I took it to my local garage (independant) and they said they can diagnose if it is the HG or not 100% for £50.00

 

Think I'll do this. 

 

Does £50.00 seem reasonable?

 

He said they'd do an air test or something to that affect 

also fill the coolant with dye and then check for leaks with a UV light 

Personally I'd go for it. At least you will know one way or the other then.

Yeah I have done. Will find out on Tuesday!

Hi chaps, car done in the workshop. They tell me it's not the head gasket. But can't see any coolant leaks.

Which is great news of course, but where the bloody hell is my coolant going?

Madness.

George.

Doesn't always show as the pd engine only really suffers the issue under load,

Its know as head lift

The g12/g13 coolant fluid is ultraviolet! So get an ultraviolet lamp and have a look at night and see if there is evidence anywhere

Head lift? So it could still be the head gasket?

 

I'll put some of that coolant in and then try finding the leaks a couple days later with UV light.

Yes the head lifts away under boost, so when driven slowly or at idle coolant is not used as there appears no issue, its only under boost pressure the head 'lifts' away

Right I see, so would a head gasket change fix this, or is it like what was mentioned a few posts back and that I need to tighten the head bolts?

Once the head leaks replacing bolts is pointless, new gasket required!

Have a look with the UV light, you may be overcomplicating things and have a leaky radiator or pipe

Ok, thanks. Went and got some of that coolant. Filled the system with it. Going to order a UV light off ebay to see if I can find the leak.

You should already have pink / red coloured coolant in it anyhow?

Mine had the same issue. Had compression test, sniff test and something else done. They all come back fine. Still had the problem but only on a run or when I had a lead foot. I had head lift on mine. Head gasket sorted that for me and it's been fine for over 15k miles.

Ok, so filled my car up with new coolant last night.

Drove to pick up my caliper release springs at VW, and then drove to the cable park to go wakeboarding (about 200 miles round trip)

 

Finished wakeboarding and got in the car to drive home, drove about 2 miles and coolant light came on, not even 24 hrs after putting coolant in the car.

Re filled it at the side of the road, and drove home, popped the bonnet and it was low again.

 

It's losing ALOT of water, obviously.

 

What I noticed when I got home and opened the bonnet with the engine off was a hissing sound coming from the coolant housing, as though air was escaping from somewhere. The cap perhaps.

 

Should air be able to escape the housing at all? And could this be the cause of my problems?

 

Other than the coolant trouble, I had a really good day at the cable park 

Sorry I haven't read it all again but let's check some basics.

After a calm drive getting it up to temp, have you felt around the radiator pipes to see if they are both warm or if ones hot and ones cold?

Same check on the matrix pipes, they will be beside each other going Into the bulk head, check they feel the same temperature.

Next check is to change the thermostat.

If you have done all the above and pipes all feel a similar temp and you can't find any obvious leaks, it's going to be headgasket or even a damaged cylinder head.

I'm still sure it's headgasket anyway without knowing the above.

Did you ever diagnose this problem? Got the same thing on my ibiza pd100 only 81k miles though. I'm thinking maybe a leak from the radiator (saw this on another forum http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/11919-Passat-1-9TDi-Loosing-coolant )

Thanks

Rhys

Hey gfwc, sounds like you've been hot by bad luck too! I was suffering the same issue with my new purchase - see here

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/367067-new-owner-bad-experience/?fromsearch=1

Mine wouldn't heat up unless booted and then the temp gauge would fall back to zero. The expansion bottle was cracked when I bought the car. So thought a thermostat, coolant temp switch and a new expansion bottle would do the trick.... I was wrong :( no water in the oil strangely. However garage took it and determined it was indeed the head gasket. Oh the joys.

Sorry to hear your having bad luck too. Hopefully you'll get it sorted but from what you've mentioned, I'd prepare for the worst case buddy.