Hello

I was always under the impression that the coolant system was a "sealed unit" and therefore shouldn't really need topping up.

I do glance at the level in the reservoir when I am under the bonnet and I notice that the level in my A4 1.9 TDI is always sitting at the 'max' mark when the engine is cold.

However in my wife's Octavia Scout 2.0 PD TDI, the level has usually been slightly lower than this. In fact, I'm not sure that I've been paying proper attention but I think with hindsight that it's probably been dropping slowly over a period of months.

My wife told me that the 'low coolant' light had been flashing earlier in the week and sure enough, when I checked, the coolant level was about 15mm lower than the minimum mark.

So I bought the appropriate G12++ stuff and topped it up, knowing that the car was getting it's service today - by a franchised Skoda service centre (a VW garage actually, but they 'officially' service Skodas too). And I asked them to check for a leak.

They did a pressure test, apparently for about 45 minutes, with no sign of any pressure drop. They told me that it was normal for a coolant level to drop over time and that I should simply keep an eye on the levels.

I wasn't inspired by them - I asked them to look at another problem which would involve a road test, and they simply didn't mention it when I picked the car up. They were still doing the pressure test at 1655 when I phoned to ask what was going on so I almost feel that they just wanted to get the car out and get the money in. Perhaps I am being cynical, but I didn't really feel that they gave a monkeys about the problems I'd asked them to look at.

So, my question is: is it reasonable for the coolant level to drop over time - enough for the warning light to come on - or am I being fobbed off because it was closing time and they'd done enough to charge me for the diagnostic?

Incidentally, the Audi never goes near a franchised garage. It's 10 years old and only ever goes to an independent VAG specialist. The Skoda had a pre-paid service plan, so that's the main reason why it went to the main dealer.

Thank you for any advice..

I have been driving Octavias for 5-6 years and have never needed to add a drop of coolant. Likewise my wife's cars (Megane and Micra). In fact I struggle to remember when I last needed to top up the coolant on any car!

Mate had problem with falling coolant on his new Octavia 1.9TDi - turned out to be the water pump leaking That was replaced under warranty along with the cambelt that they said had been contaminated with coolant so changed as precaution.

Yup, and here's one I posted a bit earlier today. No replies as yet.

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Has anyone had this happen to them?

I was checking the coolant level on my 1.9 TDI the other day, and was suprised to see that it had dropped from MAX (where it had always been for the last two years every time I'd checked) to MIN.

So I put in more coolant to bring it back to MAX, then lo and behold, 24 hours later when I checked again it was sitting on MIN again; so topped it up to MAX again. Maybe half a litre or so.

Two days later, and a trip from Portsmouth to Warwick and back, it's still at MAX: like the problem, whatever it was, has gone away

There's no sign of any leaks, no rough running, no steam in the exhaust, no oil in the coolant header tank.

??????

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Common places for really slow leaks are the oil cooler and EGR cooler.

Get a bottle of K-seal and put it in the header tank and then go for a drive until up to temperature - that will cure the leak for you.

Likewise I posted the following yesterday on Skodacarman's thread...

Weird! I had the same last week. SWMBO phoned me at work to say the dash warning light had come on re. the coolant. Told her not to thash it and pull over if the temp guage started to climb and call the RAC.

I checked later on that day and sure enough the level was well below the min. Topped up to the max and checked a few days later to find it was again back down at the min. Topped up again to max and plan to check again later this week.

Engine was cold on each occassion the level was checked/topped up. No signs of a pink puddle on the garage floor either so no idea where it all went.

I'll be watching it on a regular basis from now on and it'll be back to the dealer if there is the slightest drop in level.

If there's an air pocket in the system, it can work it's way out and be replaced, never to happen again, so that's a possibility. Much like a heating system in your house, sometimes there's areas where air can accumulate when you drain the system and refill which results in it needing to be bled several times before it works 100%, it may have been there from new, just took time to be displaced by coolant, normally through the vibration of everyday driving..

