[s-cars] 1995 S6 - Overheating damage, now what?

[Thomas Rodriguez]

OK Manny, here are some details.

I drove the car about ten miles/ten minutes after the coolant line blew.
The temp gauge has no numbers, just C and H with six hatch marks in
between.  The needle normally settles on the third hatch mark above C (this
hatch mark is bold).  When the line blew, the needle went up to the fifth
hatch mark above C, which is two hatch marks below H. When I exited the
freeway I stopped at a traffic light and the car was immediately engulphed
in steam and the engine stalled.  My passenger and I pushed the car to the
shoulder, opened the hood and called AAA for a tow.  The next day the shop
had repaired the line and told me the coolant system tested tight.  I picked
up the car and drove five miles to work during which time the coolant level
dropped enough to trigger the warning light.  At work I checked
the coolant reservoir which was nearly empty.  I filled it with coolant and
checked for drips under the car and saw none.  At the end of the work day
the engine was very difficult to start and once it did start it ran rough
for several minutes before smooting out.  Within three miles the coolant
light was on again and the exhaust was thick and white.  I drove straight to
the shop.  The next morning the shop mechanic pulled the spark plugs
and found coolant inside one cylinder and moisture in an adjacent cyliner.
The other three cylinders were dry.

What else can I tell you?  Tom

On Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 4:55 PM, <manuelsanchez at starpower.net> wrote:

> Thomas,
>
> A little more info please;
>
> After the line blew, how long and how far were you driving it before you
> stopped?
>
> Did you turn the engine off or did the engine stop itself?
>
> When you say it over-heated, was this because of a temp gauge reading? If
> so, what did the temp gauge read?
>
> Regards,
>
> -manny
> 95.5 urS6 Avant (mostly RS2'd)
>
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2011 17:27:13 -0400
> From: Thomas Rodriguez <trodri69 at gmail.com>
> To: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Subject: [s-cars] 1995 S6 - Overheating damage, now what?
> Message-ID:
> <CAGX0_kzdOsDZvds1h3nyTc8khk++qTTRN9D73Z4Mb-iKDFdv2A at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hello, I am new to the S-CAR-List and hoping to receive some helpful
> advice.
>
> *My problem:*  I have maintained my 1995 S6 in excellent condition,
> and recently topped 225,000 miles.  The engine (5-cylinder turbo) was in
> great shape until last week when a coolant hose failed suddenly on the
> freeway causing a rapid and complete loss of coolant.  The engine
> overheated
> before the car was finally stopped and towed to the shop.  The ruptured
> hose
> was replaced and the other hoses were inspected and found to be
> sound. Unfortunately the engine now has coolant leaking into at least two
> of
> the cylinders, suggesting that the overheating resulted in a warped
> cylinder
> head, a blown head gasket, a craked engine block, or some combination of
> these factors.  Next week my mechanic will remove the cylinder head which
> should enable a further diagnosis of the damage and necessary repairs.  He
> is also suggesting that while we have the head off we inspect and/or
> replace
> things like piston rings, valve seats, etc.
>
> *My Question:*  Is it worth fixing this engine or, given it's age and
> mileage and recent overheating, would it be better to replace the
> engine? What is the availability and cost of a replacement engine?  I love
> this car but my wife thinks it's time to say goodbye and buy a new one.  Is
> she right?
>