Help Please!!!

[kampfer]

OK I really need some help here, I really don't know what to do anymore.
The other day I went into tiptronic and tried using the "paddle shifters" or buttons whatever and they didnt work. The little back light didnt even work, and now I noticed that the horn doesnt work either. I checked the fuses so it's not that. What the hell could it be. Please someone help me out, oh and the tiptronic still works on the stick so I'm thinking its wiring. If you guys know how to fix this let me know.
I have a A4 B5 1999.5 1.8T Quattro.

[kampfer]

Ok now even more problems, I'm over heating. Now I have the thermostat and I'm going to get the water pump but I don't know how to drain the coolant. Can this really be done at home with minimal tools in a two car garage?

[qua(b5)ttro]

find out what codes are popping up, do you have a vag-com?

[Nebone]

Unplug the lower radiator hose to drain coolant into a large drain pan.

[kampfer]

No codes popping up, I do have a vag-com. I think maybe a wire came loose I don't know which one. And I though there would be a drain plug, but ok. anyway I think I will to the thermostat and possibly water pump this weekend, as for the horn and steering wheel tip buttons I don't know. Still need help any guesses?

[hiwords1]

the drain plug is on the driver's side of the radiator. it should be a red thing. you can get to it when you pop off your lower grille

[kampfer]

Ah! very good thank you, has any body ever replaced their thermostat and water pump at home? can it be done? on a scale of 1-10 1=easy 10=hard

[kampfer]

so i hear that i dont have remove my whole front end to get to the tstat i can do it from underneath, or is it the same process as the b6 model where i have to remove the water pump?

[ct1.8t4me]

The thermostat is a piece of cake - the hardest part is keeping the O-ring in place when you are putting the new one in. I used a little vaseline to stick it in place while I was putting everything back together.

I'm pretty sure you are not going to be able to change the water pump without basically doing a timing belt job.

[zrowcool]

water pump is gunna require some pretty serious work. thermostat is on the bottom and held in with 2 bolts. timing belt is pretty hidden since you have to remove the fan and timing belt and the oil pump pully to get it out. if theres an easier way someone else would know but thats the only way i know of

[kampfer]

So it's true that I can get to the Tstat from underneath but I would have to do much more to do a water pump, Correct?
Is this something I can do in one night, or will it require a few hours a couple of friends and some beer?
I have the Tstat already just need to put it in, but according to the DIY I found it looks like I have to remove a lot to get to the damn thing.
However I realize that this is for the B6 not for my B5 but i figure they are the same, no?

[ct1.8t4me]

The thermostat should take no more than 30 minutes. It's really easy. Two bolts - I think they are 10 or 12mm hold the housing in. Pop the old one out, new one in, put it back together. Just follow the lower radiator hose to the thermostat housing. It's that simple.

You don't have to remove anything to get to it unless you still have the lower skid plate thing - even then that is just 8-10 twist and pop fasteners to remove.

I have no idea how it compares to the B6 - but on your year B5, it is cake.

[zrowcool]

yup correcto, 2 bolts i think they are 11mm. if you have the skid plate thing it might take like 30 mins. Some bolts on our cars are stupid and are odd numbers.

[kampfer]

OK dang guys you've been a great help, I can't thank you enough.
I'll do this when I get home from work today(which reminds me I should be working) and let you know how it all went.
Again thank you very much.

[kampfer]

One more thing, it's really not too important but has anybody ever done a RS4 bumper to their A4? I got into a fender bender in November and the front driver side bumper got really shredded so last week I got a 4 piece RS4 body kit for 250 and I want to get this on soon I'm in no real rush but I don't want to have it laying around. Anybody got any tips on this subject. I hear I will have to do a lot of trimming and stuff.

[kampfer]

ok I'm doing the easy stuff now to solve the overheating problem, I did the Tstat and now I'm doing the coolant temp sensor and the radiator fan switch where can i get both of these and where are they?
Well I know where the coolant sensor is but I can't seem to find it locally, as for the fan switch I don't know where it is and I don't know where to get it or the item number.

[kampfer]

Anybody have any suggestions? I don't think it's the fans or the radiator it self but at this point I just don't know anymore. I think my B5 is on it's final leg. little
problems are appearing here and there, like my paddle shifters and my horn don't work any more and yes I checked the fuse seems fine to me possibly I disconnected the wires but where are those wires I don't know. I really don't want to sell her not now she has been good to me not to mention I just got some lowering springs and an RS4 bumper and side skirts for her.
Any help on any of my problems would be greatly appreciated.

[MattzWarsteiner]

when the car is hot, try your heat on high. If it blows hot, the water pump is working and the temp may even fall slightly. Check it in the eve or am when its still cool out for best test.

If your car still overheats on the freeway, the problem is not the fans.
BTW, umm how high does the temp gauge go or is it spewing coolant?

[kampfer]

Well, last time I drove it, it went really close to the H so to avoid damage I pulled over in a slightly bad neighborhood and had to leave it there. I came back an hour later with a friend and I took it to his house.
Oh and I will try the fan thing to find out if I need a new water pump, thanks that might save me a whole lot of money or be the catalyst that causes me to finally go out and buy the damn thing. Just to get this straight wait tell the car is hot well operating temp. and then try the heat, correct? And this will determine if I need a new water pump or not.

[MattzWarsteiner]

Well, the test won't guarantee a perfect water pump, but is a quick and dirty way to see if coolant is circulating in the system. Engine should be at least warm.

Smart man, pulling over. oh yah, and I'll take slightly bad over just bad.

[kampfer]

So I assume that this will also determine if my radiator is good or not?

[kampfer]

God I miss driving her.
I hope I can get her up and running soon, I don't want to damage anything so I really don't even move it.
I just got the coolant temp sensor so I hope that will fix my problem if not I guess the radiator switch is next(if i even have one on my car, not sure if i do)
Then the water pump.

[MattzWarsteiner]

The heat out of the heater test checks for bad water pump or low coolant in the case of running hot.

If your car was still running hot at freeway speeds, the electric cooling fan & coolant switch are not the prob. The airflow at anything around 40mph and up will cool the engine, no fans required in a working cooling system.

Radiators can get clogged and not cool the engine. sometimes a flush will fix that. Tstat no help, huh?

[kampfer]

Yeah I did the Tstat, no joy I ordered the coolant temp sensor I will see how that works out, if that doesn't work I will get the radiator switch (not sure where that one is, I hear under the radiator passenger side) if still no joy maybe water pump but i'm going to check that little test today see if I get heat or not although I do remember when it was overheating on monday when I realized I had this problem I did try to use the heat to cool the engine and I ended up closing the vents because I felt some heat for a moment but then I closed the vents so not too sure about that. anyway if water pump is fine I think I'm going to drain the radiator. Now if it drains does that mean that it is not clogged, because when I did the tstat I did have to drain it and oh yes it did drain?