multiple issues, what does it mean...

[Tripp]

Hi all

so ive been having a few issues with my petrol (none turbo) 2001 a3, let me list the problems;

1) low oil - had a full service about 5 months ago and had to put nearly a full 5l of oil in the engine yesterday...bit worried by this
2) had to top up coolant as it was at minimum levels, its been topped up two to three times since it was last serviced...again worrying
3)High fuel consumption low power, getting about 80 miles out of 20£ worth of fuel (15l) which isn't great
4) when I put air con on, im getting very noticeable judder through the steering wheel when idle and acceleration and responsiveness of the engine just disappears.

I cannot find any oil or coolant on the floor under the car so if there is a leak it must be a small one. ive not had the car scanned yet as it goes to the garage on Tuesday.

any ideas as to what the issue may be would be appreciated, never had these issues for the first six months of ownership, just been getting progressively worse over the past 5 months.

 

[<tuffty/>]

First thing to do is to do a full scan for fault codes... point three and point four maybe tied to a poorly MAF sensor... scanning for fault codes should bring this up (not always of course but its a start)

Oil consumption could be down to a tired engine... worn rings or valve stem seals as yours is non turbo... compression test and leak down test would be worth while...

Also do the usual checks for split pipes etc... NA engines will suffer just as badly as turbo engines...

Get a sniff test done on the coolant for hydro carbons... this could indicate a blown head gasket... this will not help performance either

<tuffty/>