UrS6 - Engine Coolant Leak from where ?

[macspring]

RHD car.

I have a small engine coolant leak that shows itself on the passenger front corner side of the sump, and I can't see where the leak is coming from.

The water return turbo rubber pipe section and the bigger rubber pipe from the output of the thermostat housing look to be leak free. ( If it was either of them, the leak would be visible down the side of the engine would be showing in the middle of the of the passenger side of the sump, rather than the front passenger corner of the sump ).

It seems to me as if it is coming from the front of the engine behind the black plastic cambelt cover / where the spindle of the main coolant fan is ?

Does anyone have experience of such a leak in this area?

Or if anyone has any photos of the front of a partially build I5 20vt engine it would show me what's in that area.

Really could do without having to take apart a good bit of the front of the car and engine only to find I didn't really need to.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Monkeymagic]

Water pump?

[mcandmar]

Yup BTDT on our S4 not so long ago. Scary thing was the amount of play on the water pump shaft, was very lucky the timing belt didn't jump a tooth. At the very least get the cover off and check for leaks / belt tension.

[macspring]

Hi Mark,

Will do. I'm thinking that something may have got 'damaged' when the serpentine belt shredded recently ?

[mcandmar]

I don't see how, unless part of it damaged the radiator. I had a quick look for engine pics and found these from when i did the water pump, you can see where it was leaking from, and how loose that belt had become.

Looking at the pics the water rail runs out over the water pump, possible if something on the rail was leaking the water could run along it and drip down the end of the engine around the timing belt cover.

[vag_noob]

I don't see how, unless part of it damaged the radiator. I had a quick look for engine pics and found these from when i did the water pump, you can see where it was leaking from, and how loose that belt had become.

Looking at the pics the water rail runs out over the water pump, possible if something on the rail was leaking the water could run along it and drip down the end of the engine around the timing belt cover.

From the photo, looks like the top hose was leaking?

[Bowie69]

Sounds very like water pump, gave me squealing belts first thing in the morning before it got warmed up and evaporated off.

[Spyform]

change everything that can leak!

[UrS4boy]

Locations of potential sources of AAN coolant leaks

change everything that can leak!

Don't disagree but there can be a methodical way of targeting the potential solution.

Here is a link to the things that might leak. In this case, I would target the water pump, the water rail and the turbo coolant return hose for starters.

Locations of potential sources of AAN coolant leaks:

http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4s6/msgs/325087.phtml