2006 AUDI A4 1.9TDI SE ENGINE PROBLEMS

[beanchild]

Hi all my poor audi has broken down i started it one morning and all i could see was white smoke/steam didn't know at this stage what was happening so after running it for a while the engine coolant warning light came on i popped the bonnet and the water reservoir was empty i no it was full last week as i did a full service on it all filters and a oil change car drove fine for over a week then this happened the car has always had a very small vibration on idle and on acceleration it kinda felt like i was pushing the accelerator pedal up and down ever so slightly so i don't know if that was a indication of my problem now so i expect my head gasket has went my heating stopped producing heat about 3 weeks ago sometimes it did work then sometimes it didn't and the car never overheated can anybody help me under stand how to figure out whats wrong with the car and how to fix it and what parts i would need to replace and maybe and other parts i could replace while i have the head off to replace the gasket i'm good at fixing cars but just don't know how to diagnose them or maybe don't have the confidence to diagnose lol if anybody can help me it would be much appreciated don't want to loose my audi as i'm driving a renault scenic as a back up such a downgrade Thank you all in advance  

[The Brummie Mechanic]

Hi I think you have answered your own question, it does sound like it is burning water somehow. And the most obvious is the head gasket. Dip your oil and check for sludge or mayonnaise looking cream in the oil or the oil filler cap. Also sniff the coolant reservoir and see if it smells of anything other than coolant, like oil or fuel, carbon like smells, anything combustion like that.

Everything you have said is pointing towards head gasket.

If you access to a compression tester or a coolant pressure tester you can "basically" prove the head gasket. 

With a compression tester one or more of the cylinder pressures will be down but that doesn't prove head gasket, just proves an issue with that cylinder. But in conjunction with a coolant pressure tester you can attach both testers to the engine, build up pressure in the coolant while watching the cylinder pressures. If the cylinder pressure rises even slightly, you have a blown gasket. And this test can be done the other way around, just watch the coolant pressure build as the engine is being cranked. This means air fuel oil etc is being pushed into the cooling system somewhere like the head gasket.

Something to start with mate hope it helps.

 

(Just to add, headgaskets are usually easy to diagnose with a multitude of faults or signs showing up. Check around the head gasket itself for signs of oil leaks and or coolant leaks for example)

[Magnet]

Hello Jason,

Although I agree with Chris’ suggested checking routine, personally I would not be assuming you have headgasket issues until you prove you have. Coolant loss is coolant loss, and may ( just may) be due to coolant finding its way into one of the combustion chambers - but the loss may not be due this. White smoke may be due to coolant being burnt in the combustion chamber, but it may not - could simply be condensation. I would be topping up the coolant and looking for possible leak sites, then taking the car on a 5 mile run and on your return, rev the engine to 2000rpm and hold it steady at these revs for 2 minutes and observe and smoke from the exhaust. If there is any evidence of white smoke under these conditions then it might be time worry.

’Mayonnaise’ might be a sign of coolant getting into the lubrication, but it could simply be due to condensation. 

If this were mine, I would first be looking for exidence of leaks then carrying out the above simple smoke test. Other tests can then follow if necessary.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

 

[beanchild]

Hi all thank you for both replies I appreciate it I don't think it's condensation in the exhaust I could fill the engine coolant up and start the car and after about 5 mins running it's used all the water up via the exhaust pipe I'll do some of the tests that The Brummie Mechanic suggested and see what results i get from that I really miss my Audi you can't beat the feel of a Audi I sit in it some days just to air it out and wish I could take her for a spin lol