Prestone Anti-freeze

[Aggie05]

Has anyone tried the prestone anti-freeze that is supposed to be able to be mixed with all color coolants? It is only 9 dollars per gallon, as opposed to the 30 dollar magic red stuff that the dealer sells.

 

[Drivbiwire]

Simple answer is YES it is different.

G-12 MUST NEVER be mixed with any other coolant. My local dealer only charges $15.00 per gallon so you may want to look on line for a supply of G-12 because it sounds like your dealer is gouging on price.

Why do you need coolant? FYI, Usually if your coolant is a little low it means the water pump is starting to leak...

DB

 

[Aggie05]

Coolant level was low and the light was coming on. I just added distilled water to it this time. I have not seen any leaks at the water pump yet, but I will check it out and make certain of this. Other common leak areas?

 

[Slave2school]

Hopefully it isn't consuming the fluid.

 

[Reidler]

Hey DB, do you know what the change interval is for our coolant? I read somewhere in the forum that it's 4 years, but not positive...

Thanks!

 

[maxforce]

100,000 miles

 

[Drivbiwire]

The VW coolant is a true lifetime fluid since the cooling systems in VW's are sealed from air and have pressurized reservoirs. The coolant however is replaced when the timing belt and water pump are replaced thus replenishing the system.

The component of the coolant that can lose it's properties is the hard water chemicals that prevent deposits from forming. Provided owners use only distilled or Reverse Osmosis De-Ionized water these properties will remain at 100% for the life of the coolant.

The key to the longevity of the systems is that there is no exchange of air or moisture in the system. This means there is no oxidation or corrosion possible. The G-12 coolants also provide unmatched protection of the coolant hoses translating into VERY long life expectancy.

Stick with the G-12 and if you need to top off the system make every effort to use only Distilled water or RO water to maximize your margins on corrosion protection.

DB

 

[Drivbiwire]

Subject:
Model(s):
Group:
Number:
Date:
Coolant (Antifreeze), Mixing Precautions

2003
19
02–01
Dec. 20, 2002 All
Service
New antifreeze, Part No: G 012 A8F A4:
 Color = Purple
 Replaces Part No: ZVW 237 G12 (Pink)
 Can be mixed with ZVW 237 G12 (Pink)
 DO NOT mix with ZVW 237 105 (green) or
any aftermarket antifreeze
 DOES NOT replace Part No: ZVW 237 105
(green)
Antifreeze, Part No: ZVW 237 G12:
 Color = Pink
 Can be mixed with G 012 A8F A4 (purple)
 DO NOT mix with ZVW 237 105 (green) or
any aftermarket antifreeze
 DOES NOT replace Part No: ZVW 237 105
(green)
Regular antifreeze, Part No: ZVW 237 105:
 Color = Green
 DOES NOT replace and cannot be mixed
with Part No: G 012 A8F A4 (purple)
 DOES NOT replace and cannot be mixed
with Part No: ZVW 237 G12 (Pink)
Follow coolant mixing instructions in Vesis
Maintenance or Repair Manual, Repair Group
19 – Cooling system, draining and filling, for
the Model you are working on.

 

[Drivbiwire]