Fill the coolant to normal level and leave it to idle for about 15 mins with the top off.

If that still drops then you have leak either on the EGR cooler or a gasket somewhere

A very common cause of coolant loss is a faulty reservoir cap and this won't show up on a pressure test.

I've also seen headgasket problems, where the coolant loss is almost zero at a steady 50-60 but will go from max to min very quickly when the car is driven hard. Same applies to a crack in the head or block.

Or if you have DSG, there is an oil cooler for the gearbox as well

As my mate found out when he couldn't get any gears on his DSG 3 litre Audi A4 estate diesel, and it has been diagnosed as coolant in the DSG oil due to gearbox cooler failure - new box needed! Good job it is under warranty!

I've never had to top up the coolant in any car I've driven in the last 15 years.

I had a hire van that gave me a low coolant light but I topped it up and then it gave me a 'too much oil' warning. Mind you I did thrash the **** out of it.

Edited 25 September, 201213 yr by mr_awol

The independent VAG place that the Audi goes to looked a little perplexed when I relayed the advice I'd been given by the franchised dealer. He said it shouldn't really go down but now that it's been topped up, to just observe and bring it in if there's any further drop in levels.

If that happens, I know where I'm not taking the car...

The waterpump was changed about 9 months ago, along with the cambelt. Any chance that could be relevant?

Level kept dropping so back to the dealer it went. Water pump replaced - will monitor over the coming weeks.

The BKD PD 2.0 TDi is also renowned for using coolant, there is a manufacturing defect in the Rev A and Rev B heads that mean that they develop hairline cracks and use coolant.

K-Seal will usually resolve this issue.

Paul

Thanks for the info. Two weeks since the original issue and the level is constant. I'll keep an eye and report back if anything arises from this.

I have skoda octavia 2002 model 1.9 tdi elegance. it was all OK but suddenly I found leakage of coolant and when diagnose it in a small garage, the mechanic told me that, there is teared off in the coolant hose pipe. anyway he managed it by applying Bond Tite. But after that, when the car runs 30-40 kms, then the engine over heating and not able to touch the bonnet even. but the heat meter is working fine. now again the coolant box is empty. So please suggest what to do ? I have checked no leakage of coolant. Thanks.

1 hour ago, Ohms said:

I have skoda octavia 2002 model 1.9 tdi elegance. it was all OK but suddenly I found leakage of coolant and when diagnose it in a small garage, the mechanic told me that, there is teared off in the coolant hose pipe. anyway he managed it by applying Bond Tite. But after that, when the car runs 30-40 kms, then the engine over heating and not able to touch the bonnet even. but the heat meter is working fine. now again the coolant box is empty. So please suggest what to do ? I have checked no leakage of coolant. Thanks.

 

Coolant doesn't somehow disappear, it must go somewhere, so there must be a leak.

 

Recheck for leaks. Common places are the expansion bottle and waterpump, but also the radiator and the coolant flange.

Also, if found, check for possible causes. The coolant flange for example has rubber inside to seal. This can cause leaks, but having a fuel/oil leak in the vacuum pump can cause this as well (It's lokated above it, so oil or fuel can leak into the gasket causing the rubber to fail, so a replacement will fail again if you don't fix the actual cause).

In my O2 (BJB) it was only the flange (plastic had a crack in it, I was able to spot the pink residu by looking in the engine bay, there was a pink spot on the iron below the battery. Didn't find much coolant, but did find the pink stuff).

 

On the outside, its generaly visible by the pink color. You might not see the actual coolant if it drops slowly on a hot piece (so it will evaporate) but there will be some pink residu left

 

The leak can also be inside of the engine, which is a PITA to find.  (eg leaking gasket)

 

If you can't find it your lokal garage can do a presure test on the system to find leaks,

Edited 14 May, 20188 yr by DJSmiley

Many thanks for the quick response.