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

[Tom Green]

Good thinking, Manny.  I thought I had read the original report, but  
turns out I really
didn't read all that was reported.

Well, Tom, the advice is still the same, but perhaps I am a little  
less upbeat about
this repair.  You might be expecting more damage than just a  
headgasket and go,
but that won't really be known until teardown.  Now the issue may be  
whether to
do the bottom end.  This engine does not like to be run without  
coolant because it
overheats severely in such a short period, and if the bearings were  
overheated
they will not last.  I assume that is why your mechanic is  
recommending looking at
other things.

Tom

On Sep 12, 2011, at 11:27 PM,Thomas Rodriguez <trodri69 at gmail.com>   
wrote:

> 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)
>>
>>
>> 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?
>>