[CrustyNoodle]

Hi all,

Yesterday the water pump on our Jan 2010 delivered 3.0TDI Q5 failed and we lost all the water (ODO is up to around 6,000km). SWMBO was driving and typically doesn't understand what a warning light is all about - just lucky it happened litterally around the corner from home.

I've read about a reasonable number of these failures so it looks like this is a bit of a problematic area for the 3.0TDI engine (not sure about other variants).

Can I suggest that everyone with the 3.0TDI keep a lookout for any warning signs and tell all drivers of your car to be on the lookout for the coolant alarm - if it comes on, stop the car immeadiately and call Audi Assist for help.

Audi Australia have been very helpful in helping us out with this - I thank them for their professional approach to such a catastrophic failure in a near new car.

 

[kcsun]

Obviously this is a concern to all of us 3.0 owners, my wife would not have a clue either and would just turn the music up

Other than an obvious water leak, do you know if they start squeeling or are noisey before they fail?

kc

 

[CrustyNoodle]

In all reality, there is very little if any warning of impending failure and they tend to be all or nothing. Once the seal fails the pump simply pumps all the coolant out at a rapid rate.

If you are lucky, you might pick up a small pool develop under the front of the car which might give you a bit of an indication of something wrong. This is the third car I have owned that has had a water pump fail (all others have occured with over 200,000km on the clock) and none of them, including the latest, ever gave any warning.

I don't think you need to be too concerned with the Q5 due to the effective Driver Information System, but you do need to be aware that this failure has occurred in a small number of low kilometer V6 engines (not sure about the 4 cylinder ones). So anyone driving one should be reminded to pay attention to the DIS and pull over and check the handbook whenever a fault is displayed.

 

[Rog]

Is there any info on whether this is affecting a specific batch and from which factory

 

[Warburton62]

These "ticking time bomb" failures are really annoying - you just want to feel that a car is 100% every time you start out. I remember a big issue with coil packs back in the early days of the MkI TT - every trip was like a game of Russian Roulette and dealers would simply not admit that was a systemic problem; and just swap out packs proactively.

Let's hope this is limited and preventable.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

All,

Regrettably I have to advise I had a water pump failure yesterday at 20:20 in the dark. The beast dumped the entire contents of her cooling system over 2 miles, fortunately only 1/2 mile from home. Audi Assistance have recovered the car back to the local garage, who advised they have seen a few Q5 3.0TDi's with water pump failures, and the new part is on back order, up to 14 days for a new one - Mmmmmm, not impressed after only 10800 miles. Slightly more worrying is that whilst the dealer acknowledges there is a problem they do not know if there is a recall / fix or even if the new part will be as flakey as the one that failed. Annoyingly I brought the car to deal with the snow we get for three days a year, and when I ask is the next snow forecast - yeap Thursday, how very British.........

Squirrel

 

[Rog]

Wait and see then

I'd hoped having a new one this would have been resolved by now.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Ahhhhhh the news gets worse. The problems is confirmed as a failed water pump. Not only are the new parts on back order but on supplier back order. Audi UK cannot give a date when the parts will be available. My dealer has 4 water pumps on order. One, ordered on 9th November, has a 35% chance of being delivered on 2nd Dec. This is a very poor show by Audi, this fault has been known about for Months, how can they have no stock of water pumps ?

Very disappointing

Sad Squirrel

 

[acb]

The supply of pumps seems to be very hit and miss. Mine failed only a few weeks ago and Halesowen Audi replaced it in a day, so they must have had one in stock.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

So, I have some additional info.

My local dealer now has 6 Audi 3.0L V6 models patiently awaiting brand new water pumps. The problem is apparently that the original water pump casing is plastic, and they seem to destroy themselves around 10,000 - 15,000 miles. The suspicion is that the cold weather currently doing the rounds in the Uk is making the plastic brittle and causing the casing to spilt, allowing the pump to dump the contents of the cooling system in to the engine bay.

A new pump has been designed, with an aluminium casing, and this what Audi is waiting for; current delivery status is 1st Dec, with a 35% chance of it being delivered - one poor soul has been waiting since 9th Nov for his new pump.

I urge anyone with a V6 3.0 TDi engine to check their water pump. If it has a plastic casing I'd be booking it in to Audi for an update. At present Audi is not issuing a formal recall.

