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New a6 allroad 3.0 diesel - water pump failure!


Agent Orange
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Driving along last Sunday and coolant warning light came on. Then switched off. Then came on. Then switched off. Hmm. Must be an electronic fault as engine temperatures were normal I thought. Got home. Decided to have a look and guess what, coolant levels were dropping whilst I watched! Great for a new car less than one year old and 15000 miles on the clock! :mad:

Having got Audi Assist out they took the car off the dealers and its a water pump failure. Having had a hunt around various forums this seems to be a widespread problem for the 3.0 diesel. I have seem stories of Q5s and Q7s with the same problem.

Apparently Audi are aware of this problem. The fix involves a new pump (doh!) but with a metal case rather than a plastic one. Further, there seem to be some supply problems with the new part - it will take a further 5 days to get it. :ffs:

Thinking back, I did hear a faint regular low level 'thudding' when the engine was idling before the final failure (I remember thinking ooh, that sounds like a pump), but as I am used to driving an LR, thought whats the big deal :o.

So three things:-

1) Does anyone know what Audi's official position on this is? Are they about to do a recall?

2) If you have had the same failure, how do I ensure I get the upgraded part?

3) Anyone suffered any engine damage? If so, what happened at the time and at the dealers?

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It's a common problem on all the 1.8T engines as well - they replaced the metal impeller with a plastic one a few years ago to save manufacturing costs and the plastic impeller breaks off the end of the shaft. The default option on any 1.8T is to replace the water pump at the same time as the cambelt.

As long as you stopped the car pretty quickly after you saw the warning, it should be fine.

Welcome to Tyresmoke, by the way +++

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Hi , hope i can help a little here,

The problem with the waterpump is a failure in the sealing ring around the centre shaft of the pump. You will get a modifed version of the previously fitted type which is metal and with a stronger seal. Recalls only happen when it is considered a high safety risk but i believe that there will be a "workshop action" in replacing all effected vehicles once they have enough supplies and they have dealt with any vehicles that are currently off the road.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Had the same problem with my A6 Allroad 3.0TDI yesterday. Coolant warning light came on. Stopped and checked fluid level - empty.

Went and bought some new coolant and put it in. Just as fast as it went in it came out again from the front of the engine block in the area of the pump belts. Called Audi Roadside and, within 1 minute of the RAC arriving, was told it was the water pump. Car now at Glasgow Audi. I've been told it will take between 7-10 working days to fix due to not holding a new pump in stock.

I'm cross because it clearly is a fault that Audi know about. As such I'd have thought they'd have it in stock. Secondly, I don't expect a car that has 9000 miles on the clock and cost the money it did to have a failure like this.

A stern letter to Audi will be sent....

Grrrrrr.............

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There is what's known as a Workshop Campaign for vehicles currently fitted with this plastic pump, essentially meaning pumps were due to be replaced as and when they visit for servicing etc.

However, the increase in demand is related to the recent drops in temperature we've experienced over the last few weeks, this has increased the failure rate dramatically across Europe which has meant a massive surge in demand. As explained the problem relates to a plastic component in the water pump which has now been modified to metal. It's not the impeller as previously mentioned and the failure of this pump causes no damage to the engine.

Having foreseen this problem in November I ordered 13 of these pumps for our my customers, all of which went in a month! The bad news is that it's very unlikely your dealer will have a pump in stock, the good news is that if the supply is steady and being monitored closely by Audi UK and there are plenty of relief Audi's to keep customers mobile. Its currently taking an average of 7-10 days to get a pump specially ordered. All credit to Audi UK they really have learnt from the days of the ignition coil fiasco in 2003.

The systems AUDI AG have in place with dealers monitor problems like these (any problem, no matter how minor with an Audi is logged and if necessary changes are put into production or existing vehicles are modified) hence the modified parts already being in production. I can't really comment on why they've gone wrong (I wouldn't want to speculate) but hopefully this clears up a few things :)

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They've been back in UK stock since 31st December? We've got 32 in stock at the moment. If you've had one on order since 30th November (if this is the case then the dealer almost defiantly would've had it prior to NYE) then your dealer must have the pump and not done anything with it! No customer should still be waiting for a pump.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My car went into the dealers for a gurgling noise it sounded like an air lock up somewhere near the heater matrix. Dealership had a listen to it and said it wouldn't be a problem book it in when I came back from my holidays. Car was packed ready to go on holiday and it was the first day of all the snow back at the end of Nov. I thought i'd run the thing up and get it warm for the travel to Aviemore. Went back outside about 10 mins later and there was a pool of pink under the car:mad:!

