After further research, it appears that deionized water (also known as DI water) is preferred over distilled water (ruclips.net/video/6K-EEiXzE-s/видео.html) for mixing. However, due to its cost (affiliate link, $15/gal: amzn.to/3DkwAXy), and the owners manual stating that "mixing the coolant additive with distilled water is recommended", I will continue to use distilled water ($1/gal, affiliate link: amzn.to/3RnV4E5). Moral of the story: deionized water > distilled water >> tap water Apologies for not mentioning this in the video. Let me know if there's anything else that I missed!
As a petrolhead I was surprised many people don't know simple things like this but realise not everyone is into car maintenance. In my country we need to take a basic car maintenance course and pass the exam before we take the driving licence test. How to change a flat, take care of engine and gearbox oils and other fluids, deal with overheating engines and so on. Every car is different though.
I think the lack of knowledge needed to drive a vehicle (road and traffic laws are the only things required to get a drivers license here) and the lack of training and testing in the United States (pass the drivers exam once and you're good to go for life) is a weakness which results in increased accidents, traffic, and general displeasure while driving. Here, we rely on friends and family (and the internet!) to help us and teach us things about vehicle maintenance. But not everyone has someone like that! Hopefully I can be that person for some people :)
Thank you so much, I’m stuck here at the gas station with this problem, and I search online about what can I do with overheating in Audi, and your video explains a lot and clear. Thank you so much for this, you really help me.
Useful video, it does feel scary when it comes up yet such an easy fix. On later model it's worth doing the OBD2 tweak to show oil temp in instrument cluster as it is replaced by a boost gauge so not visible otherwise.
Great point! I completely forgot about that. I believe the oil temperature gauge is swapped out for a boost gauge in all S3/RS3 (doesn't matter the year). See this video for an example of a 2015 S3 PLUS they show how to get an oil temperature reading without doing any OBD2 tweak: ruclips.net/video/jSTC5FCfJdA/видео.html For anyone else reading, here's how you can do the OBD2 tweak that @Beardchanics Garage mentions, he has a great video on it: ruclips.net/video/--jgt7jy-xo/видео.html Sweet channel you have there! Thanks for commenting!
Super informative video! I also have an Audi A3 and this exact message popped up with the warning and I was so scared! I had to pull aside and turn off my car for a few minutes then turn it back on and it was fine somehow. Now I know how to fix this, thank you so much!! (Girl) 😂
got this warning on my 2015 S3, but when I opened the lid for the coolant, it went up to max!!! was that a fake error? Now I have it a bit over max...just in case :D....Update on things...the water pump had a leak and was replaced
Very helpful video. I do have a question though. Do you need to leave the cap off, run the car at high heat to get rid of any possible bubbles, and then put the cap back on the reservoir after running it for a few mins or however long?
My low coolant light comes on regardless of whether or not it's full but the temp gauge is just as important than the coolant being full so I keep my eyes on the gauge. Plus my car is a Chevy Lumina from 1997 so it's very old and some dashboard lights may not read accurately.
Ooh, gotcha. Yeah, if the coolant light is unreliable then definitely keep your eye on that temperature gauge! Remember that just because it's cooling down out there, coolant is still important to keep the engine from freezing in the winter as well as cool in the summer. Good luck!
The animations are sweet! What editor are you using? Also, check out that front vs rear wheel speed difference at the end. Was that traction control kicking in to try to put most of the torque to the rear?
Appreciate the kind words, Dan! I use Final Cut Pro. No fancy animation plug-ins, just basic shapes and keyframes (for now). The keyframes basically let me set one value at a certain time (Ex. shape positioned at x,y), then another value at a different time (position = x+5, y+5), and FCPX will interpolate everything in-between to "animate it". This can be applied to many different attributes such as opacity 3:14, position 1:49, crop/trim 0:33, etc. This was my first time using the "highlighter" affect which I learned from this video: ruclips.net/video/4UQ3JJYeZ6o/видео.html It's pretty tedious and time-intensive but it works! I'm glad you stayed until the end to watch the launch at 6:44! Look familiar at all? ;) That's the FWD-biased Haldex Quattro at work. The front tires are spinning throughout the whole launch, but it appears to me that the rear initially starts spinning almost immediately, then all power is shifted to the front, then the final decision is to shift power back to both. Traction control was disabled for the launch if I remember correctly. I believe we're just watching the AWD system at work. Pretty interesting.
