2014 Q5 TDI losing coolant suspecting water pump

[arjax]

We purchased our Q5 TDI a couple of months ago. The other day, I could smell coolant but no puddle underneath and no visible sign of a leak, but there's a significant loss of coolant from the reservoir. I borrowed a pressure tester today and the system had no problem holding 15 psi and no coolant was seeing leaking. In doing some research it seems the water pump may be the issue. I am wondering if it is leaking when running and then the coolant is evaporating while driving. Are there any other problem areas to look for? TIA

 

[craigldavis]

Congratulations!!! We did the same with a '14 Q7 a little over a year ago and love it!

I had the same thing on ours, though - smelled coolant, couldn't find a leak, no puddles, pressure tested fine. Dealer diagnosed it as a Water Pump leak (and the pulley was covered in coolant). I replaced the water pump and it didn't help. I was really scared when I saw that sometimes as soon as the engine warmed up, on acceleration we'd see a cloud of white behind the car ( just once on a drive and only on the first acceleration after warmed up). I was worried about head gasket issues.

Good news was the actual problem was covered under the TDI EPA Extended Warranty

The actual problem was a leak at the EGR Cooler in the valley where you can't see it.

Collant pools up in the valley and can't be seen. It only happens under certain scenarios, so you'll never see it leak even under pressure testing.

The "puff" of white cloud was the puddle splashing down onto the hot exhaust.

Tip 1: Fix it ASAP - mine leaked long enough that it then leaked onto the alternator and eventually fried the alternator. Expensive and not a quick replacement.

Tip 2: Ask the dealer about also replacing the seals on the Oil Cooler while they are there - even if you need to pay for parts and an extra hour of labor. The parts are BOTH attached to each other and it's an expensive job to get to them, and there is no warranty code for the Oil Cooler leak. Mine starting leaking coolant at the oil cooler after they fixed the coolant leak on the EGR cooler. Fortunately, after a month of discussions with Audi, they agreed to replace my Oil Cooler seals since it's attached to the EGR and should have been done at the same time.

Hope this helps!

 

[arjax]

Thanks for the reply. I have it scheduled to be seen on Thursday.

 

[bryanmabbott]

I picked up my Treg yesterday for oil and coolant leaks. All covered by the TDI warranty. The EGR cooler and the oil cooler was leaking both oil and coolant into the V but the coolant would dry before it made it to the ground. Lots of oil though. I was going through a reservoir of coolant every month or so, no rhyme or reason it would just suddenly disappear.

 

[A1sailor]

Hi Members, I have a 15 Q5 TDI, no issues yet for this leak. Can you tell me please where the EGR cooler and oil cooler are located please on the 3.0 TDI so I can watch for it.
Thanks

 

[craigldavis]

You can’t see them. They are both in “The Valley” (or “The V”) between the cylinder heads under the intake.
Signs of leakage are coolant or oil on the front of the engine - especially at the water pump and alternator.
You’d also smell coolant with no visible leak and notice low coolant with no visible leak.

 

[arjax]

I had the car checked out by the dealership today and they found no signs of leaks. The tech said he used a scope to check the engine V and water pump and found no signs of leaks. The coolant system held pressure for two hours with no signs of a leak. The tech said prior to us purchasing the car it did has some work done to the DPF system. He thought that perhaps when that work was done air bubbles weren't removed from the system. The drop in the coolant level was due to the air pockets making their way out. He topped it off and told me to keep an eye on it over the next few hundred miles to see if the level drops.

 

[arjax]

Okay...since my original post back in November the car has been back twice (it is there now). The second time back, the mechanic suspected that the reservoir and cap weren't sealing properly. The dealership replaced both. However, within about 700 miles of driving the coolant level was dropping and you could still smell coolant. They have had the car since Monday and still haven't been able to find the leak despite putting the coolant system under pressure overnight. I had them loan the car to one of their mechanics to drive it home which is around 70 miles. My hope with a long ride the car will be nice and hot for the mechanic to not only smell the coolant but to find the leak.

Clearly, there is a leak, but it seems without evidence of where it is leaking they are hesitant to dig into the motor.

 

[craigldavis]

I’m telling you, it’s probably either the EGR cooler or the Oil cooler.

You’ll never see them leak since (a) it will only happen at certain temp and pressure and (b) they are both in “The Valley” (or “The V”) between the cylinder heads under the intake.
Signs of leakage are coolant or oil on the front of the engine - especially at the water pump and alternator.

You’d also smell coolant with no visible leak and notice low coolant with no visible leak.

 

[craigldavis]

Here’s a video of the front of mine showing where the coolant seeped down the front. This was after the repair and before I cleaned it al off.

 

[arjax]

Thanks, I agree that has to be one of those items.

 

[enatman]

I'm in the same predicament.. 2013 q7 tdi swallowing about a gallon in 2 months? No fluid on the ground? No hose or other visible leaks under pressure? I still have the tdi warranty. But I expect opposition from the dealer. I watched the video. And saw a few stains but no coolant. What is they say no because it's easy to??

 

[arjax]

In my case, the dealership wouldn't do anything until coolant was visible under a pressure test. I have been finishing up a BHW swap into my 2001 allroad so I haven't done much with the Q5.

 

[enatman]

dealership called ...says it's not part of the emissions? then called back and said the egr is..NOT the hose??

 

[craigldavis]

Look in your TDI warranty book and see if it says this (my 2014 Q7 TDI book states):

"The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system, including EGR Valve, EGR Bypass Valve, EGR Cooler, EGR Filter, all related hoses and pipes, and all accessories and actuators"

Find yours online here if you don't have it handy: https://www.audiusa.com/us/web/en/compliance/diesel-information.html
Pick V6 3.0, then scroll down to "documents" and expand the one listed as "Approved Emissions Modifications" to pick your exact one (they are called "Important Information about your__(year/model)_ Engine".

 

[trevorl]

Look in your TDI warranty book and see if it says this (my 2014 Q7 TDI book states):

"The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system, including EGR Valve, EGR Bypass Valve, EGR Cooler, EGR Filter, all related hoses and pipes, and all accessories and actuators"

Find yours online here if you don't have it handy: https://www.audiusa.com/us/web/en/compliance/diesel-information.html
Pick V6 3.0, then scroll down to "documents" and expand the one listed as "Approved Emissions Modifications" to pick your exact one (they are called "Important Information about your__(year/model)_ Engine".

I have the same issue on my 2014 Q5. The warranty has expired. Is this considered a manufacturers defect or normal wear and tear?

 

[Tooonces]

Hello everyone, just joined today to say thanks to original poster for this thread "arjax" and to "cragildavis" for all the helpful info. My 2014 Q5 TDI has been leaking coolant for the last 3-4 months, no visible evidence of leak on driveway, maybe I lost my sense of smell, and two pressure tests at Audi Service reveal no leak. I had been driving around with 2 containers of coolant, refilling each time I get the warning on my dashboard.
Finally, on my way to work I get the Alternator warning light, "battery not charging" or something similar. Audi told me to drive to dealership asap. Almost made it to dealership, battery lost power, I'm worried about the damage I may have caused. They told me the EGR was leaking, as well as the water pump, and some residue, either oil or coolant, damaged the alternator belt. So all in all, this will be a $6,000 job (CAN$), I may qualify for 10% discount due to age of car.
The extended warranty says "the greater of either 10 years (193,000 km) from vehicles original in-service date OR 4 years (77,000 km) from completion of emission repair. My car has just over 200,000 km. If I did the emission repair at 123,000 km or greater, do I still not qualify since I'm over the 193,000 km threshold?

 

[TurboABA]

What's 123 + 77 ?