greggyc1
Veteran Member
Two years (20k miles) ago I had my timing belt done and they replaced my water outlet and thermostat at the same time as it was stuck open and I had no heat. No issues all this time. Last Friday just as I arrived to the hospital for my shift, my temp light came in flashing and beeping at me. I was stopped in a hill so I thought it was just positional and it went off when I leveled off. Next morning drive home no problems and tipped the tank off when I got home. Drove back to work next night, same thing happened. No puddles under the car 01 beetle TDI BTW. Went out to the parking garage during the night to check oil to make sure it wasn't pudding or level high but that was all fine. But on the passenger side I noticed a drop hanging from the edge of the belly pan. I touched it and it was pink so I knew it was antifreeze. I topped the tank off again and left it unsealed so it wouldn't pressurize on my 50 miles drive back home. Car did fine, it was 20F outside. I didn't lose any antifreeze on that drive. So tonight it's 40f outside and I was able to get under him to look. It has obviously lost coolant in the front but I can definitely rule out the head gasket and the radiator and nothing is coming out of the timing cover nor is the timing belt wet so not the water pump. I can see a "blood trail" coming from above and where it has come down and crossed the oil pan and it is directly beneath the water outlet thermostat housing. So I tightened the cap and went for a drive on a nearby highway that's 65mph and came back home. With the belly pan off it blew elsewhere under the car but I can see it has squirted from somewhere. The passenger side rad fan motor had a few drops in the back of it, the AC compressor was wet and pink, and a couple of pipes were wet...all in the front. I suspect the water outlet gasket or something in that vicinity. Oil cooler hoses are dry.
During my 10 mile drive I lost about 1/2 inch of coolant. I'm going to attach a couple of pics, don't know if they will show very well on here. I would really like to fix this myself if I can find it. Next step is a pressure test but I don't really want to buy another tool I will likely only use once and for the price that money could go towards someone else fixing it. I just did my clutch myself but I didn't touch anything in the cooling system during the process. I just do not know if any other places it could be leaking from. The hoses were dry before I went for my drive tonight and now there's just a small amount from the spurt on a couple.
Well I can't figure out how to attach a pic at this moment...it's been awhile
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During my 10 mile drive I lost about 1/2 inch of coolant. I'm going to attach a couple of pics, don't know if they will show very well on here. I would really like to fix this myself if I can find it. Next step is a pressure test but I don't really want to buy another tool I will likely only use once and for the price that money could go towards someone else fixing it. I just did my clutch myself but I didn't touch anything in the cooling system during the process. I just do not know if any other places it could be leaking from. The hoses were dry before I went for my drive tonight and now there's just a small amount from the spurt on a couple.
Well I can't figure out how to attach a pic at this moment...it's been awhile
