Coolant light - UPDATE now with pics

[Jim Bowen 1]

Hi Guys

 

its a VR6, and the last two mornings i have started car up and the light on dash (at bottom, far left, next to clock adjustments, looks like the sea with a knobby stick in it)

 

anyway it stays on and flashes once i started car, so i turn car off and restart and its doesn't come on again?

 

is it the oil pressure? anything to do with cold mornings?

 

UPDATE:

 

 

found what looks to be a leak? some plastic housing on front on engine, garage thinks its some O-ring leaking?

[Phil K 0]

Think thats your water level tbh mate...

 

Have a look at your expansion tank and check the level - then top up with water accordingly!

[Jim Bowen 1]

thats odd, it was fully serviced about 2 weeks ago.

 

don't i need to get some certain type of coolant?

[Phil K 0]

Not just for topping it up... you shouldn't need to put much in either

[DUB 0]

Anti freeze :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: theres a search been done for that already to :wink:

[Jim Bowen 1]

Right i checked the coolant level and it was LOW

 

took 3/4 of a litre to get it back up to where it should be.

 

am really concerned, hope nothing is gonna go wrong?

 

any commons causes of this?

[CazzaVR 0]

Start with the easy thing, and buy a new genuine VAG expansion cap.

 

Also have a good check around all the pipework and look for any coolant residue.

[Phil K 0]

Keep an eye on it for the next week or 2 mate and leave a bottle of water in the boot... they do need topping up from time to time. Also might be worth checking to see if they did change your coolant when it was serviced as there could have been an air lock when they re-filled it or maybe they just didn't put enough in!?!

 

I would just keep an eye on it for now but wouldn't say it's worth losing any sleep over...

[Jim Bowen 1]

thanks people

 

i checked with garage, they didn't touch coolant.

 

I'm not sure what stuff is in there, but was thinking of buying the G12 stuff from VW at lunch time and a new cap, but from doing a search it seems i shouldn't mix different coolants?

 

should i change the whole lot, drain coolant? or wait till i see whats what?

[Phil K 0]

Probably worth flushing the system and replacing with new G12 (it might be G12+ but I can't remember) if you don't know when it was last done - also a good idea as winter isn't far off either...

 

Seeing as they didn't change it for the service (didn't think they would have done tbh) I would worry even less that it needed topping up as it could have been low for ages and had only just got low enough to set the light off :)

[Phil K 0]

Going to move this to 'engine bay' now as it's coolant related... you may find you get more advice too 8)

[Jim Bowen 1]

yeah i must admit i didn't keep as close an eye on the coolant since i've had, assumed they would do it while serviced but they didn't, so i never checked it.

 

not seen any other problems, runs at a good temp, just below 90 for water and oil around the 100 mark

 

doesn't smoke, can't see anything leaking, heating works fine (there was a sound of running water where i assume the matrix is when i switched car off, but that went away?

[vr6storm 0]

thanks people

 

i checked with garage, they didn't touch coolant.

 

I'm not sure what stuff is in there, but was thinking of buying the G12 stuff from VW at lunch time and a new cap, but from doing a search it seems i shouldn't mix different coolants?

 

should i change the whole lot, drain coolant? or wait till i see whats what?

 

 

unless the coolant has been changed in the past 2 years then chances are its not going to have G12+ in it..........G11 and G12 do not mix as they congeal and block passageways..........however G12+ can be mixed with either.......but best thing to do is empty the existing stuff out,flush and then refill with G12+

[Jim Bowen 1]

am trying to find info on the flushing, i'm not really that much of a DIY mechanic but reckon i could manage this

 

got any quick tips, step by step?

[Jim Bowen 1]

Right i think i found a leak (see pics in first post)

 

anyone know what that is?

[Jim Bowen 1]

Sorry to be a pest, i know you prefer people to search

 

Could that be the thermostat housing?

[nocrap 0]

Think thats your water level tbh mate...

 

Have a look at your expansion tank and check the level - then top up with water accordingly!

 

FYI, after looking in the "user guide" this light is for water level as well as water temperature

[Jim Bowen 1]

i'll be taking to the garage next week, so will find out what it is, and i can let you all know :! :lol:

 

am sure its a thermostat housing, thats what a mate has said, someone else said an O-ring?

[Skimask 0]

If its not coming from one of the hoses then its the thermostat housing. there are about 6 or 7 'O' rings and seals in there - any one of them could be leaking. Or in my case it was the housing itself that was cracked. The housing is plastic and takes a lot of heat - little surprise that it degrades after 10 years. You'll only know once you have the housing off, the leak will be obvious. On my one - the leak was visibly trickling out only when the expansion cap was removed.

See the attached pic - the old and new housing.