[968Syncro]

Well, hope there is no shame in trying some creative artwork. Kinda has a modern art look, huh?

   
   

Drove to a meeting last night, it has been in the high 90's or 100 here in the last few days. As I approached the car to drive home, I already saw some water on the pavement. Drove home, no overheating, and then saw this before bed. So I had the AC on, no other significant symptoms, it is not coming out of the overflow.

Oh well, haven't had the batwing off in 9 months.

Roland

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[rxter]

Modern Art?

Reminds me of a few nights on South Street in Philly some years ago...

From the pics the fluid looks blueish. No chance it could simply be condensation from the AC?

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[968Syncro]

Yeah Joe,

I recall a group of us ran our butts off as teens in downtown Newark, NJ when we thought we were hot stuff but then came across the inner city guys there! A similar famous story that changed us all: 4 of our gang (not me) went into NY/Manhattan in a Beetle for an all nighter, and crazy Michael Murray decided it would be fun to drive up an avenue and see how many red lights in a row he could run. The 17th had a garbage truck that figured he had rights to the green light. One broken arm, everybody else just scratched / bruised. Glad we are beyond those days.

Good observation on the bluish color, I can recall the coolant I used last summer was bluish, can't recall the brand, from the local FLAPS, yes was phosphate free. And the coolant reservoir is empty now. I was hoping for condensation but no such luck.

Roland

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[RS Barn]

Most likely bad coolant resovoir cap. They are 19psi stock and when we check them they are 12psi at best.
When car isd hot and shut off the system pressure raises and dumps coolant from overflow past cap.
Or thermoswitch isn't kicking on and bringing down temps
Pete

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[968Syncro]

Pete,

Thanks very much. But the the reservoir was about 1/8 full when I got home last night, didn't touch/drive it all day, and today the puddle got larger. Maybe there was a puddle in the batwing that kept leaking today. Hope it is the cap, but it seems to keep draining even when cold for many hours. I need to examine the upper radiator hose connection, and associated hoses. But you give me good hope, might be the cap since perhaps the batwing was holding water that slowly drained today through the mounting holes.

Oh! Dumb question, for all, why is there a hose that goes from the coolant reservoir to the intake (on a split hose)? The part where 3 hoses are connected. Is that the MAF? Why is there coolant going there? I don't think I have water injected turbo.

Pete, we need a west coast shop. Would love to drive over, but I don't have 3 days!

Roland

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[RS Barn]

I'm not sure what hose you're talking about but TB is heated by coolant

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[968Syncro]

<!--quoteo(post=70735:date=Apr 22 2009, 09:13 PM:name=RS Barn)-->QUOTE (RS Barn @ Apr 22 2009, 09:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I'm not sure what hose you're talking about but TB is heated by coolant<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Hi Pete, sorry to be unclear, but it is this hose in the pic. After all this time of trying to learn, read, and probe around the car, I never discovered that there is coolant flowing to the intake. So I was wondering the purpose?
   

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[flash]

prewarms the intake air for emissions purposes - same reason that most modern cars have higher temp thermostats

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[968Syncro]

<!--quoteo(post=70760:date=Apr 23 2009, 01:27 PM:name=flash)-->QUOTE (flash @ Apr 23 2009, 01:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->prewarms the intake air for emissions purposes - same reason that most modern cars have higher temp thermostats<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Thanks Flash, makes sense, it was a little counter intuitive since normally we want to keep the intake as cool as possible.

Roland

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[968Syncro]

OMG! So I looked under the car, and noticed a puddle under the tiptronic as well. Hmmm.... The ATF reservoir is completely full and overflowing. I haven't driven it or anything since the problem first happened a few days ago, haven't started any diagnosis on what is now 2 leaks, no time yet. Unfortunately ATF doesn't expand this much while just sitting, suggesting that some other fluid is pushing it out the rear. Hate to consider it, but perhaps the radiator went bad, and coolant is leaking into the chamber in the radiator that warms the ATF. Meanwhile the original coolant leak in the front continues to drip slowly all week. Yuk ... not pretty.... In any case I am buying new jackstands, my old 2 are simple stamped steel with some welds, never gave me much confidence. I may need 4 this time.

Roland

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[968rz]

<!--quoteo(post=70760:date=Apr 23 2009, 03:27 PM:name=flash)-->QUOTE (flash @ Apr 23 2009, 03:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->prewarms the intake air for emissions purposes - same reason that most modern cars have higher temp thermostats<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This also stops the TB from icing up in cold weather. Most newer cars have this; some car nuts by-pass it to gain a few HP.

My guess for the coolant leak would be the WP or heater valve. The WP has a weep hole at the bottom and when the shaft seal gets old/hard it leaks here first, the hole itself is hard to see but you should be able to trace the coolant back to it. The heater valve should be easy to check.
The ATF leak is harder. If coolant was leaking into the trans cooler the fluid would turn to milk shake just like engine oil. Could it be it was just a bit over filled and settled out?

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