G13 versus G12 coolant?

fgiraffe

Member
Joined
May 13, 2012
Location
NorCal
TDI
2012 JSW TDI DSG
Hello all-
I have a 2012 TDI JSW with 9700 miles, and my coolant warning light came on. I checked the level, and it is just below the lower line in the reservoir. It's going in for its 10k mile service next week, but I don't want the coolant to be low until then.
Checked the manual, which calls for G12 plus-plus or G12 plus coolant. I didn't find anything with that spec at my local generic parts store. Went to the dealer, and they sold me this:

(Hrm, do imgur links not work? Link just in case )
VW Part # is G 013A8J1G
Which reads as G13 to me. Did this supersede G12? I didn't really find much definitive on the intertubez, so I thought I'd ask here.
Did the dealer sell me the wrong coolant?
I did not open the bottle to check the color, I'd like to be able to return it if it is the wrong stuff.
And at $33 a gallon, I now have my welcome to the world of VW parts! :(
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
ETKA shows the 'G13' starting on build date 01.06.2012 so yeah there may have been a running change. Check your car's build date on the door jam sticker. It may just be that there has been a supercession.

This means that if your car was built on June 1st of 2012 or later, it uses the G13. Up through May 31st 2012, it was G12++.
 
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fgiraffe

Member
Joined
May 13, 2012
Location
NorCal
TDI
2012 JSW TDI DSG
OK, thanks. I take it then that G13 is not recommended to mix with the G12++?
My car was picked up in May, so definitely built before June 1 2012.

I'd go ask the Service Manager at the dealer, but they'd prolly give me a third answer. :)
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Honestly, I do not know what G13 is *safe* to mix with. Since G12++ is indeed available, I'd probably just stick with that to be safe.
 

jeff@mcm

Well-known member
Joined
May 27, 2010
Location
Reading,pa
TDI
02 a6 4.2, 99 a6 avant, jeeps and trucks
FWIW our local dealer is sending us G13 in place of G12 for a few weeks now.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I get my coolant in Pentosin brand from an aftermarket wholesaler, so I am not certain what Volkswagen is doing with coolant.
 

Kenn JSW

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Location
SE WA State
TDI
2013 Jetta Sportwagen
I did quite a bit of research on G12++ vs G13. It appears that they are really the same thing, but G13 is produced in a slightly more "environmentally friendly" manner. It seemed to start out as Europe-only and Skoda brand only.

From this research-
Here’s some interesting info from a Skodaparts.com site:
G13 coolant additive provides the same exceptional cooling and antifreeze performance as G12++, but is manufactured in an environmentally sustainable way, using glycerin instead of glycol. Glycerin, a bi-product of biodiesel production, is much less harmful to the environment than glycol-based products, which are produced from mineral oil. In comparison with the manufacture of traditional coolant additive, it is estimated that G13 production will produce 11 per cent lower CO2 emissions.

So there is a difference in manufacture, but it may not matter in actual use, and the final product may be identical. What I suspect is that VW isn’t yet able to produce enough of the G13 to supply markets outside of Europe. It could also be that different markets use coolant sourced from different suppliers, and suppliers for the US aren’t yet capable of producing the G13.

Compatibility chart:

 
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fgiraffe

Member
Joined
May 13, 2012
Location
NorCal
TDI
2012 JSW TDI DSG
Dealer said that this was all they had now, so I used it to top off.
FWIW, the new G13 was the same pinkish color as whatever I had from the factory when I took delivery in May 2012.

So far so good. :D

Thanks all for your info.
 

CZguy

Active member
Joined
Oct 16, 2014
Location
St Peters, Missouri
TDI
2014 Passat TDI SEL
I'm sorry for digging this old thread up, but I just ran across several warnings that stated "do not mix G11 G12 or G13 as they are not compatible".
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
G11 (blue) and G12 (nuclear pink) are definitely not compatible. G12, G12+, and G12++ are compatible with one another. I believe G12 (+, and ++) are not compatible with G13.
 

Kenn JSW

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Location
SE WA State
TDI
2013 Jetta Sportwagen
G11 (blue) and G12 (nuclear pink) are definitely not compatible. G12, G12+, and G12++ are compatible with one another. I believe G12 (+, and ++) are not compatible with G13.
I posted a compatibility chart just a few posts above! G13 is compatible with the G12++.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I missed that! Thanks.

So it's basically saying that new coolants are reverse-compatible with old coolants, except for G12 and G11, which don't play nicely with one another.
 
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ATR

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2005
Location
Baltimore
TDI
2011 Golf TDI 6MT
Sorry for digging this up once again, but why can't I just flush with water and use standard anti?
One thing I've learned working with different car makes is to listen to the OEM's recommendation on use of antifreeze. In the case of the MKVI the best thing you can use is G13 OEM fluid.

If you can't find any locally try IDParts:
http://www.idparts.com/g13-coolant-gallon-p-1974.html

This must be mixed 50/50 with distilled water.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I've never found the descriptions of coolant by color useful. They're all too similar to me, with the exception of G11, which is clearly blue/purple.

If you take G11 out of the equation (there are probably about 5 cars left with that in it, anyway), all VW coolants are compatible: G12 through G13. However, I personally would not mix G12 into a car that was manufactured with G13, there's no reason to. But I would top up a car with G12 in it with G13.
 
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turbobrick240

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Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
. However, I personally would not mix G12 into a car that was manufactured with G13, there's no reason to. But I would top up a car with G12 in it with G13.
That's interesting- why would you add g13 to g12, but not vice versa? G12++ and G13 are essentially the same- except G13 contains glycerine. I topped my '11 up with g12++ after the timing belt service. Not sure what was in there from the factory, though the chart above seems to indicate it was g13. The color looked closer to g12++, but I agree the difference in color is pretty subtle.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
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Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
If you can top up with the same fluid as the original fill, why not? There's no harm in using G12, +, or ++, but I'd be more comfortable with not mixing. Maybe after the car has a few hundred thousand miles on it I'll feel different. I'm also using the last of my OE VW washer fluid concentrate in that car. Love that smell.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
The problem I had was determining what the OE coolant actually was in my '11. I initially thought g12++, the expansion bottle is marked g12, and everything I've seen since indicates it should have been g13. Since glycerine in the coolant was new to me(and maybe a little suspect), I opted for g12++.
 

eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
Thought I would give this thread a bump as I went to VW today g=to get some coolant and they seem to have gone back to G12 and are amending G13 for the 2015 TDI's only with an additive,
Has anyone heard about all this?
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Yes, it's called G12 Evo, I believe. It can be used in TDIs but when mixed with G13 I've been told it will turn brown. We've decided not to sell it because we think we would get a lot of phone calls about the coolant going brown. I certainly wouldn't like that.

Just use G13.
 
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