toddp73

O.k. First, thank you for reading, I am new here, and just got a 1993 Quattro 90cs. It has a 2.8 v6. So I have searched but not found a true answer. So I took the car for a spin last night. Wipers do not function, the fuses are good, and the motor was already replaced. After driving for about 20 Minuets, I returned home, only to find steam coming from the coolant reservoir. It leaked a decent amount of coolant. I notice the cooling and wipers seam to be on the same circuit. I really need help getting this thing sorted out. The check engine light also comes on and it seams to be running really rich. On top of it all the airbag light comes on which honestly is my last concern right now. I am sorry for my inexperience, and thank you all in advance. - Todd

CRAZY_RUSSIAN

ow my....
first of all... were you paying any attention to your temp gauge?
second... pull the codes!
third... its probably your wiper switch
fourth... are you using G12 or G11 coolant?
fifth... are your fans kicking in?
let me know man :-)

toddp73

Thank you!I was looking at the gauge, but it seemed to be normal for most of the drive, so it must have happened a little later in the drive. The gauge was not all the way, but pretty close. When I start the car at idle it stays pretty cool, but runs at normal temp. But if I rev the engine to two thousand RPM, it start to heat up. I will try to find somewhere to get the codes pulled, The coolant was green, and was topped off with Prestone, by the previous owner, and this is what I topped it off with. There is no coagulation or anything weird in the reservoir. I drove again today, figured out the headlights, the key was sticking in the start position just enough to cut the lights, a quick jiggle fixes the problem. The fans came on briefly, but the engine was still overheating. I did notice the engine light only comes on after the temp gauge goes beyond the normal notch. Thanks soo much, I can't wait to baby her back to health:-)

toddp73

So..... I tried to pull the codes, the only thing I could seem to get was 2,3,4,1 and then a long flash. This kept repeating. I looked this up and found this :
"Oxygen sensor (O2) at control limit; check CO, lambda-sensor wire, lambda-sensor control, start valve, evaporative system and check for vacuum leaks."
I did notice on the left side of the engine, towards the back there is a small woven cloth covered tube that splits into a y, there is a hissing, vacuum sound coming from it. I think this may be near or connected to the o2 sensor. I do not think this would cause my engine to overheat though? help!!! :-)

CRAZY_RUSSIAN

take a picture of that tube...
so your 02 sensor is capoot, which is not the cause of overheating. if your fans are staying on when your car gets really hot, then its ether your thermostat or the water pump. If they are not staying on, then its probably the fan switch. 12v.org is a grate source for our motors. here are instructions on how to pull the codes http://12v.org/maintenance/dtc.php

toddp73

Here is a pic of that leaking tube, also the fans do not really come on, they came on once, but when the engine is at normal temp, no fans, when the engine temp climbs still no fans, could it be the thermostat?

maineman

Do you have heat coming out of the heater in the car?
If not then you need to bleed the system.
And you need to replace your ignition switch.

CRAZY_RUSSIAN

2nd that :-)

toddp73

Yes the heat works flawlessly, albeit kinda hard for me to figure out, but works, the left LCD's light is out, but as with many things on this car, that is the last thing I am worried about:-)

maineman

Alright......
Your engine will run rich (safe mode) if the O2 sensor is faulty so they should be replaced ,there are two.
Running hot could be alot of things.... You say you have heat so there probably isn't any air in the system. Does the car run cooler when your going down the road and then heat up when you stop?
When were the timing belt ,thermostat and water pump last changed?
How many miles on the car?
No oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil is there?
Sounds like the car may not have been maintained . These are not complicated motors so with a little knowledge and some tools you should be able to work it out. If not then find an independent german car technician to help you out.