Production
A new coolant, G 012 A8D A1 is being used in
production as follows:
• German production:
from 07.96
• Mexican production:
running change scheduled for 01.97
Coolant G 012 A8D A1 is red in color.
This newly developed product permits a cooling
system fill that lasts the service life of the engine
and was designed with all-aluminum engines in
mind.
Advantages:
• Improved corrosion protection
• Improved thermal stability
• Improved heat transfer/control
• Improved hard water tolerance
• Improved environmental protection
CAUTION!
G 012 A8D A1 must NEVER be mixed with
ANY other coolant. Engine damage will
result !
Contamination of G 012 A8D A1 with other
colored coolants is identifyable by discoloration
(brown , purple etc.). This mixture causes a
foamy deposit to appear in the expansion
tank/radiator.
This mixture is to be drained immediately
and the cooling system flushed as
described on next page.
Technical Bulletin
VA 400
W 1996 Volkswagen of America, Inc.
2
Flushing procedure:
Engine at operating temperature (older vehicles
with heater valve: heater on).
– Drain coolant % Repair Manual, General
Engine, Repair Group 19.
– Apply compressed air to expansion tank or
radiator to blow out remaining coolant.
– Close cooling system, fill with distilled water.
– Run engine for a minimum of 2 minutes.
– Drain water and apply compressed air to
expansion tank as before.
– Close cooling system and fill with
appropriate mixture ratio of G 012 A8D A1
and distilled water % Repair Manual,
General Engine, Repair Group 19.
– Test drive, check coolant level and add if
necessary.
Note:
Coolant G 012 A8D 01 may be used in older
vehicles when the original coolant is
drained and cooling system flushed as
described above.
– Inform customer that a new coolant is used
and that ONLY water or G 012 A8D A1 be
used to replenish.
CAUTION!
– Never reuse old coolant when performing
engine repairs.
– Dispose of old coolant properly.
Flushing as specified above, or engine
damage resulting from the use of a mixture
of G 012 A8D A1 and other coolants is not
covered by the new vehicle warranty.
CAUTION!
Part numbers are for reference only.
Always check with your Parts Dept.
for the latest parts information.

 

[decan]

Prestone® All Makes All Models Antifre [Re: Rudolf Diesel]
#928987 - Wed Jan 26 2005 12:06 PM
Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

Their response:


Hello Clem:
If you would like to install OEM antifreeze in your vehicle your will have to purchase the antifreeze from your
dealer. However, Prestone Extended Life Antifreeze is safe to use in your VW and will offer excellent cooling system
protection. Prestone Extended Life has been proven in the laboratory to be compatible with all new extended life
formulas at concentrations typically used in all newer vehicles coming off the production line today. These automobile
manufacturers include Audi, BMW, Daewoo, Daimler Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Suzuki,
Toyota, Volvo, and VW.

We hope this has been helpful. If you need additional information please let us know.

Prestone

This is Prestone's response to a query I sent in Jan 05.
Runonbeer, - this seems to somewhat contradict what you
are saying. Personally I used their product, may be 1/2 L
to top off lost coolant. Yes you are right, while replacing
the tb I had to change the water pump as there showed up a
miniskule reddish leak,the probable cause of coolant loss.
However I do not notice any foam,cloudiness or discoloration

 

[Aggie05]

Suppose my car is consumming the coolant. How would I know? I assume it would be leaking through the head gasket into the combustion chamber? My '03 only has 30000 miles on it, but on inspection, I could find no external leaks.

 

[Drivbiwire]

The coolant will not be leaking from the headgasket (by the way there is no gasket just a solid metal shim).

There is a weap hole in the water pump that can be inspected for coolant gassing. Coolant usually leaks out of the water pump on the underside where you cannot see it. A small amount may not leak onto the ground.

DB

 

[Reidler]

Where do I get some of this red coolant DB, Is it available at the dealers yet? sounds like good stuff, but I bet it costs quote a bit

 

[Drivbiwire]

Just use the VW G-12 coolant, any dealer sells it some just charge more than others. Look on line, the coolant is made by Pentosin and sold under the formulation of G-12. Dieselgeek, Worldimpex sell this brand in 2 liter bottles.

DB

 

[JETaah]

The coolant will not be leaking from the headgasket (by the way there is no gasket just a solid metal shim).

That shim is coated with a sealing film on both top and bottom.

 

[Fobulous]

Hello guys,

Glad i saw this thread through Google!

Anyway, over the weekend, my Jetta TDI showed Low Coolant level, so i added Preston Antifreeze from Walmart ($12). IS this a bad move? I didn't know that G12 is something totally different until i searched it today.

I am about to take this vehicle in for 10k mile service. DO i have to tell them what i did? DO they need to flush the system as others have stated? Or will this be safe for the 2010 TDIs??

Thanks

 

[dieseldorf]

You could be in for a big surprise! The damage will be non-warrantable.

Welcome aboard!

 

[Fobulous]

You could be in for a big surprise! The damage will be non-warrantable.

Welcome aboard!

Hey what do you mean by that? Will they charge me extra?

 

[dieseldorf]

You're going to need a comprehensive flush. I have no idea what they'll charge.