For some reason my 2001 audi tt low coolant light stays on but my coolant tank is full and no leaks.. any ideas? I also put a new coolant tank in and that didnt resolve the issue either.
Hello, we have a 15” supercharged Q7, coolant is a little low and I want to top it off. So I can use the pentofrost or do I need to get the G13 Audi coolant. The current coolant in here is the stock dealer coolant.
I have an s3, so that temp gauge is replaced with a boost gauge. I keep getting the warning, but my coolant is just above the top line, like the owners manual says
Correct! Unfortunately I forgot about that when I published the video but I mentioned in the video description that there is a way to find the engine oil temperature on S3's, check this video for more information: ruclips.net/video/jSTC5FCfJdA/видео.html Note that oil temperature is different from coolant temperature, read this article for more information: www.tuneruniversity.com/blog/2011/05/keep-your-engine-alive-the-importance-of-oil-temperature/ Does the warning come on immediately when you turn the car on? That leads me to the car thinking the coolant is at the wrong level (likely low, not sure if the warning will come on for too much coolant).
@@mattpopovich it comes on right when I turn on the car but only the first few times (I deliver pizza for work so I do a lot of start/stopping) after a few deliveries it will no longer give me the message.
@@mattpopovich it is very odd. I park on a hill at home but I’ve tried pulling in and backing in but it still gives the warning. I’ve also tried parking on the street to see if the slanted driveway was the issue. Nothing changed. I did, however, just have the thermostat housing replaced. (There was a leak) I check the coolant every day just to make sure and it’s always inside the parameters. I really don’t know what’s wrong
@@FaZePoopCheetahsame here. 2015 S3. Dealer replaced water pump and thermostat. Coolant is right at the max line, I check it every time I drive, still no change. I’m not sure why the warning would come on… any updates on your situation?
What if when driving the temp drops all the way down. And ive been having a check engine light on for weeks now and all it reads on the oem is coolant flow, coolant intake codes
Well... based on your check engine light and coolant error codes, it sounds like something coolant-related is going wrong. 0:39 "Coolant allows the engine to not get too cold and not get too hot." Is it cold where you live right now? You might need the "anti-freeze" part of coolant right now to keep your engine from freezing or getting too cold. A cold engine means the oil will be thick and won't flow through the engine as easily resulting in more wear and tear on the engine than usual.
My coolant warning was on when I turned on the engine, and then I checked the coolant; it's basically an empty tank. Does that mean my coolant is leaking? Should I add coolant till the minimum line and keep driving?
Empty coolant tank = not good! 0:51 "It's okay to keep driving with the low coolant light on as long as your engine stays at the normal operating temperature" 5:48 "The coolant system is a sealed system. No coolant should be able to escape. Thus, if you're low on coolant, then that suggests a problem. If you have to add coolant regularly, then that suggests a problem. [...] If you need to add coolant once or twice a year, it's not a big deal." I would add coolant between the minimum and maximum line and keep an eye on it. That should answer your question as to how bad it is leaking!
Hey ! Thanks for sharing I did not see the full video and topped the coolant to the max of the container and not between the lines How should I proceed? Drain all? How to drain? Or is it ok to drive. Oh dear.
Well worst case, the coolant can expand when it gets hot. If the coolant reservoir is full it could have nowhere to expand to and could cause a hose to burst or crack and get fluid throughout the engine possibly damaging electrical components. If the reservoir is completely full I would not drive until I sucked the excess coolant out of the reservoir. If it's a little over the line then you're probably fine, but I would get the coolant level back within the minimum and maximum line sooner than later. To suck the excess coolant out you can use a baster. While they're good with hot temperatures (this one can handle up to 450˚F), I'd still let the coolant cool down a bit after driving (affiliate link): amzn.to/3K3qnRd
Hi Matt, great video. Thank you for helpful tips! Digging deeper, what was the issue with your A3 8V for the coolant to be that low? I'm living the same situation right now with my A3 8V. (Bad head gasket seal? Water pump went bad?) Local garage filled me up with OEM G13 because i was near the same level as you were,way below minimum. They filled it a little over the maximum 3 days ago. Now I'm just below max , maybe it overflowed without me noticing,,, is it possible? I haven't noticed any leaks on the ground before or after they filled. It's entering the shop on Monday but I'm curious to know your issue.
