coolant below min.
 

first time i opened the hood since i got the car in april(3600 m), the coolant level is 1/2 inch below min., the car was parked since last night, should i just add coolant or call the dealer, is 1/2 " below min. alarming or it has to be much lower to be a water pump issue, no coolant smell inside the car & the temp. gauge always on half. need some input please guys, thanks

Take the car in for service and insist they replace the water pump. This is how it starts. I'm speaking from experience and low coolant level is consistant with all the other posts from those who have had WPs fail. Most likely the service dept will just fill it up and tell you to keep an on it. Believe me, it is a death watch. Where do you think the coolant is going other than leaking. Where have these cars been Known to leak? The WP. Get it replaced before it leaves you standed and you have to flatbed the car back to the dealer.I was in denial at first, but don't fool around too long with this. Winter is coming. IT WILL FAIL! Do you want to be left stranded somewhere? BTW, you will need G 12 ++ coolant.

Second opinion
 

Other doctor agrees!

"Take the car in for service and insist they replace the water pump. This is how it starts. I'm speaking from experience and low coolant level is consistant with all the other posts from those who have had WPs fail."

ok docs, i guess nothing like a confirming 2nd opinion, i was thinking wait another 1k for the 5k service, but i will schedule an appointment asap, i will add coolant meanwhile, thanks guys

Thats exactly what I thought. Waited until 5k service and was told everything was OK. Continued monitoring. 2 weeks later it blew.

i will definitely call tom., we'll see what happens

What's the build date?

Can't believe apr delivery still got the pump problem. Thought it was fixed by Mar build.

My 03/2010 build had the metal pump already.

Did buy your car in April with 3600 miles or is there 3600 miles on it now? You probably have the plastic pump. Don't wait insist on replacement.

I guess that I can now be welcomed to the water pump club. I was taking my son to the movies yesterday, stuck at a railroad crossing and noticed steam coming out from under my hood. I noticed that the temperature gauge was at about 50% when it would normally be about 25%. I then got the warning to turn off the engine and check the coolant level. After the train cleared I pulled into the parking lot of the movie theater and opened the hood. It was obvious that pressurized hot water was leaking from the front of the engine bay so I called Audi Roadside Assistance who arranged for a tow. My local dealer secures their parking lot so the driver could not drop my car yesterday. I am waiting to hear back this morning but I assume tha they are going to tell me that the water pump has died. I spoke with my salesman this morning who told me that he had not not heard anything about water pump issues on the new S4's so I cut and pasted about a dozen complaints from various Audi forums so his perusal. I picked up my car on February 8, 2010 and it has 18,500 miles on it. This is the first issue I have seen to date.

If you do end up having the metal pump I wouldn't sweat it. Mine came with 24 miles on it from the factory about 1 inch below minimum when cold and has been that way for almost 5500 miles. Been meaning to get it topped up but like to avoid the stealership at all costs!

Another well informed salesman. How would he know or care if there are WP issues?

i got the car new in april & now it has 3600 miles, they had the car on the lot for a while, so i'm sure it's before march build date

Look on your door for the build date, if it is 3/10 or later it's the metal pump... Or compare to the picture below. I have a 3/10 build date, it has the metal pump, and when I got it home and it was cold the coolant was 1/4" below min. I called the dealer and he said I could bring it by and leave it for the day and they would top it up -- or I could buy the coolant myself for $25 or something. Instead I've been keeping an eye on it and it has slowly fallen over the past 4 months, probably down around 3/4" below min now when cold. I suspect I have a small slow leak somewhere in the system. It's going in next week for the 5000 mile service.

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nvDruxCc2Bn-enKq630s99AjGhkfp2SvzOLCGu3D5ZM?feat=embedwebsite" ><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_YaHMk-nS-NE/TIuDvw4btEI/AAAAAAAABKA/Q9Xk9Msdc2s/s640/IMG_0221.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>

i checked the build date, it's 3/10, does it mean automatically it has the metal pump? and if that's the case, should i just add coolant & not call the dealer, or metal pumps are also prone to failure?

The only way to know for sure on the pump is to look yourself, but based on the date there is a good chance it is a metal pump. I haven't followed all the threads, but I don't think peope have had the typical all coolant lost issue with the metal pump.

Id keep an eye on it and if it is going down slowly over time have the dealer findthe leak.

If you do top it up - it has to be the g12 vw/Audi coolant, which I haven't been able to find anywhere but the dealer and online.

I had my car in for 5k service today and told them I've been watching the coolant level over the past two months and it has been dropping over time. After the service manager tried to explain to me why that was normal several times I finally explained to him why he was wrong.

They inspected around the coolant system and pump and found white powder and pink residue under the water pump. I have the metal pump, build date 3/10. The service info says they found seeping coolant when the pressure tested from the water pump seal to the engine body. So even with the metal pump, sometimes the connection/gasket isn't so great.

Luckily, it is a metal pump again this time, when they called and said they put in a new pump I immediately asked if it was a metal pump. The service rep knew what I was referring to and assured me it was a "good" one.

Leave it for a day for a top up?????