Cameron_NH

2003 AR 132K miles 6 - Speed - no other known problems besides listed below.

So as I was heading back to my barracks tonight my car popped the coolant warning up and I quickly pulled off to the nearest parking lot and saw the coolant temp was all the way up hitting the H. I shut the car off and popped the hood and started checking it out. The front of my engine is soaked in coolant and it's pooled in the engine under panels.

My question is what might be the cause of the leak here, water pump?

09mehashaw

Could be a ton of different things.
Pull off the belly pan and check it out.
Your radiator might be jacked, your coolant over flow tank might be cracked a t-fitting could be ruined, the afterpump could have crapped out...

Teutonix

Massive water pump leak is unlikely. They usually leak slowly around the shaft and the bearing self-desctructs. A few possibilities:

1) Thermostat housing crack/leak. Not uncommon.

2) Aux coolant pump (under the intake mani). Also pretty common.

3) Plastic T-fitting right off of the coolant reservoir. Common.

4) Coolant reservoir itself. Less common.

5) Radiator or hose connection leak. Pretty rare, but a possibility.

6) Head gasket failure. Pray this isn't the case.

Cameron_NH

So I was pretty busy today and didn't get to post back sooner today. I did try finding the leak on my own and it looked to be coming from the T-fitting but not a 100% sure. I got the AR towed to a local shop near me to be checked out since I don't have the time or space to be pulling my front end apart to truly find the problem. They called me today and informed me my water pump housing had cracked open. It sucks not having a place to work on my own car any more cause I feel like I'm being taken to town on the work I'm paying for :|

ezveedub

I wonder if it was the electric after-run water pump that leaked. Never seen the actual water pump housing in the block crack open, which is practically impossible for a metal pump to due.

Cameron_NH

I didn't see it myself yet since I am without a car to go look at it myself. All I know is that they told me it was leaking from the water pump and that it looked like the timing belt and water pump looked like they had never been changed at 75K miles

ezveedub

Well, if you do change them, I recommend the factory water pump. I would replace all the rollers and tensioner parts as well if they've never been changed with 132K miles. The aftermarket water pumps can be iffy and sucks to do twice if it leaks in a short time after installation.

all(over)road

It's hard to beleive that your car's belt wasn't replaced at one time and it's still intact at 130K+.

My housing had cracked too...and it did it not long AFTER I did the belt for the 2nd time at 160K. I was pretty pissed. The part is cheap enough...it's the labor that hurts to get to it. Sheesh.

Cameron_NH

I guess I feel better knowing this isn't the only case of the housing cracking and yeah labor costs are insane. They're charging me for 9 hours of labor.

all(over)road

Yeah, unfortunately 9hrs sounds right; that is book time....my guy did it in about 3-4 hours (paid him for 6 I think)

It's like doing a t-belt in that the front end needs to come off. Big PITA labor thang getting to it...as you know. Good luck !! Make sure they use a genuine Audi part.