Hi Gab, thanks for commenting. I don't know what caused my coolant to be low and frankly I don't plan on doing any further investigation, refilling with coolant once every few months is cheap and easy enough for me! As for your coolant going from above max to max, it could be a few things... If you checked the level before running the engine, the coolant could have "settled" to the lower level. It could have been warm (mid day or just recently ran engine) causing the coolant to expand when you first checked it and cool (evening/morning before you ran engine) causing the coolant to shrink a bit when you checked it later on. It also could be a slight leak somewhere. But I don't think overflow is a possibility as the coolant reservoir does have a lid on it preventing that from happening. Since your comment was a few days ago, what did the shop have to say?
@Matt Popovich Hey Matt, I appreciate the response ! Thanks again for all the useful information 👍 Coolant has kept its level these last few days, The shop didn't find anything abnormal, no signs of leaks and able to keep engine at good temp. But I will keep an eye of my reservoir. Cheers!
@@gabperreault2508 Glad to hear! Mine is an 8 year old vehicle with 120k miles on her so some minor work to keep her going is expected. Being that I'm waaay out of warranty, not sure what year yours is, but the $200+ diagnostic fee that Audi dealers charge can buy a lot of coolant (www.fcpeuro.com/products/audi-vw-coolant-antifreeze-pentosin-g013a8j1g) 😉 Cheers!
It does not: ownersmanuals2.com/audi/a3-sedan-s3-sedan-2015-owners-manual-71870/page-208 I'd recommend, if it's one of your coldest winter days, wait until the car is cold and add coolant to the minimum line. My thinking is this is as cold that the coolant will ever be, it will always be warmer (and thus expand) above this point once the temperature outside warms up or once the car runs. If it gets colder or you get a low coolant warning, you can always add more!
Hiya im filling everyday doing about 25 miles and light come on have had radiator done checked for leaks but nothing found but after driving i pull over i see water coming out what could my issue be
Filling every day = a coolant leak somewhere. Try to get a second opinion on the radiator. 5:48 "The coolant system is a sealed system. No coolant should be able to escape."
I drive a 1997 Chevy Lumina and my low coolant light is on but I have no leaks whatsoever and the needle on my temp gauge stays on the left side and moves close to the mid mark as I'm driving not right in the middle. I check my coolant level and it's below the min line. Coolant still remains in the tank though. My mechanic gave me a new water pump last time I bought it to him and it can't be the sensor because he would've fixed that.
@@mattpopovichI definitely will add coolant before we move into the winter months when it gets freezing. I check under the hood to make sure there's no antifreeze leak and there hasn't been anything leaking. Old cars may have a habit of triggering warning lights to go on even when there is no problem with the coolant,oil,etc. For now I'm just going to continue to keep an I eye on my temp gauge and as soon as it goes above the middle I'll pull over when I can ofcourse and turn the car off.
@@bryanrizzo9377 I mean it sounded like the light was on because your coolant was below the minimum line. If you add coolant, the light should turn off.
So i put the liquid to the seam area. After a day or two i find it low (in between max/min lines). After that i refilled to the seam, then again dropped after a day to between the max/min lines. I am bit sure if this is normal or not?
@@mattpopovich thank you verimich for the reply. Imma leave my 2 cents here i case anyone would have the same issues: 2 fixes i had to do: 1. Replace water pump 2. Weld a leakage in the radiator (located farthest in the car, and was the harder issue to find)
As long as you're adding the same type of coolant (or a type that can be mixed 2:07) and have no reason to believe your current coolant is dirty/contaminated, no need to empty the coolant tank before adding new coolant! CARFAX says flushing (completely emptying then filling with new coolant) every 100k - 150k mi is a good idea: www.carfax.com/blog/coolant-flush#:~:text=Is%20a%20Coolant%20Flush%20Really,hit%20100%2C000%20to%20150%2C000%20miles.
@@rahulfarakte2049 hmm well where’d it go!? 😜 how long was it between adding coolant and seeing no coolant in the reservoir? I would add coolant, let the car sit overnight, see if coolant is at the same level in the morning. If it is, I would then start the car, let it run for a few minutes, see if coolant starts leaking. If we can recreate the leak, then we have a starting point to fix it.
