[s-cars] Coolant

[Max Hoepli]

After having been at the mechanic, it was the faulty radiator which was
causing the steam being visible at idle at front left of the car, it was
leaking at the right side, thermoswitch side of the radiator. C$350
altogether including time. The radiator removed was installed in this type
44, it had Cu fins and not the Al fins of the original type of radiator
advised by the mechanic. During inspection, the engine was idling, it was
making the tat..tat...tat..tat...tat...tat. noise, which the engine was
making for the last 7 months at least. He used a very long screwdriver
placing the metal end to the alternator, water pump and hydraulic pump and
listeining to the plastic end. He diagnosed the noise from the faulty
bearing of the alternator. Someone told me listening to the car, as well as
respondents in these email groups that it was the hydraulic lifters.

Which car uses the Cu fins that fits into type 44 Quattro Turbo?

I wrote using the subject line: "Tat..Tat Noise in Engine" concerning the
noisy engine issue in July 2006.

After he changed the radiator, motor oil, motor oil filter, and alternator
the car runs quietly.

What a relief!! The engine runs quietly.

Mechanic said that the bearing could have caused anytime the alternator to
shred, possibly causing the fan belt to shread.
Hydraulic lifters make another kind of noise than the one being made by the
noisy alternator. The mechanic shook the changed out alternator in front of
me. I could hear the alternator rattle.

Anyone have experience which causes are responsible for failed alternators?
Failed bearing? Failed brushes, stator??


The alternator with time to change out cost C$250. The Audi Turbo Quattro
now had 288,059 km.
All solved!

Max





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doyt W. Echelberger" <doyt at buckeye-express.com>
To: <quattro at audifans.com>
Cc: "Max Hoepli" <mhoepli at vif.com>
Sent: 10, December 2006 12:17
Subject: Re: Coolant


> Hello Max,
>
> My 87 5ktq just displayed similar behavior, and this time it was a failing
> heater valve.... the valve was new about 4 years ago.  The dripping
coolant
> ran down onto the catalytic converter and boiled on the hot surface,
> creating the cloud of steam. So...............check out that valve on your
> car.  The valve already failed and got replaced on most of the
> remaining  5ktq's, so yours would be in good company.
>
> The heater valve is a round thing about the size of a silver dollar, in a
> heater core line between the engine and the firewall, about a foot and a
> half above the catalytic converter. The originals were plastic and tended
> to develop cracks with age, so I put on a metal one in 2002, and it
> lasted  4 years. Go figure.
>
> In June 2002 I got the metal replacement from an Autozone store in Ohio.
It
> was in a box with titled  "Factory Air Part # 74671,  Heater Valve.
> All-metal."  $18.99 plus tax.  They are a little more than that now.
>
> That is probably more information than you want.....but the steam cloud
may
> be from a failing heater valve.
>
> And here is more information.......My other difficult-to-find coolant leak
> was the small/short/tiny coolant line from the cylinder head water entry
to
> the pipe passing round the front of the engine to the turbo. Nasty spot to
> get at with any kind of tool or clamp. Many 200's failed at the same
place.
> ....people ended up replacing heads. You don't want this to happen to your
> car unexpectedly.  My 87 leaked from a short rubberized fabric section
> where it exits the engine. Your 86 may be different and even more
> vulnerable if it has a water-cooled turbo.
>     This is what Fred Munro says to 86 owners:
>             "Ouch! '86 owners, watch the pipe as well - it is galvanized
> steel and rusts
>             out. In '87, the metal pipe was changed to stainless.     Fred
> Munro  '94 S4"
>
>
> Doyt Echelberger
>
>  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> At 03:22 PM 12/8/2006, you wrote:
> >Hello all,
> >
> >I have a 1986 Audi Quattro, type 44, every 3 months/2,000 km. I have to
> >fill in about 500 ml. of antifreeze into reservoir, the red warning light
> >with thermometer symbol blinks and makes a noise at first, then just
> >blinks and disappears. When the car is idling I notice some steam rising
> >from front left of car. Notice nothing conspicuous under hood. The car
> >performs well.
> >
> >Max
>