Ugh... overheating

[CX-7&A4]

Ok, so the F-ing car decides to breakdown OUT of warranty... anyway, whenever I'm idling at a light, or even around town, the coolant gauge creeps, and the A/C gets hot at lights and below 20mph, has anyone else had this problem or know what it could be? Taking it to the dealer is out of the question. On the freeway it's totally normal and the A/C works fine, We might just have to trade it in for a B8
Searched with no luck.
Thanks for any help.

EDIT: Searched outside of the B7 Forum and see that it could be a number of things... I think the fans aren't turning on... what parts would I need to replace in order to make them start turning on again?

[AudiWxGuy]

Dude, if you can't afford to take your car to the dealer when it's out of warranty, you should'nt have bought an Audi. TAKE IT TO THE DEALER!

[i3oricua]

Where do you live and how hot is it outside? It's actually common for most vehicles air conditioning to not be able to cool the car the way you're used to if it is extra hot outside. I would check your coolant levels and take it to a mechanic to get an assessment done on it. If you recently replaced your coolant or refilled it then you may have air in the radiator and may need to burp it. Just take the cap off the radiator (do we have radiator caps?) and let it run for a few minutes with the cap off. Some places will do an assessment for free. I'm having a hard time thinking of a problem if the a/c gets cold when you're driving but you can let your car idle and wait for the fans to cut on while its idling. That's an easy way to see if the fans are working.

[peta8368]

ac systems actually run off of a belt driven by the engine. At idle, ac systems run at a lower efficiency. That, combined with the heat under the hood, can very possibly result in your ac pumping out luke warm air. When the car is moving, colder air blows across the engine, and the higher engine speed also increased ac system efficiency, therefore ac system is able to cool better.


However, the above said typically happens on older cars with weak/dying ac system. I can't imagine it happening on a 3 year old audi.

The first thing you should do is to make sure your car have enough coolant. Also make sure you use the right mixture (some coolant are concentrated when you buy it, and you need to add distilled water to it). See if the ac system works better then.

To check the fan, you can turn on the AC to see if your fan turns. If it does, then your fan is still fine. There MIGHT be a switch/sensor malfunctioning so it doesn't turn on with increased engine temperature. That should be a simple/inexpensive fix, but I would still recommend that you take it to a shop (not necessarily a dealer, because i for one do not feel like throwing money in water)

Peter

[Zebman]

Like everybody's said, drive it about your block, bring it back and wait for the fans. If it starts getting too hot with no fans kicking on, that is likely your problem. Assuming the actual fans aren't broken, it should be a cheap fix, just replacing a relay. Hopefully it won't be something expensive and off the wall, being an Audi.

[CX-7&A4]

Dude, if you can't afford to take your car to the dealer when it's out of warranty, you should'nt have bought an Audi. TAKE IT TO THE DEALER!

No... I just have a thing about being raped at the dealer right outside of warranty, the quote for just "seeing what the problem is" was outrageous and the dealer was a dick about that, they don't deserve any out of warranty business from anyone. Even then I have other bills to pay and paying through the nose so the dealer can jerk me around is not what I have in mind. You can take it to the dealer by all means and get raped on outrageous service charges(129.99 for an oil change, LOL!). I've moved and I'm looking a garage with Audi experience and I still haven't found one that I trust which is why I'd rather do it myself.

Anyway, I did a test on the sliver fan control switch/box/relay, and there is power going in and nothing coming out, so it looks like that needs to be replaced, I also drove around and came back, and parked. the coolant gauge was creeping and the fans did not kick on, and with the air on at idle, warm air was blowing out and the fans did not turn on as they should, so that's what the problem is, I was hoping this would not be an issue, as it is for the B6 A4, but it is, not an expensive or hard fix if you DIY, $59.99 via a salvage yard. Coolant is at max and it's never been this warm at idle, it's been 117F here.