@@mattpopovich I added the coolant almost touching max level and got in the car and started it, the indicator was still flashing so I got back and looked the tank and it was all gone. Even I am wondering where did it go 😀😀
@@rahulfarakte2049 oh no!! 😂😭 let me know if you find anything out. I’d try not to drive it anywhere. If you must, keep a close eye on the engine temperature gauge as mentioned at 0:52.
Uhhhh what car do you have? What coolant does it take? I describe different Audi coolants at 2:19. A flush probably sounds like the right thing to do but I don't know if "necessary" is the right word for it.
Hmm does the coolant warning turn off as well? If so, it sounds like the sensor is working.. maybe somehow calibrated wrong? I'd recommend double checking the coolant level when the warning comes on and when the warning comes off and then going from there.
Well first are you sure it’s coolant leaking? Is it pink -> coolant. Blue -> windshield washer fluid. Is it oil? Use a white paper towel to soak it up and more easily identify it.
Good question and sorry if I wasn't clear about it at 5:48. Because the system is closed (sealed), you won't lose any coolant to evaporation. However, if you are losing coolant (to evaporation), that suggests that the system isn't closed or sealed and we unfortunately have a leak somewhere... I have a leak in my system due to having low coolant. I can either try to find the source of the leak (expensive + time consuming) or I can just keep adding coolant (cheap + quick). I probably only have to do it twice a year or so, so it's not a major problem. 😅
@@MultiInKIEto Not sure if you meant to reply to a different comment as I didn't mention a termostat / water pump, but no, I haven't done any investigation there and I don't plan to. I will continue to top off with coolant a few times a year. Much more economical option.
The hazards can be turned on and off from a button in the center of the dash. Check this video for additional information: ruclips.net/video/6Y9JSbOg1vQ/видео.html Does that help?
Haha, tell your friend that the consequences seem to be early rusting in water pumps and heat exchangers (years down the line): ruclips.net/video/6K-EEiXzE-s/видео.html Also mention to them that page 205 of the owners manual states "mixing the coolant additive with distilled water is recommended". ownersmanuals2.com/audi/a3-sedan-s3-sedan-2015-owners-manual-71870/page-207 You can get it from any grocery store for a couple of dollars. Not worth the long-term risk of using tap water. I'd rather drive to the store on low coolant, keep an eye on the engine temperature gauge, then buy some distilled water vs. using tap water as a quick fix. However, if it is just a quick fix, in the short-term, I think you'll be fine with tap water. That's what mechanics used to use back in the day before they realized tap water was causing rusting in water pumps and the like. Just note that you'll want to flush the coolant system sooner than later to get rid of the tap water, then fill it up properly with concentrate + distilled water. Other sources: ruclips.net/video/ZyJ657cQh2Q/видео.html ruclips.net/video/38hTz6Ym-Xs/видео.html
I believe this video applies to TDI models as well. Check your owners manual to be sure. Your coolant reservoir will have a label of what coolant type to use (Ex. G13), which should be one of the options in my table shown at 2:20.
Well they diff no how to make money selling special water for your car.😂😂😂 an people buy into it you no it does heat up aye when in circulation an do math on rest ,i dont no
After further research, it appears that deionized water (also known as DI water) is preferred over distilled water (ruclips.net/video/6K-EEiXzE-s/видео.html) for mixing. However, due to its cost (affiliate link, $15/gal: amzn.to/3DkwAXy), and the owners manual stating that "mixing the coolant additive with distilled water is recommended", I will continue to use distilled water ($1/gal, affiliate link: amzn.to/3RnV4E5).
Moral of the story: deionized water > distilled water >> tap water
Apologies for not mentioning this in the video. Let me know if there's anything else that I missed!
As a petrolhead I was surprised many people don't know simple things like this but realise not everyone is into car maintenance. In my country we need to take a basic car maintenance course and pass the exam before we take the driving licence test. How to change a flat, take care of engine and gearbox oils and other fluids, deal with overheating engines and so on. Every car is different though.
I think the lack of knowledge needed to drive a vehicle (road and traffic laws are the only things required to get a drivers license here) and the lack of training and testing in the United States (pass the drivers exam once and you're good to go for life) is a weakness which results in increased accidents, traffic, and general displeasure while driving.
Here, we rely on friends and family (and the internet!) to help us and teach us things about vehicle maintenance. But not everyone has someone like that! Hopefully I can be that person for some people :)
Thank you so much, I’m stuck here at the gas station with this problem, and I search online about what can I do with overheating in Audi, and your video explains a lot and clear. Thank you so much for this, you really help me.