Car was taken away and booked back into the dealers and over the next month it had

1. Water pump

2. Auxilury Pump

3. Thermostat - Back order

4. Some sort of water impellor solenoid up at the bulkhead?

5. A hose that came from the Aux pump?

All warranty work and the car was off the road for a month, they were having trouble getting all the air out of the system?????

Anyway car back on the road now and ok for the time being. Lets hope it stays that way:rolleyes:

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  • 3 weeks later...
My car went into the dealers for a gurgling noise it sounded like an air lock up somewhere near the heater matrix. Dealership had a listen to it and said it wouldn't be a problem book it in when I came back from my holidays. Car was packed ready to go on holiday and it was the first day of all the snow back at the end of Nov. I thought i'd run the thing up and get it warm for the travel to Aviemore. Went back outside about 10 mins later and there was a pool of pink under the car:mad:!

Car was taken away and booked back into the dealers and over the next month it had

1. Water pump

2. Auxilury Pump

3. Thermostat - Back order

4. Some sort of water impellor solenoid up at the bulkhead?

5. A hose that came from the Aux pump?

All warranty work and the car was off the road for a month, they were having trouble getting all the air out of the system?????

Anyway car back on the road now and ok for the time being. Lets hope it stays that way :rolleyes:

It looks like a known issue. I have not heard or read of any release from Audi about it. It is a good thing you were able to sort it out and that it is in warranty.

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  • 2 months later...

Back again! Well the car was returned and it has been fine since. I regularly check the coolant levels now and keep an ear out for any noises. I have been advised that an upgraded part has been fitted. I am surprised it is not the subject of a a recall - can you imagine a high speed sudden coolant loss - the consequences could easily be fatal. Nevertheless, I am glad it has been addressed. But I remain watchful!

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  • 3 months later...

Hi folks back again,

Remember my water pump issue back in Jan? Well just been on holiday and day 2 I lose all power steering, eng temp warning light comes on then alternator warning light comes on. Now I don't know if anyone has ever driven a vehicle the size of an A6 without power steering....... Heavy as feck. Pull over pop the bonnet and as suspected the alternator belt is lying in shreads!!!!

Audi Uk Roadside assistance can I help you?

Car gets recovered to York fault turns out to be a melted tensioner and idler pulley? Parts are on back order! Vehicle will be off the road for at least 10 days!!!

And here is where the story changes from the nightmare I had at christmas. The dealer/Audi Uk had a Q5 delivered to my holiday home the next day...result... Family and dog now slightly happier. A simple phone call every morning to let me know the state of play. Parts expedited from Germany and the car returned to me on Fri.

I can't believe the difference!!!!!!! Thanks to Darren, his tech and his crew of Customer "Service" bods!

Agent Orange - Keep an eye on the belt and pulleys they might be next!

Now on to Audi Uk to see what they have to say!

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Any idea as to why the tensioner went? Any symptoms beforehand? Who fitted it in the first place?

No symptoms at all car drove down from Scotland to North Yorkshire the day before and behaved itself properly. (off on holiday) Drove a short distance the next day and parked in a carpark of a well known northern food emporium. Started the car drove out the carpark onto a dual carriage and the first roundabout i came to I struggled to get round it, proper heavy.

As I said earlier the car had a water pump done at my local dealership back in Jan (funnily enough just before I was due to go away on holiday:mad:)and they guddled about with it for over a month trying to get air out of the system:ffs:, so I would imagine that the original belt would have been put back on again then. No reason for the pulley melt down though.

Starting to get really hacked off though as the car is only 18mnths old and has only done 15500 miles and everytime I have to do a major journey the thing breaks down. Not what I would call trust worthy and certainly not what I expect from a car that cost what it did.

But hats off again to York Audi! +++Wish they were all like that......

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