Hi guys,

 

Just wondering if anyone's experienced any similar issues and could shed some light on the situation.

I have a MK3 Octavia VRs 2.0 tsi, cars 4 years old, been in the family since new, very well looked after and serviced regularly. 

Last month so early May time, check coolant level light came, looking at the reservoir markers the level was around 10mm below the Min, didn't think much of it and topped it up.

Driving in to work this morning and the check coolant level light came back on, no signs of leaks in the engine bay and no marks on the floor after leaving the car in the car park. 

Anyone experienced similar coolant issues?

Another odd occurrence is every time I put my foot down white smoke/condensation pours out the back, this is regardless of the outside air temperature! Engine up to temperature, travelling for an hour so and still bellows smoke out the back, this is not normal in my opinion! I feel like something is being burnt in the cylinders that shouldn't be! 

 

Any help is greatly appreciated,

 

Cheers guys,

 

Dan

31 minutes ago, FollyVRS said:

Another odd occurrence is every time I put my foot down white smoke/condensation pours out the back, this is regardless of the outside air temperature! Engine up to temperature, travelling for an hour so and still bellows smoke out the back, this is not normal in my opinion!

I'm reading this as meaning that the "white gas" is persistent. If so, I suspect the early stages of head gasket failure, and suggest a coolant gas test for combustion products. If that's positive, double check with a compression test (dry only), and is there aby sign of the radiator fan(s) working harder than they used to?

Yes the 'white gas' is persistent, it clears from the rear window almost immediately and leaves no noticeable plumes in the road but this happens every time I start climbing above 3000rpm on partial to full throttle regardless of engine temps and outside air temps.

This coupled with drops in coolant levels I'm also thinking early signs of a head gasket failure, I'll call garage soon as they open and get it booked in tomorrow for compression and sniff test and let you know how it gets on.

I've not noticed the fans running any harder than usual.

EGR cooler.

10 minutes ago, J.R. said:

EGR cooler.

Is there anyway of testing and proving this before I go down the route of replacing it?

Booked in for full diagnostics next Wednesday so we'll go from there. 

Don't think a TSI will have an EGR cooler, not sure.

 

If it had, you could bypass it so coolant didn't go there.

 

If I were you, I'd take all the sparkplugs out after an overnight 'sit' unused, and shine a torch down the hole of each where they've come out, looking for dampness/puddles of coolant on a piston crown.

 

Free to try and very convincing if found.

Edited 22 June, 20232 yr by Breezy_Pete

I looked to see what engine the OP had but all his profile said was VRS.

1 hour ago, Breezy_Pete said:

If I were you, I'd take all the sparkplugs out after an overnight 'sit' unused, and shine a torch down the hole of each where they've come out, looking for dampness/puddles of coolant on a piston crown.

 

Free to try and very convincing if found.

Never heard that one before but sounds cheap, easy and pretty diagnostic.

Can't remember if someone suggested it to me (likeliest), or I dreamt it up myself, but I'd been in denial about a headgasket problem on a Vauxhall Omega for some weeks at the time.

Seeing a puddle of coolant sitting on cylinder 4's piston crown, and sampling it with a clean white bit of rag taped to a chopstick or similar was very clear-cut when that came out coolant-coloured.

5 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Seeing a puddle of coolant sitting on cylinder 4's piston crown....

 

I had the same on a Mk1 Golf.  The bore and piston had been pretty much steam cleaned, and the coolant covered the piston crown completely - no sampling needed!  Took the head off for skimming and found all the head bolt were finger tight 🙄

 

Just to add it's quite common on vRS TSI's to cloud their rear window on WOT, but then clear very quickly.  Mine (2015 220) did it, all year round, and even after a 150 mile journey.  No loss of coolant though.

 

Gaz

 

Water pump has failed.

Coolant is leaking out the sides of the housing.

Common fault on the 2.0TSI engines across all the bag platforms. 

Ordered a new pump and housing, currently on with the job now, ballache though as it's a full front end off job. 

 

Haven't got round to diagnosing the white smoke out the back yet but once I've fit the pump I'll do a pressure test and post results 👍🏻

6 hours ago, FollyVRS said:

Water pump has failed.

Coolant is leaking out the sides of the housing.

Common fault on the 2.0TSI engines across all the bag platforms. 

Ordered a new pump and housing, currently on with the job now, ballache though as it's a full front end off job. 

 

Haven't got round to diagnosing the white smoke out the back yet but once I've fit the pump I'll do a pressure test and post results 👍🏻

Did mine on a golf R a month or so ago. Same thermal control module. Same gen 3 engine save for turbo and some other bits and pieces. Mqb so pretty similar job I imagine. I  Pulled throttle body feed rigid pipes off and throttle body and rad electric fan bracket off.  Still access was a pain every bolt was a pain to get a torx bit and ratchet on. it it took me two days. Especially painfull when I put it mostly back together at end of day 1 and it still had the same static fault code indicating the thermal management unit electronics were fried or open cct!!! Turned out the sealing ring on the electrical connector had got rolled or swelled and stopped the connector going on properly even though i pushed in the lock tab it wasnt bottomed out!! Good luck. 

On 06/07/2023 at 11:58, FollyVRS said:

Water pump has failed.

Coolant is leaking out the sides of the housing.

Common fault on the 2.0TSI engines across all the bag platforms. 

Ordered a new pump and housing, currently on with the job now, ballache though as it's a full front end off job. 

 

Haven't got round to diagnosing the white smoke out the back yet but once I've fit the pump I'll do a pressure test and post results 👍🏻

what was cost out of interest?

I paid £700 for the full kit including fitting, but my friends a VAG mechanic so I got mates rates. 

Take it to a VAG specialist and you'll be paying up to a grand.

Also managed to do it without taking the front off too which helped with labour cost a lot!

Edited 20 July, 20232 yr by FollyVRS