Thank you for commenting, that makes me so glad to hear that it was helpful!
Useful video, it does feel scary when it comes up yet such an easy fix. On later model it's worth doing the OBD2 tweak to show oil temp in instrument cluster as it is replaced by a boost gauge so not visible otherwise.
Great point! I completely forgot about that. I believe the oil temperature gauge is swapped out for a boost gauge in all S3/RS3 (doesn't matter the year). See this video for an example of a 2015 S3 PLUS they show how to get an oil temperature reading without doing any OBD2 tweak: ruclips.net/video/jSTC5FCfJdA/видео.html
For anyone else reading, here's how you can do the OBD2 tweak that @Beardchanics Garage mentions, he has a great video on it: ruclips.net/video/--jgt7jy-xo/видео.html
Sweet channel you have there! Thanks for commenting!
Super informative video! I also have an Audi A3 and this exact message popped up with the warning and I was so scared! I had to pull aside and turn off my car for a few minutes then turn it back on and it was fine somehow. Now I know how to fix this, thank you so much!! (Girl) 😂
Thank you for commenting Serena! You got this!! 💪
This is so helpful, thanks you!
Thank you! Excellent video. Very helpful
Thank you so much. I was afraid of doing it wrong. Now I feel confident
Awww so helpful ❗thank you for taking the time ❗
Thank you for this helpful video. I had the same issue with my Audi A3 Quattro.
Are you having issues with the water pump/thermostat?
Super helpful! Thank you so much.
got this warning on my 2015 S3, but when I opened the lid for the coolant, it went up to max!!! was that a fake error? Now I have it a bit over max...just in case :D....Update on things...the water pump had a leak and was replaced
Thaanx man !
Thank u!
You're welcome, hope this helps!
Very helpful video. I do have a question though. Do you need to leave the cap off, run the car at high heat to get rid of any possible bubbles, and then put the cap back on the reservoir after running it for a few mins or however long?
Thanks.
You’re welcome, hope it helped!
Thanks man❤
My low coolant light comes on regardless of whether or not it's full but the temp gauge is just as important than the coolant being full so I keep my eyes on the gauge. Plus my car is a Chevy Lumina from 1997 so it's very old and some dashboard lights may not read accurately.
Ooh, gotcha. Yeah, if the coolant light is unreliable then definitely keep your eye on that temperature gauge! Remember that just because it's cooling down out there, coolant is still important to keep the engine from freezing in the winter as well as cool in the summer. Good luck!
My coolant light goes off and on.. the temp gauge at correct temperature I have coolant it’s between the min and max lines.. could this be sensor?
What if my coolant ball is dirty can we clean it? I just got me this car
The animations are sweet! What editor are you using?
Also, check out that front vs rear wheel speed difference at the end. Was that traction control kicking in to try to put most of the torque to the rear?
Appreciate the kind words, Dan! I use Final Cut Pro. No fancy animation plug-ins, just basic shapes and keyframes (for now). The keyframes basically let me set one value at a certain time (Ex. shape positioned at x,y), then another value at a different time (position = x+5, y+5), and FCPX will interpolate everything in-between to "animate it". This can be applied to many different attributes such as opacity 3:14, position 1:49, crop/trim 0:33, etc. This was my first time using the "highlighter" affect which I learned from this video: ruclips.net/video/4UQ3JJYeZ6o/видео.html It's pretty tedious and time-intensive but it works!
I'm glad you stayed until the end to watch the launch at 6:44! Look familiar at all? ;) That's the FWD-biased Haldex Quattro at work. The front tires are spinning throughout the whole launch, but it appears to me that the rear initially starts spinning almost immediately, then all power is shifted to the front, then the final decision is to shift power back to both. Traction control was disabled for the launch if I remember correctly. I believe we're just watching the AWD system at work. Pretty interesting.
For some reason my 2001 audi tt low coolant light stays on but my coolant tank is full and no leaks.. any ideas? I also put a new coolant tank in and that didnt resolve the issue either.
Hello, we have a 15” supercharged Q7, coolant is a little low and I want to top it off. So I can use the pentofrost or do I need to get the G13 Audi coolant. The current coolant in here is the stock dealer coolant.
