JavaGreen
Member
FSI owners - please check your pipes
- Thread starter A2Steve
- Start date
At least one is not.
The cost of replacing all what is available I hazard a guess will not be far of £500.
This composite part (attaches to top of radiator) cost me £70+VAT three years ago, must be over £100 now
.Andy
Last edited:
Sound advice about checking the coolant level by eye!
On my most recent FSI I was going along the M25 Smart section when the coolant temp suddenly went up and the red warning appeared in the display. Managed to limp the 1 1/2 miles to the Sevenaoks exit where there was a hard shoulder. As I pulled up there was a sudden burst of steam and hot water, and I could see that the bottom hose had blown off the radiator (the death pipe had been replaced a couple of years previously). RAC Recovery to get home.
The following morning I reconnected the pipe, refilled the cooling system and it was fine! and OK for the next 10k miles before I p/ex'd the car. A close shave.
I found that the coolant level sensor was connected but not working. The timing belt & water pump had been replaced the previous month and I think there must have been an air lock somewhere. I had not visually checked the coolant level since the belt change
.Mark
There are three or four hoses I know of which are not aviable anymore on the FSI. I think it does not take very long until they are all EOL.
I am already looking for alternatives since I wanted to change these the last time I was renovating the cooling system because they were looking suspicious.
Best option would be to have a company rebuilt the original hoses in silicone. There are a few offering this service but it is very expensive for single hoses. But there will be more demand in the future when all the hoses on all FSIs have reached their age and then it will be profitable for a company to produce them.
DolphinGreyA2
Member
PlasticMac
Admin Team
Bless me, there's a whole rubber plantation in there!
I've made contact with a hose making company, who advise that EDPM is fine at FSI temperatures, and would be easier and less costly than silicone.
Bit of a challenge with that lot though. Need to prioritise the ones which, if they fail, would lead to engine damage.
Mac.
VVVVVV
Member
Oh Rubber!
This famous pipe has a terrible name. I just got my A2 back on the road and I started to get nervous about this
Now my car runs normally (about always 90° warm engine) and there are no warnings, but...
Is this easy to fix? I know it's not right to do the easiest first, but I understand the most important ones are.
Attached image in yellow (EDIT: Y/T-Pieces now #15, they were wrong at #30 first)
Of course, I should still check whether the plastic pipes have become soft (ugh it sounds very expensive).
Full FSI diagram:
audi.7zap.com
This famous pipe has a terrible name. I just got my A2 back on the road and I started to get nervous about this
Now my car runs normally (about always 90° warm engine) and there are no warnings, but...
Is this easy to fix? I know it's not right to do the easiest first, but I understand the most important ones are.
Attached image in yellow (EDIT: Y/T-Pieces now #15, they were wrong at #30 first)
- #15: 8Z0 121 107 N vent hose
- #15: "Y" and "T" pieces, I dunno if they come with the pipe
- #24: 1J0 121 087 D distributor
- #30: 032 121 065 D coolant pipe
- Btw which of these is the "death pipe" ?
Full FSI diagram:
Coolant pumpCoolant cooling system 1.6ltr. Audi A2 (A2) 2003 year Audi EUROPA 121040
Coolant pumpCoolant cooling system 1.6ltr. Audi A2 (A2) 2003 year Audi EUROPA 121040 spare parts
Attachments
Last edited:
birtyA2
A2OC Donor
This post may help
To my eyes that looks like item 30 in your diagram
Death pipe location FSI
A couple of days ago someone posted a thread asking where the death pipe was on the FSI. I can’t find that post now, but I took the front end off the breaker this evening and so had an opportune time to take a photo of it’s location. So here goes Marked in yellow, you can see it runs from the...
a2oc.net
To my eyes that looks like item 30 in your diagram
PlasticMac
Admin Team
Surely the temperature is controlled by the thermostat. The amount of heat to be removed from the coolant = the amount of heat generated by combustion. My concern with waterless coolant is that being more viscous, the pump will struggle to circulate it. Overload the pump, and you might just pop the cambelt! I'll stick with what the engine was designed for.
Engine failure due to coolant loss is not FSI specific.
Mac.
