Low coolant indicator began to turn on during operation while engine was warm and system was pressurized. Added coolant back up to the "full" level in the expansion reservoir but slow leak persisted and light came on about 6 months later. Had the issue diagnosed by an Audi dealer as a thermostat housing leak. I was able to independently verify their finding. The fix is to replace the entire module and coolant pump, which is a significant parts and labor cost.
Other owners have experienced this issue in their Audi S3's, with the problem occurring early enough to have it fixed under warranty. The engine in the Audi S3 is shared with the VW GTI, VW Golf R, and Audi A3 (with other variants throughout the Audi lineup) As my car is out of warranty, the Audi dealer quoted the repair at $1,200. If this is a frequent failure, as implied by VW/Audi forum members, VW should issue a recall.
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Low coolant indicator began to turn on during operation while engine was warm and system was pressurized. Added coolant back up to the "full" level in the expansion reservoir but slow leak persisted and light came on about 6 months later. Had the issue diagnosed by an Audi dealer as a thermostat housing leak. I was able to independently verify their finding. The fix is to replace the entire module and coolant pump, which is a significant parts and labor cost.
Other owners have experienced this issue in their Audi S3's, with the problem occurring early enough to have it fixed under warranty. The engine in the Audi S3 is shared with the VW GTI, VW Golf R, and Audi A3 (with other variants throughout the Audi lineup) As my car is out of warranty, the Audi dealer quoted the repair at $1,200. If this is a frequent failure, as implied by VW/Audi forum members, VW should issue a recall.
- Stephen N., Durham, NC, US