I have an s3, so that temp gauge is replaced with a boost gauge. I keep getting the warning, but my coolant is just above the top line, like the owners manual says
Correct! Unfortunately I forgot about that when I published the video but I mentioned in the video description that there is a way to find the engine oil temperature on S3's, check this video for more information: ruclips.net/video/jSTC5FCfJdA/видео.html
Note that oil temperature is different from coolant temperature, read this article for more information: www.tuneruniversity.com/blog/2011/05/keep-your-engine-alive-the-importance-of-oil-temperature/
Does the warning come on immediately when you turn the car on? That leads me to the car thinking the coolant is at the wrong level (likely low, not sure if the warning will come on for too much coolant).
@@mattpopovich it comes on right when I turn on the car but only the first few times (I deliver pizza for work so I do a lot of start/stopping) after a few deliveries it will no longer give me the message.
Hmm.. Weird. Do you park on a hill? I'm not sure why that would be happening. But it shouldn't be too serious if the warning goes away! 🤞
@@mattpopovich it is very odd. I park on a hill at home but I’ve tried pulling in and backing in but it still gives the warning. I’ve also tried parking on the street to see if the slanted driveway was the issue. Nothing changed. I did, however, just have the thermostat housing replaced. (There was a leak) I check the coolant every day just to make sure and it’s always inside the parameters. I really don’t know what’s wrong
@@FaZePoopCheetahsame here. 2015 S3. Dealer replaced water pump and thermostat. Coolant is right at the max line, I check it every time I drive, still no change. I’m not sure why the warning would come on… any updates on your situation?
What if when driving the temp drops all the way down. And ive been having a check engine light on for weeks now and all it reads on the oem is coolant flow, coolant intake codes
Well... based on your check engine light and coolant error codes, it sounds like something coolant-related is going wrong.
0:39 "Coolant allows the engine to not get too cold and not get too hot."
Is it cold where you live right now? You might need the "anti-freeze" part of coolant right now to keep your engine from freezing or getting too cold. A cold engine means the oil will be thick and won't flow through the engine as easily resulting in more wear and tear on the engine than usual.
My coolant warning was on when I turned on the engine, and then I checked the coolant; it's basically an empty tank. Does that mean my coolant is leaking? Should I add coolant till the minimum line and keep driving?
Empty coolant tank = not good!
0:51 "It's okay to keep driving with the low coolant light on as long as your engine stays at the normal operating temperature"
5:48 "The coolant system is a sealed system. No coolant should be able to escape. Thus, if you're low on coolant, then that suggests a problem. If you have to add coolant regularly, then that suggests a problem. [...] If you need to add coolant once or twice a year, it's not a big deal."
I would add coolant between the minimum and maximum line and keep an eye on it. That should answer your question as to how bad it is leaking!
Hey ! Thanks for sharing
I did not see the full video and topped the coolant to the max of the container and not between the lines
How should I proceed? Drain all? How to drain? Or is it ok to drive. Oh dear.
Well worst case, the coolant can expand when it gets hot. If the coolant reservoir is full it could have nowhere to expand to and could cause a hose to burst or crack and get fluid throughout the engine possibly damaging electrical components.
If the reservoir is completely full I would not drive until I sucked the excess coolant out of the reservoir. If it's a little over the line then you're probably fine, but I would get the coolant level back within the minimum and maximum line sooner than later.
To suck the excess coolant out you can use a baster. While they're good with hot temperatures (this one can handle up to 450˚F), I'd still let the coolant cool down a bit after driving (affiliate link): amzn.to/3K3qnRd
@@mattpopovich awesome man! Thank you
@@jhonhernandez3540 Good luck! Thanks for watching!
Hi Matt, great video. Thank you for helpful tips! Digging deeper, what was the issue with your A3 8V for the coolant to be that low? I'm living the same situation right now with my A3 8V. (Bad head gasket seal? Water pump went bad?) Local garage filled me up with OEM G13 because i was near the same level as you were,way below minimum. They filled it a little over the maximum 3 days ago. Now I'm just below max , maybe it overflowed without me noticing,,, is it possible? I haven't noticed any leaks on the ground before or after they filled. It's entering the shop on Monday but I'm curious to know your issue.
Hi Gab, thanks for commenting. I don't know what caused my coolant to be low and frankly I don't plan on doing any further investigation, refilling with coolant once every few months is cheap and easy enough for me!
