Audi 80 project - Pointers
 

Hi,

Just became an owner of a Audi 80 b3. 1.8 Carb.

Anyway it has a few issues starting off by losing water.....did 70 miles yesterday and it used about half of the water in the tank.......will it be a dreaded head gasket or are these prone to other issues for using water?

The window wipers also only work on full which is quite annoying.....any tips?

The engine is quite lumpy but very likely needs a good servicing etc.

Getting condensation inside the car so will be looking for new seals im guessing for the doors.

Any advice would be much appericated for these cars as its my first audi let alone first 80.

Thanks

Regards coolant, you need to identify if it's losing or using it........maybe it's loosing it through the heater matrix, that'd explain the condensation?

Dash out job for the matrix. :cryin:

My thoughts too, quick look under the dash will show signs if it's the case.

Or front carpets. :eek:

If it feels a little greasy on the inside of your from window then it's the Matrix. :cryin:

Fingers crossed it's not something serious :tup:

Serious? Could be Ecoli all over the place not to mention Botulism.:yikes:

:lol::lol::lol: That's the end of the country you live in :lol::lol::lol:

:lol: :hand: More like the conditions you get living in a Dark Puddle. :moon:

:lol::lol::lol:

Thought you'd like that. ;)

:nod: :tup:

Haha thanks guys. This could explain the white mucus looking stuff on the windscreen where the seals are and the mouldy bits inside. I may have created a new penicillin.

I'll get round to having a look at the tell tale signs you guys suggested this week.

Thanks for the response.

:yikes: See i told you, make sure you wear a face mask in there until it's sorted. :lol::lol::lol:

Let us know how you get on. :tup:

would this also explain when even theres water in it and its running bang on 90 degrees that the heaters vary from hot and cold when they are on full speed on hot setting?

If the water system is low you won't necessarily be getting lots of hot water in the Matrix so yes this could explain it.

So I took the car out last night for a drive. Ended up with a burst tyre and stranded so had to abandon it at the side of the road due to no spare tyre.

Anyway with new tyre fitted I checked the engine bay when the car was running and i saw a small pipe just above the exhaust manifold is dripping water on to the exhaust.....might be where my water is going but I wouldnt expecct to lose so much so quickly. I'll fix this leak and see if I have any luck......so far im not having any.

Oh and the carpet is wet under the mat of the drivers seat (right hand drive) passengers side is fine.

Matrix is on the passenger side:tup:

Bonnet cable grommet is on drivers side though?

So this would appear your lucky then but have you checked if the screen feels slightly oily?

Its kind of hard to tell as the majority of the time i go to the car the windscreen is frozen from the inside :wall::cryin:

Is it possible to post photos on here and ill show you guys what im talking about. Also think I found another leak going to the radiator so that also wont be helping.

Thanks for replies.

Hello,

Sorry about the major delay. I currently have the inlet manifold off of the car and the single point injection due to finding a leak in the inlet. Hoping this will sort all my water issues and ive replaced all pipe work. If not then it must be a headgasket.....or cracked block.

Anyway I still have my damp issues so Ive taken some photos. The drivers door seal needs replacing ive noticed. I'm not sure about the rear window and front windscreen but seals might be gone too. Are the rear lights prone to leaking?

Any advice would help.

Here some photos about the damp issue

->

https://preview.ibb.co/gTg7vH/20180125_180919.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/hynfFH/20180125_180925.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/fFEuaH/20180125_180932.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/i6XfFH/20180125_180943.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/fwwU9c/20180125_180949.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/dOeGpc/20180125_180955.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/fTQZaH/20180125_181152.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/dpnrNx/20180125_181158.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/fJTLFH/20180125_181204.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/d0MJ2x/20180220_151547.jpg
https://preview.ibb.co/jt3LFH/20180220_151550.jpg

All i can say is wishing you luck, and i hope it was peanuts to buy?

It was but im starting to spend a bit on it now. What do you think about the interior leaking?

The photos don’t look great.
The glass looks like it’s delaminating and leaking past that. That’s obviously not responsible for the engine leak.

I’d be wondering why you’ve so many leaks in a car that’s not famed for them.

It looks like both front and rear screens have gone, at least a door seal and your rear lights. On my 90 these were very well sealed from new.

Does the car stand you much money???

Water in the boot often manifests itself by heavy condensation on the back window and it looks from one picture as if you have water in the boot. I've often seen water getting in through the rear light units, and this is an 80 , not a 90 I believe ?

Water can also get in the front via the door if the interior door card and membrane has been removed to access the winder ( electric ? ) motor , just a thought.
We have certainly had enough rain this Winter to test any cars ability to stay dry inside.

One way of ascertaining if the water on the floor is from the heater is to taste it!! A small dab on the finger tip...if it's sweet, its antifreeze and from the heater matrix.

Remember to gargle with TCP afterwards though!!! :smilewinkgrin: :tup:

If you look closely at the picture of the boot leak (as Ive just done on a decent sized screen) you can see that the water's coming in above the light units so it's not the seal on them (which is a shame as that'd be an easy fix) It might be the boot seal itself.
The water in the cabin, if it's pooling on the drivers side is unlikely to be the heater matrix as that usually drips down into the passenger footwell (the matrix is on the left hand side)
Is there any obvious sign of corrosion around the bottom of the windscreen?
If this is delaminating it's an obvious sign of water ingress here and can be caused by a poorly executed replacement windscreen previously.

Looking at your picture into the boot with the tailgate open, water is literally running down the inside of the quarter panel by the looks of it...?!

As its a B3, i would be investigating the round rubber bung (where the American models have a side marker bulb fitted), the bitumenous seal around the rear lamps which can get damaged if lights are removed for any reason (same as the 90). Also the rubber grommet where the wiring loom leaves the boot area and joins the boot lid. All very common culprits of boot water I have found. Also check for leaves / crud blocking the drain around the top of the boot under the rear screen, water might be gathering up there too.

Check the drivers side too, same issues here although its not wiring this side its the hose for your vacuum central locking (if fitted).

Doesnt explain why theres so much in the cabin however, but those windscreen seals look shagged for want of a better word.

Also, is that rust along your rear seams or red oxide or...? Any signs of a rear bump that may have opened them up??? They should be dry as a bone, strange that they look like this IMHO :hmmm:

That's exactly how my carpets looked before the windscreen was changed last year. The wet patches are in exactly the same places. see my thread here:

http://www.classic-audi.co.uk/forum/...ad.php?t=37297


:wall:

What the rest have said, go through the windscreen cenario, maybe it leaks where the cables come through the bullhead? Rear panel looks to be be something very wrong going on there. :confused:

Having said that if you go through all those things without taking a sledge hammer to it, :lol: you'll likely to come out with a dry car. :tup: