coolant loss

[wolfsburg edition]

Hello to all.
I know this great forum for a long time but this is my first post.
I own a 2002 s3 and have a problem with my coolant level for a long time.
I keep topping it up but cannot find any leaks (1litre every 1000km).
I have to admit that it starts real crappy when cold for half a minute and there is a bit of white smoke coming out of the exhaust but for the rest it works perfect.
The engine has covered 155.000km and has been taken care of like it is a baby(warming up,cooling down,oilchanges,etc...).
Hopefully someone can help me out .
A desperate Belgian.

 

[s3dave]

Hello to all.
I know this great forum for a long time but this is my first post.
I own a 2002 s3 and have a problem with my coolant level for a long time.
I keep topping it up but cannot find any leaks (1litre every 1000km).
I have to admit that it starts real crappy when cold for half a minute and there is a bit of white smoke coming out of the exhaust but for the rest it works perfect.
The engine has covered 155.000km and has been taken care of like it is a baby(warming up,cooling down,oilchanges,etc...).
Hopefully someone can help me out .
A desperate Belgian.

Hi and welcome...is there no sign of leaks on the ground?

 

[jojo]

Mine use to use a bit of coolant over long periods of time, and there was no sign of leaks. Found out it was the waterpump during the cambelt change, it was weeping very slowly from the seal, so lucky I was changing it to the metal impeller one anyways.

 

[Broken Byzan]

I would be worried about the white smoke, it sounds like a headgasket failure. The missfire on start up is the spark plug tip covered in water and not sparking untill its warmed up slightly.

 

[wolfsburg edition]

The only leaks i find is from the airco.
Hopefully my worst nightmare won t come out being a blown headgasket.

 

[Welly]

I would be worried about the white smoke, it sounds like a headgasket failure. The missfire on start up is the spark plug tip covered in water and not sparking untill its warmed up slightly.

I'd be inclinded to agree with Mark - get a compression test done.