Audi A3 TDi '05 with a coolant issue.

[slinxy]

Hi

My poor car has a coolant leak somewhere.. I topped up the coolant on Friday before work with tap water as I didn't have any coolant to hand in the morning just above the min level, then later over topped it above the maximum level with coolant as the new bottle of coolant was a bit hard to handle. But today on the way home from work the warning came on again. I checked when I got home and it was below the minimum level again. So I topped it up bang on the max level this time, after a short trip the the movies and back it was down by about 5mm on the tank.

I checked the what seems to be the only two connection pipes on both ends and they seem tight enough and radiator as spots of coolant on it itself. Whats more worrying is the pool of liquid under the radiator sightly to the right of the center...

Can anyone give any pointers on what it's likely can be or what I can check for... I have very limited mechanical knowledge or experience and I need my car not to blow up, for me not to do any major damage to it till the Friday after next when I have time to get someone to look at it. Will it be ok to drive sensibly if I keep my eye on it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[classicVin]

So the level in the coolant/ header tank is defiantly dropping ? If not then it could just be a faulty header tank sensor. If it is dropping then it could be Oil cooler leaking, or could be the radiator itself.

 

[Ben Cole]

I think you know. The radiator/radiators maybe cracked and are leaking.

The auxiliary radiators in my S4 did this.

 

[slinxy]

Yes the coolant level is defiantly dropping as I see the level of it when I'm topping it up.

From a poor diagram of engine, and the location of the pool of liquid, I'm going to guess that its the lower/exit (???) pipe that's loose or split;. The top two seems fine, and my engine temperature stays at 90 as it always have. Would this be a good guess? for why there's a pool of liquid there and why there's only spots of coolant on the radiator?

But it needs to go on ramps and for the under tray to be removed before I can check for sure... looks like its a job for a pro..