Exe_Chris
Member
I would add #29 - coolant regulator (housing) to your list. Mine had started to leak quite badly when I replaced it. Just make sure that you replace everything at the same time. My experience when I didn't do this: https://www.a2oc.net/community/index.php?threads/fsi-up-to-old-tricks-lesson-learned.46141/Oh Rubber!
This famous pipe has a terrible name. I just got my A2 back on the road and I started to get nervous about this
Now my car runs normally (about always 90° warm engine) and there are no warnings, but...
Is this easy to fix? I know it's not right to do the easiest first, but I understand the most important ones are.
Attached image in yellow (EDIT: Y/T-Pieces now #15, they were wrong at #30 first)
Of course, I should still check whether the plastic pipes have become soft (ugh it sounds very expensive).
- #15: 8Z0 121 107 N vent hose
- #15: "Y" and "T" pieces, I dunno if they come with the pipe
- #24: 1J0 121 087 D distributor
- #30: 032 121 065 D coolant pipe
- Btw which of these is the "death pipe" ?
Full FSI diagram:
Coolant pumpCoolant cooling system 1.6ltr. Audi A2 (A2) 2003 year Audi EUROPA 121040
Coolant pumpCoolant cooling system 1.6ltr. Audi A2 (A2) 2003 year Audi EUROPA 121040 spare parts
Scumfrog
Member
I had the above fail on me last night.
You can see the orange of the coolant at the bottom of the picture where it attaches to the radiator connector block.
I have the pro-boost fitted and the pipe of death and the thermostat housing are recent.
The only indication was that the water warning came on, but I've been running with a slight leak for a while now, topping up with a pint or so once a month, so was used to it! There was no indication of overheating, the temp gauge was dead on 90.
I managed to turn the engine off immediately due to oil warning and much beeping - IIRC it all happened in a couple of seconds - and coasted to a layby on an A road.
I thought it was going to be total engine failure. However, I filled with water this morning and it seems to run fine and as quiet as it always was, the oil seemed fine.
I believe it's part of the number 15 setup, which is still available for about £80, but as I only need the one pipe, can I get away with standard rubber fuel hose (8mm I think should do it)?
You can see the orange of the coolant at the bottom of the picture where it attaches to the radiator connector block.
I have the pro-boost fitted and the pipe of death and the thermostat housing are recent.
The only indication was that the water warning came on, but I've been running with a slight leak for a while now, topping up with a pint or so once a month, so was used to it! There was no indication of overheating, the temp gauge was dead on 90.
I managed to turn the engine off immediately due to oil warning and much beeping - IIRC it all happened in a couple of seconds - and coasted to a layby on an A road.
I thought it was going to be total engine failure. However, I filled with water this morning and it seems to run fine and as quiet as it always was, the oil seemed fine.
I believe it's part of the number 15 setup, which is still available for about £80, but as I only need the one pipe, can I get away with standard rubber fuel hose (8mm I think should do it)?
Yes and no and not really. The problem is the connections at each end to the pump and thermostat housing are designed for a solid pipe. Maybe just use the last few centimetres of the pipe at each end and say use silicon hose between secured by "jubilee" type clips but then the question will the intermediate hose need custom made support.
Your 8mm diameter estimate is way off, the diameter is nearer 30mm from memory and how do you know it is not that the pump that is not leaking and the pipe okay?
Andy
Scumfrog
Member
It's definitely the pipe, I took it off. It's gone hard and there's no seal.
It's the one that runs top to bottom in the pic with the plastic sleeve, and it's definitely about 8mm internally, although I have yet to put the vernier caliper on it,
It looks like the ones that it connects to with the T junction have already been replaced with aftermarket coolant hoses.
It's the one that runs top to bottom in the pic with the plastic sleeve, and it's definitely about 8mm internally, although I have yet to put the vernier caliper on it,
It looks like the ones that it connects to with the T junction have already been replaced with aftermarket coolant hoses.
Sorry, for some reason I assumed it was the death pipe. - Andy
I see no reason why you could not replace the pipe with something of your choice, silicone has good name and yes 8mm rings a bell with me too.
Andy
Dave M
Admin Team