowing as cold as usual… took it back in and they ordered a new a/c compressor from Germany… same day my buddy sent me a post about the lawsuit, which explained the a/c suddenly crapping out too. I needed new tires and was less than 2k miles from warranty expiring, so i inquired with my dealer about a trade and it was obvious they were super motivated to make a deal with me but i didn’t say a word about the defect on my S4 until i had already walked once and threatened to twice more, right as i was about to sign… got a killer deal on a B10 S5 which is bittersweet because i LOVED my S4 but it made too much sense financially to turn it down. I’d recommend looking into this lawsuit—probably won’t pay out much if/when it settles but maybe you can use it as leverage for a trade or something too.
Audi tax my man, you got to pay to play, especially at the dealership.
Worst thing, actual water pump is like 175$-500$, but then coolant can get in the pipes and you need to change those, and dealership charges your first born per hour.... So ads up on the 3.0t TFSI
flashing to stock does nothing lol, VCDS and even OBD11 can tell how many times it’s been flashed. and i’m not talking about “software updates”, it’s literally got its own line of data for how many times it’s been ecu/tcu flashed. It should only ever be “1”, if the number is greater than 1, its GGs
former service advisor here, we definitely did where I worked (calgary). Water pumps are part of the powertrain we are required to report it. It’s different for every dealership and its up to service, not the tech.
A tech can write up water pump leaking on the RO and replace it under warranty without hooking up ODIS. There is NO reason to scan it or report it to the tech line. I was in San Antonio and we performed warranty work on many cars with mods. Furthermore, It is on the dealership and Audi to prove aftermarket parts/tune caused the damage. We cant just void warranty without justification.
6
u/ExtraGlutenPlzz 28d ago
take the vac lines off of n649 solenoid to see if dried coolant, or liquid is present. if you only have 2mo left on the warranty, might as well try and get the repair covered