A6bb2004

Hey guys hows it going?
First of, my car is an Audi a6 3.0 quattro 2004 with 196,000km (121k miles)

So here is my problem:

A couple months ago my antifreeze/coolant light went off. At first I didnt think much of it so I just went to my local Audi garage and hat it fueled up.

A month later the warning light came back on... Then I started to get worried. I asked to the same local mechanic for a diagnostic: He told me it was possible that i had a head gasket leak and that my timing belt was due to be done.

So I tried to get a rendez vous with him to get it done but he didnet have any time to do it until december... I wanted to get it done as fast as possible so I went to another mechanic.

There he told me that my timing belt needed to be change with the water pump and the coolant reservoir. He did a headgasket test and he told me it was fine.

So 5 days ago I got it done: New timing belt, water pump, coolant reservoir.

The thing is that I still feel like there is something wrong with the car.

First of, there is this white smoke coming from the exhaust (im from canada and its pretty cold outside right now but my car is making more white smoke than it should).

Second of, I have the feeling when im driving that the engine is somehow holding back a little. As if the throttle response wasnt as sharp as it was...

I still have this headgasket leak on my mind...

What do you guys think? What could be the problem?

Feel free to ask for any more details.

Thanks a lot

tester123

Check dip stick to see if the oil is "creamy" or a thin "caramel" like in color. Some may say it as "milky"; whatever, just see if it is just oil like you'd see from a fresh container or if it is tainted. If it is, you got coolant in your oil and maybe due to a head gasket leak.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

If the oil is clean and you're not losing coolant don't be losing any sleep, eh!?

GTA_Driver

I doubt you have a head gasket leak. It is not a common problem on Audi engines.

The 2nd mechanic who did the work on your car, is he a good audi mechanic? Worked lots on these cars? if the car feels sluggish, there could be many reasons. For one, he could have set timing incorrectly. There could be other issues from various sensors.

A good place would be to get VCDS and scan the car for codes. You can buy a cable on eBay for $10 (OBDII to USB cable), and use the free version of VCDS Lite to help you get started. See if there are any error codes in the ECU and the TCU.

tester123

I was thinking, "maybe" head gasket - given the mileage. Like you said, rough idle and / loss of power maybe sensors / timing etc., but the OP mentioned "white smoke". What to make of it? Excessive fuel? or Oil leaking into exhaust?

If it was 2.7T, I'd bet on turbos -another story.

tester123

Also, what does the exhaust smell like? Just sniff once to see if it smells like gas fumes or something more "caustic".

In this day in world where even as silly as a negative product review earns a law suit(Google it), I feel compelled to supply this standard disclaimer: READ - I am NOT responsible for any injury and/or including any damage whatsoever. I am not suggesting you to breath the exhaust. Use your judgement.

Airbag

naw .. you get a ton of white smoke this tim eof year on start up ... if i was the OP i would just drive it for a while and see what happens .. dont be paranoid ..

A6bb2004

If it was oil leaking into exhaust wouldnt it be black smoke coming out?

A6bb2004

Ya I know white smoke is common this time of year but the problem is that the white smoke never stop even when the engine is hot and that ive been driving for a while...!

A6bb2004

Thanks for the replies tester, its definetly not a gas smell... Its hard to describe but it smells kind of "chemical" ... Ill check the oil tonight when i get home and ill keep you posted thanks again