Mugello Avant joins the club - All Sorted

[Dxthomas]

Issue #1
White smoke noticeable from both exhausts. Doesn't appear to create more smoke on revving - infact, is more noticeable on start-up and tick-over. I don't remember the car having always done it - noticed it 3 or 4 months ago. Some symptoms / indicators which may help diagnose:

• Rich smell from exhaust

• exhaust tips look more sooty than i would have expected - albeit this may just be normal?

• the coolant warning light came on for the first time last week, requiring 1l of top-up

• At the same time as the coolant warning light, the a/c intermittently won't budge off ECON mode - blowing warm air through the vents

• the external ambient temperature guage has been pretty bonkers since I purchased the car - often reading 5-10 degrees warmer than it actually is

• car runs and drives perfectly. No start-up problems

So, yesterday took the car out for a good long run - and the a/c is still mostly forced off (ECON mode). During some stop/start traffic noticed for the first time ever, that the coolant needle moved (up) from the usual static 90 deg. Didn't continue to rise - just stayed at roughly 95 deg.

Have come back from a run this morning where the needle stayed at 90 deg. but the a/c is still on ECON. Noticed that the fan is running a fair bit (working hard). Just done the diagnostics trick via. the a/c unit - and had a coolant temp. reading of 95 deg. which; whilst sat idling for 5 mins - rose to 99 deg. The needle on the dash gauge didn't budge off 90 deg.

The car is booked in to my local garage next weekend. Appreciate any thoughts beforehand. Reading up on this forum - maybe coolant temperature sensor / sender?

[bam_bam]

Fan controllers working?

[Shoppinit]

There's definitely a cooling system problem, then. Either:

1. Head gasket
2. Water pump
3. Thermostat
4. Fans

Might be coolant sender, but it appears to be giving coherent values.

[Dxthomas]

Sounds like a very nice car, similar to mine.

Re the leak, I'm currently having new radiator (& cam belt etc change) at Unit 20, fortunately Warranty Direct today phoned to approve under warranty. Hope yours is something simple or you might want to hide from your wife!

Good luck.

Well, Capt Ric - you might have hit the nail on the head. Just had a call from the garage, who have found a coolant leak on the radiator. I've told them to replace with OEM (probably from TPS) - but I've just looked on the forum and seen that they can cost circa. £800!!! I might have to call them back in the morning. I've also decided to have the cambelt changed (along with usual ancillaries) at the same time.

No sign of a head gasket leak (ref. white smoke from exhausts) - although they are going to do a "sniff" test on the coolant to check for presence of some kind of gases??? Don't quote me on the technical element - I might have got that horribly wrong.

The a/c has thrown a "low pressure sensor" fault on Vag-Com - which apparently is an easy (cheap) fix.

As for the brakes - they're going to adjust the pedal linkage/rod to help take up the slack/dead travel.

Time to raid the savings jar again!

[Shoppinit]

Doesn't explain the high coolant temps, unless the system couldn't pressurise because of the hole in the rad.

The a/c switch explains your econ mode, although it's normally the high pressure switch that fails. You sure it's not that one?

[chunky79]

unless the system couldn't pressurise because of the hole in the rad.

Good chance it's that Shopp.

[Dxthomas]

The a/c switch explains your econ mode, although it's normally the high pressure switch that fails. You sure it's not that one?

You are correct - it's the high pressure one.

Are there any other "good to do" items at the same time as the cambelt - other than water pump, thermostat etc?

[Shoppinit]

Make sure you do all the tensioners and rollers. See the DIY in the FAQ for parts list.

[Dxthomas]

Can anyone help me determine exactly which radiator I need for the car (2003)? I have done a little bit of reading on the forum - and it seems that the following part numbers MAY be applicable:

4B3121251 D
4B3121251 E
4B3121241 F

Also - Valeo 734 859?

Any other suggestions of decent non OEM radiator makes / models / suppliers???

From reading around - pre 2004 cars should have a much more simple radiator which can be had for somewhere around the £150 mark. All help appreciated.

[Shoppinit]

Depends on your VIN.

E up to 4B-3-904 100
F from 4B-3-904 101 on

[Dxthomas]

Can anyone help me determine exactly which radiator I need for the car (2003)? I have done a little bit of reading on the forum - and it seems that the following part numbers MAY be applicable:

4B3121251 D
4B3121251 E
4B3121241 F

Also - Valeo 734 859?

Any other suggestions of decent non OEM radiator makes / models / suppliers???

From reading around - pre 2004 cars should have a much more simple radiator which can be had for somewhere around the £150 mark. All help appreciated.

Well, given the prices and availability of the (4B3121251 E) radiator, I took a gamble and sourced an NRF radiator with part number 4B3121251 D. It arrived at the garage today - and it fits! Hurray! I bought it from Mister Auto in the end - cost circa. £220 - not too bad.

On the downside, my garage have found a few other gremlins whilst they've been rummaging in the vacinity. Oil cooler pipes - over £400 for two of them. Oh - and they're seized on to the cooler itself - so might end up costing another £900 for a new cooler. There were some other more minor bits they've found too - but i've forgotten what they are. Must be from the knock on the head after I fell off my chair!

Worst of all - the car now won't be back on the road for my holiday road trip next week. Looks like i'm taking the Octavia instead - woo-hoo! It kind of makes me mad that not only does the car want to bankrupt me at the moment (shouldn't be a total surprise I know - but still hurts) - but I can't even get the pleasure of driving it on my hard earned holiday.

Moan over. I'm sure it will be just as fun in the Skoda.

[Shoppinit]

Dude, search on here for Dremel and oil cooler.

[ChrisRS6]

Seems all 'standard-fare' for RS 6 ownership.

My way of dealing with all of this over the 6-ish years I owned one was to have a budget of £1k in your head for each item that needs attention, then you won't be too far off.

It'll be a pleasant surprise if something comes in under £1k.
(I did none of my own work, entrusting the car to MRC or Audi Newbury).

Some years it was just standard servicing and some years there were bigger repair bills.

It's all totally worth it though. Awesome cars.

[chunky79]

Dude, search on here for Dremel and oil cooler.

I'm going to be starting this job the weekend, as long as I get time. The hoses are bloody expensive

*edit. Are they the engine oil cooler hoses? If so, you may find the one of them is on back order.

[R5XVB]

...and FON.

I had a similar issue with mine when I got it and for the love of God don't scroll back through my posts, you'll cry with fear.

That white smoke for me was the turbo starting to fail. I am no expert on this topic but what the mechanic at the Audi specialist did was hold the revs static at 2500rpm for about two minutes, within that period it starting smoking like a bears arse in a forest fire and also noted was the rich smell you described. I'm hoping that's not the problem, hopefully it is something else and from my experience the car was running really well (or felt like it was) other than the occasional puff of smoke.

The car is heavy, so brakes are fundamental and any upgrade is good but great advice in the thread already.