As for your coolant going from above max to max, it could be a few things... If you checked the level before running the engine, the coolant could have "settled" to the lower level. It could have been warm (mid day or just recently ran engine) causing the coolant to expand when you first checked it and cool (evening/morning before you ran engine) causing the coolant to shrink a bit when you checked it later on. It also could be a slight leak somewhere. But I don't think overflow is a possibility as the coolant reservoir does have a lid on it preventing that from happening.
Since your comment was a few days ago, what did the shop have to say?
@Matt Popovich Hey Matt, I appreciate the response ! Thanks again for all the useful information 👍 Coolant has kept its level these last few days, The shop didn't find anything abnormal, no signs of leaks and able to keep engine at good temp. But I will keep an eye of my reservoir.
Cheers!
@@gabperreault2508 Glad to hear! Mine is an 8 year old vehicle with 120k miles on her so some minor work to keep her going is expected. Being that I'm waaay out of warranty, not sure what year yours is, but the $200+ diagnostic fee that Audi dealers charge can buy a lot of coolant (www.fcpeuro.com/products/audi-vw-coolant-antifreeze-pentosin-g013a8j1g) 😉
Cheers!
Did the manual say how full it should be at which temperature ? I'm currently at -7⁰C outside so I should only top up to minimum ?
It does not: ownersmanuals2.com/audi/a3-sedan-s3-sedan-2015-owners-manual-71870/page-208
I'd recommend, if it's one of your coldest winter days, wait until the car is cold and add coolant to the minimum line. My thinking is this is as cold that the coolant will ever be, it will always be warmer (and thus expand) above this point once the temperature outside warms up or once the car runs. If it gets colder or you get a low coolant warning, you can always add more!
Hiya im filling everyday doing about 25 miles and light come on have had radiator done checked for leaks but nothing found but after driving i pull over i see water coming out what could my issue be
Filling every day = a coolant leak somewhere. Try to get a second opinion on the radiator.
5:48 "The coolant system is a sealed system. No coolant should be able to escape."
I drive a 1997 Chevy Lumina and my low coolant light is on but I have no leaks whatsoever and the needle on my temp gauge stays on the left side and moves close to the mid mark as I'm driving not right in the middle. I check my coolant level and it's below the min line. Coolant still remains in the tank though. My mechanic gave me a new water pump last time I bought it to him and it can't be the sensor because he would've fixed that.
Sounds like everything is working on it? I'd say just add coolant so it's not below the minimum line and go from there!
@@mattpopovichI definitely will add coolant before we move into the winter months when it gets freezing. I check under the hood to make sure there's no antifreeze leak and there hasn't been anything leaking. Old cars may have a habit of triggering warning lights to go on even when there is no problem with the coolant,oil,etc. For now I'm just going to continue to keep an I eye on my temp gauge and as soon as it goes above the middle I'll pull over when I can ofcourse and turn the car off.
@@bryanrizzo9377 I mean it sounded like the light was on because your coolant was below the minimum line. If you add coolant, the light should turn off.
So i put the liquid to the seam area. After a day or two i find it low (in between max/min lines). After that i refilled to the seam, then again dropped after a day to between the max/min lines. I am bit sure if this is normal or not?
Hmm.. It's abnormal for the coolant to drop that fast and to require "topping off" every few days. You probably have a coolant leak.. 😕
@@mattpopovich thank you verimich for the reply. Imma leave my 2 cents here i case anyone would have the same issues:
2 fixes i had to do:
1. Replace water pump
2. Weld a leakage in the radiator (located farthest in the car, and was the harder issue to find)
Thanks so much for responding with your solution and helping the community! Glad you got to the bottom of it and got things fixed!
Do I need to empty coolant tank before adding new coolant?
As long as you're adding the same type of coolant (or a type that can be mixed 2:07) and have no reason to believe your current coolant is dirty/contaminated, no need to empty the coolant tank before adding new coolant!
CARFAX says flushing (completely emptying then filling with new coolant) every 100k - 150k mi is a good idea: www.carfax.com/blog/coolant-flush#:~:text=Is%20a%20Coolant%20Flush%20Really,hit%20100%2C000%20to%20150%2C000%20miles.
I added coolant to my VW passat but the indicator is still ON and when I checked back there is no coolant in the reservoir. what can be the problem ?
Sounds like a leak to me. Check underneath your car. See a bunch of coolant pooling up?
@@mattpopovich thank for reply Matt. I dont see any leak.
