Variable Speed Fan: Always Running.

Hello Community!

After a somewhat longer period and varying degrees of satisfaction with my new used car, I'm posting again.

I have a 1999 Audi A6 with engine code 'AFB' and a Tiptronic transmission. The car has 212,000 kilometers on the odometer, and until a few days ago, I've enjoyed driving it. As in life, after the sunshine comes the rain, and that's exactly what happened with my A6.

The following problem:

'Outside temperature is -2°C, and the viscous fan is running. That's understandable, but the engine isn't overheating. It was only started a few minutes ago, and the viscous fan is already running at a speed that changes depending on how much I press the gas pedal. Normally, this only happens when the outside temperature is high and the engine needs extra cooling, right? This phenomenon isn't always present, but it's happening more and more often, and it's concerning me. Has anyone else experienced this problem?'

2. Tiptronic Problem: Beim starken beschleunigen hört man beim schalten aus de ersten zum zweiten Gang ein schleifendes Geräusch aber nur für kurze Zeit(1/2 sec.). Ich weiß es nicht wie ich das Geräusch beschreiben könnte? 'krrch' oder so etwa. Beim normalen beschleunigen ist dies nicht zu hören. Was köCould it be?

3. Temperaturanzeige: bei diesen Temperaturen ist klar das der Motor etwas längere Zeit benötigt um Betriebwassertemp. zu ereichen aber bei mir ist die Temp nie auf 90° die Temp liegt immer bei ca. 85-87 C° und die Öl Temp 74-77C° . Ob ich jetzt auf der AB fahre oder im Stadt, es ist egal. Beim AB fahrt kommt es selten auf 90° und wenn die Anzeige auch 90° zeigt ist das vom kurzem Dauer. Woran What could be the reason?

4. Climate control: It's malfunctioning badly. In the morning, everything is fine on the way to work. The engine is off, then it turns on again after 10 minutes, and suddenly it's blasting cold air, even though the engine has already warmed up and the temperature is set to 23°C. I have no idea what could be causing this. I've also read other posts, but they refer to a complete lack of heating, which isn't my problem.

If you have any tips, I would be grateful.

Greetings.

1. Outside temperature: -2°C. The viscous fan is running, which is understandable, but the engine is not overheating. It was started a few minutes ago, and the viscous fan is already running with speed control, meaning that when I press the accelerator more, the speed of the viscous fan also increases. Normally, this only happens when the outside temperature is high and the engine needs additional cooling, right? This phenomenon doesn't always occur, but it's happening more and more often, and it's concerning me. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

One of the two automatic gearboxes in my car is always engaged! So, it seems to be normal, or maybe both of them are defective. Which one are you referring to?


2. Tiptronic Problem: When accelerating strongly, a grinding noise can be heard during the shift from first to second gear, but only for a short time (1/2 second). I'm not sure how to describe the noise; it's something like 'krrch' or similar. This noise is not audible during normal acceleration. What could it be?

Does this only happen when the engine is cold, or also when it's warm?
New transmission fluid, or the correct fluid level, often works wonders. How long has the oil been in use?


3. Temperature display: At these temperatures, it's clear that the engine needs a bit longer to reach its operating water temperature, but in my case, the temperature never reaches 90°C; it's always around 85-87°C, and the oil temperature is 74-77°C. Whether I'm driving on the highway or in the city, it doesn't matter. When driving on the highway, it rarely reaches 90°C, and even if the display shows 90°C, it's only for a short period. What could be the reason for this?

What does the coolant level indicate? If it's okay, you should check the temperature sensors using VAG Com. If one of them is reporting extremely high values, it's clear that the fan is running constantly.


4. Climate control: It's acting up badly. In the morning, everything is fine on the way to work, the engine is off, then after 10 minutes it turns on again, and suddenly it's blowing cold air, even though the engine has already warmed up and the temperature is set to 23°C. I have no idea what could be causing this. I've also read the other posts, but they refer to situations with no heating at all.

This is likely a consequence of the problems mentioned above.

Hi,

1. The viscous coupling never completely disengages; some slippage is therefore normal. As long as the fan can be stopped by hand (carefully!), there is no real frictional engagement.

2. Brake bands?

Have you checked the actual values with VAG-Com for the third time? My display also suddenly showed 100 degrees the other day, for no apparent reason. It just happened, and then it was gone again - until today.
And of course, the thermostat itself could also be defective, just like the sensor.

4. In such cases, reading the error codes can be helpful. It's possible that the interior sensor is faulty, or that the small fan inside the control unit (which is present in at least the G III, G IV, and Passat models) has failed or is clogged with dust.

Hi Marco, thanks for the answers.

In my AKN (automatic kneading machine), one of the two always rotates! So, it seems to be normal, or maybe mine is also defective. Which of the two are you referring to?


So, by 'visco fan' I mean the one that's driven by the engine, not the electric fan.

1. The viscous coupling normally never completely disengages, so a slight amount of slippage is normal. As long as the fan (carefully!) can be stopped by hand, there is no real power transmission.

Thanks for the replies, Roger. The fan spins along with the engine: higher engine speeds mean higher fan speeds. As I mentioned before, I don't think this is normal because it's -2°C outside, and the viscous fan is always running, which is understandable. But in cold weather, the engine doesn't need extra cooling, so it shouldn't require the viscous fan to run at a higher speed, right?

