Excess Flux throughout Coolant System/Heater Cores Failing?

cjwilson78154

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Location
texas
TDI
2014 Passat TDISEL
Dec 2016 had my heater core replaced for free. My car had 71k miles.

Jun 2017 took it in for coolant smell. Pressure test revealed nothing. 81k miles.

Nov 2017 coolant leak. Cracked lip inside oil filter housing allowing coolant to seep out. I spent $1,200 on repair. Pics showed coolant system looked 'gunked up'. 91k miles.

Jul 2018 just had P2457 code pop up yesterday. Probable heater core again. 104k on vehicle now, so only 33k on this heater core. Back to dealer in the morning. I am quite concerned that every aluminum part that coolant contacts is being clogged/eaten up from the inside out.

Anyone have anything similar happening?

I will follow up once dealer gets back with me on the current problem. I also have started a complaint with VWofA about the coolant system problems with my car. They say they will follow up with me on Monday 7/9/2018. I'll post that here too.
 

cjwilson78154

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Location
texas
TDI
2014 Passat TDISEL
I don't know which antifreeze is in the car. Only the dealer has touched it, so I'm pretty sure it's to spec.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
dealers prob stopped carrying G12++
 

cjwilson78154

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Location
texas
TDI
2014 Passat TDISEL
Quick update. VW of America said no to covering the oil filter housing. I still feel they should cover it. Dealer did replace heater core at no cost in July 2018.

It's now September 2018. Coolant low light just popped on on the dash again. Car has only had 6k miles driven on this heater core. I sometimes get a slight coolant smell around the car. Dealer topped system off and pressure checked. Pressure held for about 10 minutes. Visual inspection under hood showed nothing.

He said park it overnight for the next few days over a piece of cardboard to see if any drips show up. I'll chime back in if anything develops.
 

06bluebeetletdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Location
Middlesex, NC
TDI
'14 Passat TDI SEL and '13 Beetle TDI

Ask them to verify it holds pressure while running. My ‘14 passat had the heater core replaced, then 10 days later had a puddle underneath when i went out to lunch, took it to the dealer, held pressure when not running, started leaking from the water pump when running. All happened within the first 2500 miles after the car sat for a few months (tdi buyback). 13,000 miles later all is good. I did get a cool timing belt photo out of it and timing belt since mine had coolant on it.
 
Last edited:

cjwilson78154

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Location
texas
TDI
2014 Passat TDISEL
I’ll ask them to try it. So your puddle was under the car right? Not in the cabin. And so I understand you had 2 replacement heater cores.
 

06bluebeetletdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Location
Middlesex, NC
TDI
'14 Passat TDI SEL and '13 Beetle TDI
Yes, the puddle was under the car and in the belly pan. I think some was also caught in the timing belt cover. Yes, 2 heater cores.
 
Last edited:

cjwilson78154

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Location
texas
TDI
2014 Passat TDISEL
Gotcha thanks. I don't have puddles anywhere outside the car. Faint smell of coolant both inside and out, but only occasionally.

I'm gonna pull the heater core access panel this morning and have a look.
 
Last edited:

cjwilson78154

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Location
texas
TDI
2014 Passat TDISEL
I pulled the access panel. Drips of coolant all over in there. Groan. Looks like 4th heater core is on tap. Again, this one only has 6,000 miles on it.
 

jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
a full delete or going to g12++ is the only way to fix this, the regin heat torches the coolant into a gell.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
I would love to hear from Oilhammer on this subject.

I was under the impression that VAG had resolved this issue, with retrofit heat exchangers and proper flushing.

Are the follow-up failures caused by inadequate flushing prior to replacement of damaged/clogged parts?
 

jrm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
oh no- deff not fixed. the only person who fixed it was 767wrech who put in a powerstroke coolant filter system and switched to green coolant
 

cjwilson78154

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Location
texas
TDI
2014 Passat TDISEL
Just circling back to keep anybody who's interested up-to-date

I took the car back in for coolant smell and leaking coolant behind the heater core access panel. After having the car for 4 days I called to get an update. The service manager says one or more of the heater core o-rings has failed. Mind you, these o-rings were just installed by this same dealer a couple of months ago. They are of course covering it under warranty.

He said he has to dismantle to see why there is an o-ring failure. He offered that maybe one rolled out of it's notch or got cut during the install.
 
Last edited:
Top