ajg617

Got back from at trip to PA the other night. Yesterday, pulled back from where I parked and see a spot on the driveway. Thought it might be my leaky valve cover gaskets that I haven't gotten around to so pulled it over to another spot. This morning, a larger spot. Checked the degas bottle and the coolant level was well below minimum. I had been underneath the car a couple of weeks back and noticed what looked like a lower hose and clamp starting to leak at the upper end.

Took a closer look and pulled the front cover off. Coolant all around the front of the thermostat housing and dripping down. On further look, there is a raised ridge which the housing mounts to and it sure looks like it is cracked on the left side looking at the engine. It's a very noticeable fine line with fluid stains from the top of the block mount down to the recessed part of the block to the left.

I don't even want to think about a cracked block, but anyone have a rough idea of the cost to replace the thermostat and housing on a 3.2? I know the intake has to come off. With 97K on it, I'm sure they will recommend a carbon cleaning and water pump too.

It doesn't end. Broken coil spring on the 06, rear license plate light assembly on my wife's B6, prop shaft and motor mounts on my C5, AC and timing belt on the Jetta, coil pack and clutch on the Saab, and both alternators and probably an oil and EGR cooler on the Ford 6.0L.

freshfrompacificrim

thermostat on the 3.2 was relatively easy, removal of the top intake manifold and plastic coolant pipe is necessary. OEM Thermostat was around 100 shipped.
should take about 2-3 hours.
remember to buy a jug of extra coolant

ajg617

Turned out to be a corroded block surface where the thermostat housing meets. I can't imagine how the block would corrode on the mating surface between plastic and metal with Audi coolant?

life4sk8

How old is your car? Did you ever flush your coolant system? Did you put an other kind of coolant than the one recommand into your car? Old coolant or wrong type of coolant for many year into your system can become corrosive. It is a slow process but it can be harmful to our car. This is one of the reason of a rad failure. I have seen on an american car a head and block with pin hole on the wall of the coolant path and where the head gasket sit due to wrong type of coolant into the system. So we use a kind of putty paste to fix it but the head gasket job haven't last more than a year. Like everything else we put into our car, coolant is an other think to considerate is you want to avoid long term problem.

ajg617

Audi fluids and serviced by Audi. So I'm not sure why the corrosion, particularly between a piece of plastic and metal. It's an 06 with 97K on it.

KevinGary

Audi claims anti freeze is lifetime, so your post indicates that it was never changed.

ajg617

Well, it's been changed at least once. The intake has been off before, three studs broken, and non-Audi blue sealant all over the place. Don't know why or when it was taken off (2nd owner), but it was pre-70K.

KevinGary

Doesn't sound like it was serviced by an Audi dealer. Sounds like the prior owner abused the car.

ajg617

I have the service records from the prior owner and they are all Audi. I think the damage was done by the place I purchased it from. Buyer beware.

It's funny, I looked the car over and drove it - ran great, looked great. Downhill since. I completely missed that the belly pan was missing - my bad. I also missed the orange valve cover gaskets. Two clues that said walk away.

Hasn't helped that the repairs that my trusted indy did are failing (i.e. cam cover oil leaks) in less then a year. No wonder he called me out of the blue the other day to see how things were going with my C5 which he did the timing belt on and gave me back with a valve cover leak twice. Guess that he's a little light on business.