Does he only experience this with a cold engine, or also with a warm engine?
New transmission oil, or the correct fluid level, often works wonders. How long has the oil been in use?

As I understand it, the oil filter has never been changed. Audi states: 'Lifetime fill.' However, I will try changing it and see if anything changes.

How should I understand this, Roger: brake bands?


What does the coolant level indicate? If it's OK, you should check the temperature sensors with VAG Com -> If one of them reports astronomical values, it's clear that the fan is constantly running.

The coolant level is perfectly fine. I will check the temperature sensor.

This is probably a consequence of the problems mentioned above.

I think so too.[/quote]

1Z-TDI wrote:

Hi Marco, thanks for the answers. Thanks for the replies, Roger. But the fan spins along with the engine: higher engine speeds mean higher fan speeds. As I mentioned before, I don't think this is normal because it's -2°C outside, and the viscous fan is always running, which is understandable. But in cold weather, the engine doesn't need extra cooling, so it shouldn't require the viscous fan to run at a higher speed, right? I think so too.

[/quote]

Okay, so if he's directly connecting the motor and making it spin at the same speed, then the viscous coupling is completely useless. That's actually quite obvious.

What do the error codes say about the transmission and the heating system?
heating:
However, if cold air comes out immediately after starting the engine, it's clear because the water also needs about 40 seconds to heat up the heat exchanger.

We all know what Audi/VW means by 'lifetime filling'!
It's only based on a 'lifetime' allowance of 150,000 kilometers, and not much more.

In our forum, there are many posts on this topic, and they all have one thing in common: even what is called a 'lifetime subscription' is nonsense.

With 212,000 kilometers on the odometer, the ATF oil is no longer optimal, and the oil level is likely incorrect as well.
It's best to get an ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) change done quickly; you won't recognize your transmission afterward!

Best regards, Georg.

Quote:

How is that to be understood, Roger: brake bands?

In a simplified way, the brake bands have a similar function to the synchronizer rings in the manual transmission. They tend to wear out more frequently with high mileage. However, the ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) change mentioned might actually make a difference in this case.

We all know exactly what Audi/VW means by 'lifetime fill'!
It's only based on a 'lifetime' allowance of 150,000 kilometers, and nothing more.

In our forum, there are many posts on this topic, and they all have one thing in common: even what is called a 'lifetime subscription' is nonsense.

With 212,000 kilometers on the odometer, the ATF oil is no longer optimal, and the oil level is likely incorrect as well.
It's best to get an ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) change done quickly; you won't recognize your transmission afterward!

Best regards, Georg

Sure, what you're writing is correct. 'Lebenslang' only applies in prison. I will have it replaced today.


So, if he's turning the motor directly, one-to-one, then the viscous part is completely useless. It's actually quite obvious.


Komisch ist aber das das Fennomen nur z.b. jeder 2.-3. Hello.
auftrit If the Visco is malfunctioning, it will operate at a speed-controlled mode, but truly always and without interruption, correct?


What do the error codes say about the transmission and the heating system?

I haven't had a chance to do it yet, but I will get to it sometime this week.


regarding heating:
However, if cold air comes out immediately after starting the engine, it's clear because the water also needs about 40 seconds to heat up the heat exchanger.

Das ist klar, ist auch Logisch aber bei mir ist dann ganze Zeit kühle-lauwarme Luft sogar beim einstellung der Klimaautomatic auf HI kommt auch nur lauwarme luft raus. Nun, Motor aus und wieder an es wird dann alles Normal oder auch nicht. Manchmal hilft es wenn ich den Schlüssel rausziehe und wieder starte, manchmal aber hilft das aber auch nicht und es bläst weiterhin nur lauwarme Luft. KIs that a typo, or what?


In a simplified way, the brake bands have a similar function to the synchronizer rings in the transmission. They tend to wear out more frequently with high mileage. However, the mentioned ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) change might actually make a difference in this case.

Thank you, Roger, for the explanation.

So, as I wrote earlier today, I changed the ATF oil, but unfortunately, the noise hasn't disappeared .

However, it is less noticeable now than it was with older ATF oil.

Do you have any further guesses as to what the problem might be? And if it's the brake pads, how much effort and money would it take to fix? Would I need to have a new gearbox installed or repaired?

Regarding the viscous fan, Audi told me it's normal because: when I drive a lot in stop-and-go traffic, like in the city, the fluid inside the viscous fan housing becomes hard, and the fan then rotates depending on the engine's RPM. However, when I'm driving on the highway, the speed is higher, and there's more airflow, so the viscous fan doesn't engage; the fluid remains soft.

Is that correct?

Hello.

I also had problems with the heating system. At first, it was only occasional, but then it got worse and worse. In my case, the servo motor that controls the heating circuit was broken. Depending on where the servo motor got stuck, I either had cold air or I was overheating.

Hello 1Z-TDI.

Is there any news about your problems?

Regarding point 3, it sounds suspicious to me, like it might be a thermostat issue.
4. Please perform an actuator diagnosis. A difficult-to-start engine should have a distinct acoustic signature compared to the other engines.
With a bit of luck, the security gateway might even recognize the motor as being blocked.

Regards,
Steve.