audimontreal

I went earlier and changed my oil/filter and my mechanic told me that it seems i have a Head Gasket leaking the G12 antifreeze.
Mainly because past owner never changed the corrosive liquid and was sitting in the garage for over a year.
Car is not overheating, running great. Just leaking around 1L every few weeks...
He suggested I get a sealant powder or liquid antileak to add and once it seals it then we will flush the liquid with new one avoiding much labor intensive work especially if done @ dealership
Any advice, tips on what to do and which product to get?

audimontreal

I am not the "band aid" type and want to avoid any "sealant" I might get it fixed by my dealer or local german specialized shop
Your advice and input regarding price would be appreciated
Happy new year!

sergey_f13

I must say that there's not much you can do but to change the head gasket, it is a lot of work to do it yourself and especially even harder when you dont know what you're doing.
I changed it myself once after I heard how much it would cost me at the shop. I don't remember for sure how much it was but it was over $1000..... So I ended up doing it myself, I know it's not recommended but I always wanted to do something crazy like this and then say I did it, plus I had time to do it.
Dont even bother going to dealer, you will pay arm and a leg for it.

If you can't do it yourself find a good private shop to do it at that's all I can say.
Good luck.

audimontreal

Thanks Sergey!
I am far from prentending to be a mechanic lol
I think I will consult an Awdi independent specialist & avoid the stealership...here's some comments I got from another forum that I am sure could be of help for members here.
I am learning as we go...

First do a leakdown test or anything to verify a bad HG
I could simply have a leaking coolant flange, leaky J-plug, or a leak at the radiator tank seam.
I can buy hydrocarbon stirps that test my exhaust for a blown HG
I really really doubt a HG blew with 20,000k on it
G12 isn't corrosive, that's exactly what it's trying to prevent, and don't put that **** in there cause you'll just end up changing your head gasket AND have to fix a clogged cooling system
Most HG's will blow out and leak coolant into the cylinders making it run like crap and overheat. I don't know if I've ever seen one blow out and leak outside the periphery of the block/head

sergey_f13

now that you mention it.... if you not sure it's your head gasket, do a compression check. you can buy the tool at Canadian Tire (appx $35) and it's very simple to use, especially if you know how to change your spark plugs. Lisle 20250 0-300 PSI 14mm and 18mm Compression Tester just a clicky here to see what it looks like and instructions on how to use it come with it....

audimontreal

Thanks buddy...
I will do it in the next couple of weeks and keep you posted
Happy new year everyone!

Corrado_Guy

If you are leaking coolant then it is coming from somewhere or the car is burning it. OE G12 coolant actually stains so you will see a white/pink stain where ever it leaks in quantity. Use a mechanics mirror and look all around each flange, connection, and hose for wet spots or staining and this should indicate where the leaks are coming from.

There are some tubes in the cooling system up by the head that have o-rings, there are a few flanges on the head that have o-rings, and then there are the hoses, and the head gasket. If it is leaking up high you should be able to find it easily enough but it can also leak from the coolant pump or thermostat. The rad or heater core can also leak as well as the over-flow bottle or it could be the cap isn't holding pressure which allows coolant to leak.

If you had time you can just inspect every part of the cooling system by eye and probably identify the leak yourself. If you still don't find the problem then you can pressure testing the cooling system to ensure it is making power and then do a compression test on the motor with the rad cap on and off to see if there is any difference there. Make sure you take it to a shop that specializes in VW/Audi as well because these cars are unique. I would not take my car to a shop in any case but if I did and they wanted me to put stop-leak or any similar product in my car I would never go back. Find the leak, fix it properly, fill the cooling system with G12 coolant, and call it a day.

mksu19

Amen!

audimontreal

Thanks Corrado for some amazing advice and input...
I will try to take some pics tomorrow everything is so darn tight you can barely see or access anything

To me this is NOT acceptable I am sorry no matter how "unique" and dare I say problematic they are. They are not hand made Exotic cars after all...Some would say if you are not happy get a Lexus but this is not the point!
My story was really too good to be true and I am currently very very pissed at this situation. Is it normak for this to happen? why did it happen in the 1st place on a 20,000km car driven by a 75 years old person with full maintenance records? WTF Hundai have become more reliable than German engineering?
Ok I feel better now...

I will simply contact a local recommended Audi independent mechanic and get it fixed good once and for all and hope that it will not cost me an arm and a leg.

Corrado_Guy

That's not really a fair statement because these are reliable car but nothing is perfect especially maintained. I'm sorry but buying any car from a 75 year old is not what you would put on the good part of your assessment list because these cars are usually abused more. All cars have leaks and things break and that is why you see so many shops around so it is not just Audi that have these problems. When was the last time you had the cooling system checked and changed with a new thermostat? How old is the brake fluid in the car? How did the previous owner treat the car and what kind of maintenance did the car get? Mine never breaks neither do my other cars which are also perceived as unreliable and I ride them hard but I don't put them away wet. Every time you have the cooling system drained you should be replacing the little o-rings because these harden and shrink/expand and leak and you should be inspecting all hoses at the same time.

I don't think they are any more or less reliable than most other cars but you should always get someone who is familiar with the car and honest. All cars have common problems so when you take the car to a specialist they can spot these things right away because they really know the product whereas other mechanics can be chasing their tails on your dime because the problem is misleading. If you own a Nissan you should be taking it to someone who specializes in that brand just like an Audi, or VW, or Harley because those are the people who know them inside and out. This only benefits you because they should know the car and be able to see the problem right away and give you your best bang for automotive repair buck. Again, brand does make a difference because there are people who are good at working on cars but you really want someone that knows your car.

A lot of this stuff you can do yourself as well if you don't want to pay someone to do it for you because it is really not all that hard. It is just a big puzzle and if you look closely you will see it is not too complicated and a lot of these things you probably could do so you don't have to pay a shop. I have never had any formal training in auto mechanics and so far I have found nothing that I can't do with simple hand tools including wheel bearings or transmissions. If you are ever unsure just ask here and post some pics and someone will hopefully be able to help you. If you look at the labour you pay at a shop it doesn't really take long before you can buy all of the tools so you can fix it yourself.