Anti Freeze

[TDIVA]

A local mechanic told a friend of mine that it was not necessary to use the VW approved Anti-Freeze (G-12) in his 2002 Jetta TDI. He replaced it with the standard lime green anti-Freeze. What is the verdict on this?

 

[oilhammer]

Your friend is a buffoon, and the mechanic should be shot.

Get the green crap FLUSHED out IMMEDIATELY, and thoroughly with plenty of clean water, then drain it all out (you'll need to remove the thermostat in the front of the block..easy) and refill with 50% mixture of G12/distilled deionized water. Then NEVER LET THAT MORON TOUCH THAT CAR AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The G12 is a far superior coolant, and has Organic Acid Technology (OAT) as its additive package. When mixed with conventional coolants, even in small amounts, it becomes a corrosive acid and WILL destroy the cooling system and anything it touches over time.

Dammit this pisses me off! Volkswagen put a warning label on the coolant bottle, but what they needed is a damn Tiger Tank to follow the car around and shoot anyone who puts any non-approved fluids into the car!!!

 

[tdibigd]

Yep, better flush it. Run down to VW and buy the special pink stuff. Costs an arm and a leg but what can you do?

Most of the fluids in this car are unique and expensive. You either have to prey you don't break down in the middle of nowhere in need of these, or carry extras in the trunk.

 

[dieseldorf]

A local mechanic told a friend of mine that it was not necessary to use the VW approved Anti-Freeze (G-12) in his 2002 Jetta TDI. He replaced it with the standard lime green anti-Freeze. What is the verdict on this?

Is your TDi the first he has ever worked on

Good luck clearing the brown sludge that's forming as I type this.

 

[Powder Hound]

What does it mean that he replaced it? Was a flush done so that no trace of the original coolant was left? If that was the case, then maybe the engine is salvageable.

Otherwise, there is the sludge problem mentioned previously.

The pink stuff lasts at least 5 years. The green stuff won't. Expensive? Yes, more so than any green stuff, but it lasts much longer, so you'll get your money's worth.

Unless, of course, you run into a mind-numbed luddite mechanic who just don't like all them new fangled eee-yur-o-pee-un thangs.

 

[tjl]

Unless, of course, you run into a mind-numbed luddite mechanic who just don't like all them new fangled eee-yur-o-pee-un thangs.

Lots of car companies, including GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and Toyota, now specify special coolants.

VW's coolant bottle label is a small icon of a bottle with "G12" on it, and an open book with an ! in it. Probably better to put a label that says "VW G12 coolant only" on it to be more noticeable if other people ever open the hood.

 

[oilhammer]

Volkswagen sells cars all over the world, with many different languages, I guess that is why they use the symbol system. Seems pretty standard to me.

 

[Boosthund]

how often should coolant be changed ? i'm at about 80k miles and have no problem w/ cooling system. its a 2000 tdi, should i change the coolant?

thanks

 

[car54]

how often should coolant be changed ? i'm at about 80k miles and have no problem w/ cooling system. its a 2000 tdi, should i change the coolant?

thanks

there is no reason to ever just change the coolant.

You should replenish it with new stuff whenever you change the waterpump, which is all the flushing it will ever need. The pink stuff is just that good.

 

[TDIVA]

All, Thank you for the information. I passed on the bad news today. He is going to see his VW Dealers.

 

[dieseldorf]

for the good stuff and proper dilution ratios:

 

[delste]

Dieseldorf:

I know what soft water is but what is deionized water? I have a water distiller at home. Will distiled water work?

 

[dieseldorf]

Weisse Bora sez:


Distilled water can have ions...like carbonic acid (dissolved carbon dioxide) but is usually free of any dissolved solids.

deionized water has been processed through cation and anion exchange resins which effectively remove everything but non-ionic solids. Therefore, there are no salts, acids or bases in DI water but there could be dissolved solids (like a sugar)

Most labs feed their DI beds with distilled water and utilize conductivity as the basis for monitoring purity. 10 megaohms is considered DI.



In automotive use, either distilled or DI is fine for the radiator. Tap water can contain 200 ppm TDS and still be potable. That mineral content can rapidly foul the heat transfer areas and accelerate galvanic corrosion.

Distilled water is prefered for the battery as any ions present will be expelled as a vapor upon addition to the battery.

Can DI water be purchased at the grocery store or drug store? Can't say I've ever noticed it. I just use distilled water.

 

[fhryder]

Hi:

When I first put my rebuilt on the road last year, I put the yuccky green stuff in the radiator, cause it's fittings had been busted in the accident and I didn't know if it was going to leak, leak the cheap stuff says I. After I got past that in late June 2003, I flushed the green stuff and filled up with Prestone Dexcool. it's also pink, safe for aluminum has oats, etc. etc.
This week I installed a tank heater to warm things up next winter, and so drained and checked the antifreeze. It was just like when I put it in, clear as a bell, no sediment in the system, PURE.

So I put it all back and only had to add one liter, the vol of the tank heater and hoses.

My $0.02 ..

Frank

 

[dieseldorf]

I used Dexcool in a couple of cars and had unexplainable leaking with both

There is a major class action lawsuit going on over Dexcool for leaking and major damage some have experienced.

 

[oilhammer]

Oh geez do not put Dex-kill in your Volkswagen!!!!

It is NOT the same, and yes there is a HUGE lawsuit building against GM for this horrible crap! It has been reformulated 6 times in an attempt to get it right

Why is going and getting the correct G12 such a horrible challenge??? I don't get it!

 

[stayalert]

I use the VW coolant which I physically went to the nearest dealer to get. This was a big thing for me (going to the dealer) but I determined is was the right thing to do. whenever I open the coolant system (install heater, install bigger oil cooler, etc..) I carefully coolect the coolant ina clean container and decide if I wanna re-use it or not....If I'm going soemwhere out of town to work on the car I'll bring along some raw coolant & distilled H20 or a pre-mix...But if I was in a pinch (especially in above freezing weather) I'd just prolly run water as opposed to running any mix other than VW G-12....I find that the coolant isn't so expensive...its not like the car consumes it or anything....Thank you for reading these random yet probably useless observations....now back to your scheduled reading....Rob M Concord, MA USA If it isn't there this might be a good thing to add to the used car buying FAQ if it exists...ie if the resevoir is green, buyer beware...

 

[Westminter]

If you then replaced the Dexcool aka Deathcool, did the leaking go away?
I am experiencing the 2nd. water pump leaking on a Deathcool equipped car.

I am being advised to flush and switch to the green.
Some say that leaks go away when switching to green.

Thanks

 

[2kjettagls]

My brother used the green junk on a A2 Jetta once and caused the coolant to turn black within a week. Needless to say he only uses the VW stuff now.

 

[u3fred]

Have a 2002 TDI, which had developed a coolant leak, after a fatal incident with a coyote. Anyway the dog is dead, and the car is fixed, and I need to top off the cooling system. We don't have a VW Dealer just around the corner for some G12, in fact it is couple hundred miles away. I have a new jug of Havoline extended life, which is orange. Will this work for now? The label says it meets or exceeds European car manufactures coolant requirements. What do you think?

 

[dieseldorf]

I have a new jug of Havoline extended life, which is orange. Will this work for now?

 

[u3fred]

I take it you don't write english

I ass-u-me that from the previous posts on this question, that G12 is the only stuff that will do. You can reply with a smile

 

[dieseldorf]

for the good stuff