96 golf coolant drain/replace

Feb 04, 2005 2 Replies

After much G11/G12 confusion concerning my 96 Golf, I tracked down TSB



199601 which says the switch to G12 from G11 for Mexican produced vehicles occurred in January 97. This explains why my original coolant appears blue/green for a car produced in early 96. However the TSB indicates G12 is the preferred formulation but it won't mix with G11. If I drain and flush myself am I unlikely to remove all traces of the existing G11 therefore would it be wise to stick with G11 for the refill? Also my Bentley manual doesn't appear consistent with what I see under the hood. What are the best drainpoints for getting out the maximum amount of old coolant?

Thermostat housing/hose seem good. You must also *flush* before changing to G12. If you remove the thermostat, you can run distilled water through the whole system for a while from cold. Drain and repeat with the thermostat installed, running the engine until the thermostat is open and the cooling fan kicks in.... then a while longer.

The proper procedure (which probably differs from what I described) is in a TSB somewhere.

Thre's NO advantage to using G12 in your system, so why create problems! Just us the G11.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required