If I get any further info I'l let you all know.

Secret Squirrel.

 

[Rog]

What does it look like and where do I find it please?

Before I start looking is this likely to affect mine that was built mid Sept?

Can't believe the excuse that the cold is causing the problem. Having lived in Germany it's a lot colder there!

 

[CrustyNoodle]

You should be right with a Sept. 2010 build dated - according to posters on a US Q5 forum they changed them around March 2010.

This post points out what to look for..... It's the 3.2 FSI but the cooling system is the same for all the V6 variants.

 

[kcsun]

So does anyone know if there is a UK/euro recall on this? my wife is frightened to take the car out now - not good as the main reason for buying a new car is reliability
I will check my car when I return to France on Tuesday but by all the accounts on the american forum, just because it is/is not plastic does not mean it will/will not fail

Or is Audi just trying to pull the wool over our eyes

ken

 

[kcsun]

Chatted to my UK dealer today. He said that there is a recall for water pumps - but only for the petrol variant not the diesel. He also said they have 6 cars sitting there waiting for unobtainable parts and the situation is so bad that Audi have cancelled the recall until the stock situation improves!!

Oh the joy of it all,

Ken

 

[SJG]

My April 2010 Q5 3.0TDI has just dropped all it coolant on the floor after 10,000 miles. It is a problem with all 'V'engines especially with the cold weather. Q7's Q5's A6,A4,A8 all affected. Audi are aware of the issue however,there is no recall and there is a back order for new pumps.

So if you smell anti freeze or the coolant light comes on stop and check, the first sign I had was a strange whine from the engine and the smell of anti freeze. After checking the engine it needed a pint of water, the following day it dropped all the coolant completely and I managed to limp into the Audi Dealership.

So if you have a 'v' engine get it checked out.

S

 

[SJG]

Had the new Water pump replaced with the upgraded aluminium casing. My local dealer has once again been fantastic, I drove it in on Monday it was ready Tuesday dispite there being a back order for the pump. This is what makes Audi great, not only good vehicles but the after sales service is excellent and I have found this after driving Audi's for the last 10 years. The Q5 is back on the road just in time for the Snow!!!!!

 

[Rog]

What's the new one look like?

 

[MartynC]

Smell of coolant this morning, checked level.....down a bit, as it was in the dealer this morning anyway, got them to check and yes, you guessed it, water pump failure. Lucky I wasn't on the road, Worth keeping an eagle eye on your coolant folks!

MartynC

 

[Secret Squirrel]

So, my Q5 was returned from my dealer on Friday 3rd Dec, following the arrival of the new metal housed water pump on the 2nd Dec. I have to say Bedford Audi were fantastic. They were unable to get me a quattro, so in recognition they upgraded the Sat Nav to latest 2010 Maps and filled the passenger footwell with Audi goodies. So good show Bedford Audi, poor show Audi Germany. The water pump problem is a known issue on 2010 V6 engines, where they changed the housing from to Plastic. It seems the plastic used is affected by the very cold weather and become brittle and breaks; that is why there are lots of failures happening now. Whether there is a different variant for the colder Countries I know not; but would strongly suggest that anyone with a 2010 V6 gets there Water pumps checked, and if plastic get a new one on order. My dealer h6 6 cars stacked-up waiting for new parts, two had been in over three weeks, and whilst mine was in dock, two more arrived and they had no dates for a new pump.

As my car had returned and based on the law of sod, I was confident that we had seen the last of the snow. So yesterday was a bit of a surprise, but I have to say the Q5 has performed admirably, as long as I remember about stopping distances !!!

Regards
Squirrel

 

[andrewp]

Hi Just wanted to mention it may not just be related to cold weather. Middle of summer in Australia and our water pump has just failed dumping all coolant... Coolant light has just come on after 300Km drive and the whole of the underside is dripping with pink fluid... Not sure if we have the plastic pump but we took delivery late January 2010 and the car has just ticked over 18,000Ks on the clock. It was serviced just over 4 weeks ago... so it goes to show this problem may not be picked up by service either.

I assume that as the light has only just come on the level was enough to protect the engine during the long drive... would've thought that a drop in pressure in the cooling system would also trigger some kind of alert, but it must be seen as being fairly unlikely to have a catastrophic failure for them to not monitor the pressure as well.

Car will have to be put on a flat top and taken to the nearest dealer.