 

[RamMan4x4]

I assume DD is referring to the damage that might be caused when the dealer works on your car (unrelated to coolant). Depends on where you live and the experience of the mechanics at the dealer but there are some horror stories on this site from dealer work (search the forums). There should be a sticky at the top of the TDI 101 forum with a list of trusted TDI mechanics by state, I believe you have some good ones in your area. It would be in your best interest to get a trusted mechanic and stick with them.

As a new TDI owner take this opportunity to learn all you can about your car, the maintenance requirements, etc. The most common mistake is to use the wrong type of oil (not referring to viscosity value).

 

[RamMan4x4]

You're going to need a comprehensive flush. I have no idea what they'll charge.

Shouldn't this be a function of how much was required to top it off...if he added less than a quart it might not be a big deal. I've never mixed the two to see what would happen so I don't know for sure. Just find it hard to believe that it could cause that much damage.

 

[coalminer16]

Better question in my mind is how close are you then to a timing belt change. If you are close enough then just leave it. If you just got a timing belt change then I would flush it if it were me. Last thing I want to ever do is be changing out hoses, gaskets and seals from the incorrect coolant and I would hate to have the wrong coolant gum up things. The chevy crap always seemed to get a nasty brown slug and I wouldn't thing that would be good for a water pump and I wouldn't want the wrong coolant doing that to my car.

 

[ymz]

Better question in my mind is how close are you then to a timing belt change.

Almost brand-new 2010... going in for its first oil change... And the owner's in for an introduction to the VW-Dealership ways of handling things like this... (I'm wondering if he read the owners' manual and what it had to say about fluids, etc...)

Yuri

 

[dlai]

Fobulos: Now that your cooling system warranty is void, you might as well make it a home run by using B100 and using M1 TST in your car... Good luck with your visit to the dealer. I'm sure you'll have a story to tell after your visit.

Why is it that people do their research on their cars after putting in the wrong fluids rather than before?

 

[40X40]

Drain, flush and refill with the PROPER coolant/distilled water mixture.

Reading the manual would be a good idea.

Bill

 

[KLXD]

No harm would have been done yet but go to the dealer and they will have a record of this and probably void the warranty anyway.

Have it properly flushed and refilled with the correct coolant then go in for the service.

 

[scurvy]

Any of the 'all makes / all models' coolants are Dex-clones. That is, they are chemical copies of Dex-Cool (ITYM Rust-Cool or Dex-Kill ) without GM's certification as such. One HUGE difference is that Dex-Kill has 2EHA in it and G12 (and its variants) are all non-2EHA. I do not want a known plasticizer in my coolant system considering it wasn't designed for it.

Will it harm anything in the short term? Probably not. Will it harm anything in the long term? Maybe. To me it's worth the $25 or so for fresh G12 (with however many plusses they're up to now) to get me to the next TB interval.

 

[MayorDJQ]

Hey what do you mean by that? Will they charge me extra?

He means you used the wrong coolant and when the chemical incompatability causes a problem, the dealer will not cover the work under the warranty.

Where do I get some of this red coolant DB, Is it available at the dealers yet? sounds like good stuff, but I bet it costs quote a bit.

Yes, it's been available at VW dealers since it was introduced as coolant in VWs. As for non-dealer retailers, a foreign autoparts store will carry it. Even a NAPA might carry it. I paid $8 for a 1L bottle 3 years ago, so it's probably a little more now.

 

[belome]

Maybe the better question... why is your 2010 with <10k miles on it in need of coolant?

 

[AndyBees]

You can call it whatever you like, but it is still a "head gasket." The purpose of a gasket is to seal. That widget, called a head gasket, seals the combustion chambers, coolant chambers, oil gallery(s), etc., from one another and the outside! If coolant was seeping into the combustion chamber(s), likewise, combustion pressure would be "seeping" into the coolant chambers, thus the coolant would be escaping via the lid.

If you're losing coolant, as several have stated, it's most likely at the Water Pump. I doubt if anything catastrophic is about to happen to your engine.

Even a new Water Pump will "weep" a little anti-freeze occassionally. A WP with lots of miles on it that's weeping is the one you need to be concerned about.

To the OP, my 2000 Jetta has the OEM G-12 in it. Sure, I've topped it off a time or two with distilled water. However, it is still nice and pink!