Intermittent fault with coolant and engine management system

[clarebear]

I have read a few posts but can't find anything that sounds the same as my fault - apologies if this has been asked before but the audi garage don't seem to know what is wrong with my car and neither do I!!!!

my coolant light started coming on intermittently about 6 weeks ago. i booked my car in and explained the problem when they picked it up:
coolant light coming on intermittently for a few seconds then going off
checked coolant level several times, no loss of coolant
temp gauge occasionaly didn't work, would stay where it was when cold then go to the normal position after an hour or so

my car is a 2005 2.0 fsi - i have about 6 days left under warranty as i purchased from approved audi garage....

car was first in about 1 month ago, they kept my car for 2 days.... and replaced the coolant resevoir even tho i knew (and told them) there hadn't been any leaking coolant

got in my car to drive home about 10 mins after they dropped it off, coolant light came on straight away, light kept coming on and beeping 3/4 times and hour (a lot more frequently than before) i checked the coolant level - no sign of leaking.

booked my car in again i drpped it off at the garage this time (and got a very nice 2l turbo sline as the courtesy car - maybe to keep me quiet and forget how **** they are!)

anyway they told me there was a problem with the sensor on the new coolent resevoir! i wasn't convinced by this as the probelm existed before they swapped the coolant resevoir

anyway suprprise surprise my car still has the same intermittant problem with the coolant light coming on and also this weekend drivng along at 60/70 mph my engine management light came on and i lost power, when i came to stop (slowly) in a lay by the car really juddered and shook to a stop. i turned the engine off (looked in my manual) and started the engine after a few mins - no light so set off again.

any advice as to what might be the problem would really be appreciated as the guys at the garage really seem to be fobbing me off - the first time i took my car - i go not paparework (still not received it) and no mention of what was done, so 2nd time i went to the garage to try and have a chat and see if i could get to the bottom of it.

as my car is near the end of it's warranty period do you think they may be trying to fob me off or do you think the genuinely don't know what is wrong with my car?!?!?

thanks

clare

 

[clarebear]

sorry my car is an 05 plate so think this should be in the new A3 forum???

 

[Welly]

Yes indeedy, it will be an 8P not an 8L....:thumbsup:

 

[Welly]

However, your problem sounds a bit fishy to me... Pardon the pun on a water system problem!

I'd take it to an independant garage and get them to put the diagnostic equipment on it, just to get a second opinion personally. Normally anything that causes dash warning will be logged in the ECU. Especially if it turned off!

 

[clarebear]

I posted this on the older a3 forum by mistake so copied to here now.... any help/advice much appreciated.....
I have read a few posts but can't find anything that sounds the same as my fault - apologies if this has been asked before but the audi garage don't seem to know what is wrong with my car and neither do I!!!!

my coolant light started coming on intermittently about 6 weeks ago. i booked my car in and explained the problem when they picked it up:
coolant light coming on intermittently for a few seconds then going off
checked coolant level several times, no loss of coolant
temp gauge occasionaly didn't work, would stay where it was when cold then go to the normal position after an hour or so

my car is a 2005 2.0 fsi - i have about 6 days left under warranty as i purchased from approved audi garage....

car was first in about 1 month ago, they kept my car for 2 days.... and replaced the coolant resevoir even tho i knew (and told them) there hadn't been any leaking coolant

got in my car to drive home about 10 mins after they dropped it off, coolant light came on straight away, light kept coming on and beeping 3/4 times and hour (a lot more frequently than before) i checked the coolant level - no sign of leaking.

booked my car in again i drpped it off at the garage this time (and got a very nice 2l turbo sline as the courtesy car - maybe to keep me quiet and forget how **** they are!)

anyway they told me there was a problem with the sensor on the new coolent resevoir! i wasn't convinced by this as the probelm existed before they swapped the coolant resevoir

anyway suprprise surprise my car still has the same intermittant problem with the coolant light coming on and also this weekend drivng along at 60/70 mph my engine management light came on and i lost power, when i came to stop (slowly) in a lay by the car really juddered and shook to a stop. i turned the engine off (looked in my manual) and started the engine after a few mins - no light so set off again.

any advice as to what might be the problem would really be appreciated as the guys at the garage really seem to be fobbing me off - the first time i took my car - i go not paparework (still not received it) and no mention of what was done, so 2nd time i went to the garage to try and have a chat and see if i could get to the bottom of it.

as my car is near the end of it's warranty period do you think they may be trying to fob me off or do you think the genuinely don't know what is wrong with my car?!?!?

thanks

clare

 

[Ads]

Hi,

I had the same coolant warning problem as you.... once.
It happened one day after mucking about changing bulbs. When I started my car the coolant warning came on. Noticed that it caused my fan to come on aswell even though the car was cold as it had been sitting there all day.
Checked coolant level, it was fine. Turned car on/off/on/off, warning was still there.
Left it off for about 15-20mins and it went. Never came back.

Reading around the problem is mostly due to a faulty sensor in the resevoir, and is quite common.

Did they actually changed your sensor?? Maybe when they changed your coolant resevoir they didn't change the sensor. I'd get them to confirm this.

Your other option is searching for a member in your neck of the woods and getting them to scan you car for faults. This should tell you exactly what the problem is.
You can search using this thread http://audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=84603

 

[clarebear]

Thanks, if it was a faulty sensor surely it would be fixed - it is an approved audi dealership they have had it in on two seperate occasions for two days each time!

I still have no paperwork from the first time they had my car in, but when I spoke to them I asked why they changed the coolant resevoir even tho it wasn't leaking - they changed it because the sensor is in the collant resevoir - so this was the first time they had it in - car came back worse than it went in!
2nd time the fault was aparently due to faulty connection to the sensor - car came back the same as beore it went in the first time but with the addition of the engine management warning/lack of power etc
Third time - booked in for WED!

also once when i wanted to de mist the windscreen (normally works fine) it just blew out loads of damp air and i had to pull over cos i couldn't see anything! this only happened once tho a while ago - could it be linked???

i do know a local vw/audi garage that i would trust so if it comes back this week still not fixed I may take it there but as it is under warranty i am reluctant to spend the cash - any advice on warranty issues - I first rang reporting the fault early nov but my warranty runs out next week - if the issue isn't fixed this time round I assume they will continue investigating under the warranty???