@@rahulfarakte2049 hmm well where’d it go!? 😜 how long was it between adding coolant and seeing no coolant in the reservoir?
I would add coolant, let the car sit overnight, see if coolant is at the same level in the morning. If it is, I would then start the car, let it run for a few minutes, see if coolant starts leaking.
If we can recreate the leak, then we have a starting point to fix it.
@@mattpopovich I added the coolant almost touching max level and got in the car and started it, the indicator was still flashing so I got back and looked the tank and it was all gone. Even I am wondering where did it go 😀😀
@@rahulfarakte2049 oh no!! 😂😭 let me know if you find anything out. I’d try not to drive it anywhere. If you must, keep a close eye on the engine temperature gauge as mentioned at 0:52.
My light went off, but yet the coolant is at proper levels. Think it’s a sensor issue?
So to clarify, the low coolant light is on even though the coolant is at the proper level?
What if my coolent look brown wit lil black in it can I still fill it or flush necessary
Uhhhh what car do you have? What coolant does it take? I describe different Audi coolants at 2:19.
A flush probably sounds like the right thing to do but I don't know if "necessary" is the right word for it.
My coolant warning comes on after a cold day/night but the coolant level isn't low. It's within the min and max line. Could this be a sensor fault?
Hmm does the coolant warning turn off as well? If so, it sounds like the sensor is working.. maybe somehow calibrated wrong? I'd recommend double checking the coolant level when the warning comes on and when the warning comes off and then going from there.
What if I see a leak at the bottom of the engine bay, could it be a hose leak or replace the whole water pump
Well first are you sure it’s coolant leaking? Is it pink -> coolant. Blue -> windshield washer fluid. Is it oil? Use a white paper towel to soak it up and more easily identify it.
Why does the distilled water evaporate in a closed (sealed) system?
Good question and sorry if I wasn't clear about it at 5:48. Because the system is closed (sealed), you won't lose any coolant to evaporation. However, if you are losing coolant (to evaporation), that suggests that the system isn't closed or sealed and we unfortunately have a leak somewhere... I have a leak in my system due to having low coolant. I can either try to find the source of the leak (expensive + time consuming) or I can just keep adding coolant (cheap + quick). I probably only have to do it twice a year or so, so it's not a major problem. 😅
@@mattpopovich did you find out if the thermostats/water pump was the issue?
@@MultiInKIEto Not sure if you meant to reply to a different comment as I didn't mention a termostat / water pump, but no, I haven't done any investigation there and I don't plan to. I will continue to top off with coolant a few times a year. Much more economical option.
What if the hazard don’t turn off
The hazards can be turned on and off from a button in the center of the dash. Check this video for additional information: ruclips.net/video/6Y9JSbOg1vQ/видео.html
Does that help?
@@mattpopovich not the hazard light the coolant light on the dash what if and don’t turn off
Any idea what the consequences of topping up with half a litre of tap water might be? Asking for a friend.
Haha, tell your friend that the consequences seem to be early rusting in water pumps and heat exchangers (years down the line): ruclips.net/video/6K-EEiXzE-s/видео.html
Also mention to them that page 205 of the owners manual states "mixing the coolant additive with distilled water is recommended". ownersmanuals2.com/audi/a3-sedan-s3-sedan-2015-owners-manual-71870/page-207
You can get it from any grocery store for a couple of dollars. Not worth the long-term risk of using tap water. I'd rather drive to the store on low coolant, keep an eye on the engine temperature gauge, then buy some distilled water vs. using tap water as a quick fix.
However, if it is just a quick fix, in the short-term, I think you'll be fine with tap water. That's what mechanics used to use back in the day before they realized tap water was causing rusting in water pumps and the like. Just note that you'll want to flush the coolant system sooner than later to get rid of the tap water, then fill it up properly with concentrate + distilled water.
Other sources:
ruclips.net/video/ZyJ657cQh2Q/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/38hTz6Ym-Xs/видео.html
What if you have a TDI
I believe this video applies to TDI models as well. Check your owners manual to be sure. Your coolant reservoir will have a label of what coolant type to use (Ex. G13), which should be one of the options in my table shown at 2:20.
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Well they diff no how to make money selling special water for your car.😂😂😂 an people buy into it you no it does heat up aye when in circulation an do math on rest ,i dont no
Thanks for the video! Very helpful!