Checking the cooling system for leaks (Audi A4 B5)

Leaky areas in the cooling system are easiest to detect when the engine is hot and, accordingly, the cooling system is under operating pressure. Therefore, when checking the water hoses, wear work gloves to avoid burns.

Execution order

1. Are the hoses on the radiator and engine, as well as in the heating system, sealed?

2. Are the hoses cracked? Knead them to determine if the hoses have become stiff and brittle – if so, replace them.

3. By stretching the hoses, you can determine whether there are any leaky areas caused by rodent bites?

4. Are the ends of the hoses not tightly attached to the fittings?

5. Are the hose clamp tension bolts properly tightened?

6. Rusted hose clamps may suddenly fail to withstand the pressure while driving and at full operating pressure in the cooling system. Replace!

7. In the workshop, the tightness of the cooling system is checked using a special hand-held air pump with a pressure gauge.

8. This device is installed on the opening of the expansion tank and then pumped up to 1 bar pressure.

9. If the scale reading does not decrease within one or two minutes, the cooling system is sealed.

(Information obtained from this resource: AudiManual.ru)