Bad gas mileage and smell of burning coolant
08-29-2018, 05:15 PM
#1
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Bad gas mileage and smell of burning coolant
Facts
-b6 A4 1.8t front wheel drive auto
-has felt sluggish and gas mileage deteriorating
-never has overheated or temp gauge even migrated anywhere past normal
-mysterious missing coolant with infrequent small drip visible under car
-only visible leak coming from overflow/overpressure release in coolant reservoir
-replaced reservoir and multiple caps
-only check engine code seen is p171 (left bank lean)... unsure if related but have yet to find a vaccume hose leak although I’m sure it’s somehere
-heat in winter and a/c in summer are intermittent but frequently work well
....not sure what other symtoms I can describe but any help is appreciated.
I have been worried it would be a head gasket but have not had the tell tale overheating or white smoke of any kind but it does have that sweet smell of burning coolant. No visible coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant reservoir.
The water pump and timing belt were changed less than 10k km ago
it currently has 160 000km on it
please help point me in the best direction before it’s too late.
-b6 A4 1.8t front wheel drive auto
-has felt sluggish and gas mileage deteriorating
-never has overheated or temp gauge even migrated anywhere past normal
-mysterious missing coolant with infrequent small drip visible under car
-only visible leak coming from overflow/overpressure release in coolant reservoir
-replaced reservoir and multiple caps
-only check engine code seen is p171 (left bank lean)... unsure if related but have yet to find a vaccume hose leak although I’m sure it’s somehere
-heat in winter and a/c in summer are intermittent but frequently work well
....not sure what other symtoms I can describe but any help is appreciated.
I have been worried it would be a head gasket but have not had the tell tale overheating or white smoke of any kind but it does have that sweet smell of burning coolant. No visible coolant in the oil or oil in the coolant reservoir.
The water pump and timing belt were changed less than 10k km ago
it currently has 160 000km on it
please help point me in the best direction before it’s too late.
08-29-2018, 05:23 PM
#2
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I’ve read a few similar threads and can’t find any answers.
Some ppl point at the tranny? I know this model did have issue with it and have tried to maintain it every year or so with fresh cvt oil. I have noticed past jerking before immediately changing/topping up the cvt oil and it seemed to go away instantly.
Some ppl point at the tranny? I know this model did have issue with it and have tried to maintain it every year or so with fresh cvt oil. I have noticed past jerking before immediately changing/topping up the cvt oil and it seemed to go away instantly.
08-31-2018, 05:01 PM
#3
Fill up the coolant reservoir, leave the cap off, start the car and wait for it to warm up. Look for bubbling in the coolant. If so, you have a leaking head gasket which is over-pressurizing the system, causing the coolant to be discharged from the reservoir.
08-31-2018, 05:05 PM
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That’s a great tip. Thanks
was so worried it would be head gasket related.
if I do find that there is bubbling, i don’t imagine head gasket leaks can really be reparied? Just head gasket replacement?
:’(
was so worried it would be head gasket related.
if I do find that there is bubbling, i don’t imagine head gasket leaks can really be reparied? Just head gasket replacement?
:’(
09-01-2018, 05:59 AM
#6
Well, it's a wing-and-a-prayer kind of thing as far as the "fix in a bottle" products. I've tried them twice, both times on cars that I was going to dump if the fix did not work: an '85 Volvo with that miserable V6, and a '98 Subaru with their worst motor ever.
There are two general types of head gasket repair liquids, those that require a complete flush of the cooling system, and those that do not. I did flush the Volvo, put in the stuff, and bingo! it worked, and stayed sealed for at least a year until another terminal issue arrived. On the Subie, I tried the product that said you could just put it in the coolant mix. It did not work. That motor, btw, was notorious for blowing its head gaskets.
There are two general types of head gasket repair liquids, those that require a complete flush of the cooling system, and those that do not. I did flush the Volvo, put in the stuff, and bingo! it worked, and stayed sealed for at least a year until another terminal issue arrived. On the Subie, I tried the product that said you could just put it in the coolant mix. It did not work. That motor, btw, was notorious for blowing its head gaskets.
09-01-2018, 06:03 AM
#7
As to "what do you have to lose" on a Audi, I have no idea. Could the gasket sealer get someplace and clog it up, like the heater core? No idea. Maybe someone here will chime in. In my case, I didn't care, as the cars were junk if the fix failed.
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