My wife has a 96 Golf (plain old hatchback, auto and A/C) with only 43000 miles after 7.5 years. A long delayed maintenance task has been flushing and changing the engine coolant. I decided to do it after my wife reported that the coolant warning light lit up briefly a couple of times which I assume is due to low level (temp gauge was fine). I have the Bentley manual that depicted a connector pipe attached to the bottom of the radiator housing with a retaining clip and O ring that was to be removed along with a lower hose to be removed. I didn't find these parts but found only a right angle rubber hose secured by two clamps. Also, the owner's manual said that the radiator should not be flushed (lifetime sealed) and only VW coolant should be added. After a lot of Googling both in newsgroups and web pages I couldn't find any consistent info about whether I must buy my coolant at a dealer (must be phosphate and silicate free according to manual) or whether or how I should flush. Advice appreciated.
coolant confusion
May 02, 2004
6 Replies
Go with the VW stuff and you can't go wrong. It's very good and that's why I use the stuff in my GM cars. Pre pink that is.
Make sure you get the right kind (G11 or G12. G12 was used starting in
03/96). But anyway, get it at the dealer if you are unsure. OR try online sites like germanautoparts (they have G11 and G12). As for whether to flush, I can't say... I know VW says it's lifetime, but they also say the timing belt on my Fox is lifetime, but I'm about to change that (it's cheap and easy and beats running the risk of it failing).I'd go with the VW stuff... although my car is at 200,000 miles and has non VW stuff in it and has for at LEAST the last 20,000 since I bought it (came with the green cheap store stuff)... Other VW "experts" have said it is not necessary... and when my friend took her 96 golf to the dealer after a repair shop put dex cool in it the dealer said it was the right stuff :-/
If you have green stuff and you are at such high mileage, I would leave it in too. G12 is very aggressive and it could find some weak spots in your coolant system that the reg green stuff hasn't. As for dex cool, that is a totally different animal and I wouldn't trust that at all.
hey dex cool was what the dealer said was right, not me... I'll leave dex cool for my dad's GMC. not my VW's...
Eventually I will switch all my VW's back to the VW stuff... even it does nothing more than cost twice or even triple as much :-/
I don't understand the part about not flushing the radiator, but everyone agrees that it's best to use VW coolant, in this case probably G-11 (blue) in your car. I assumed G-11 would cost a fortune at the dealer so I mail ordered it. Later I found it would have cost less (when shipping was taken into account) at the dealer who wanted something like $14 for a gallon. But a gallon is all you need and it lasts for several years. By the way, the dropping coolant level and the age of your car suggests that the plastic flange on the driver's end of the cyliner head needs to be replaced. It's less than $20. Be careful not to overtighten the fasteners when installing.
Bill
78 Rabbit...10/77 - 4/02 82 Convertibles(s)...since 93 95 Golf GL...since 11/99 02 Passat 1.8T Tip GLS...since 4/02Join the Discussion
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