Coolant useage

[Adenuf]

Message and red triangle popped up on the screen on Tuesday night....."refer to handbook. Low coolant level"

Checked it, and it was down to just below the minimum mark in the bottle. Topped it up with about 1/4- 1/2 pint of water.

 

Keeping an eye on it, and the level remains ok so far.

No sign of any leaks anywhere, and nothing underneath after being parked up for a few hours.

 

Is this a normal useage top up?

18 months old 18000 miles 2.0 diesel vRS.

 

Don't recall ever having to top up the coolant on the now 12 year old Fabia vRS apart from when the rad was changed 2 years ago.

[FluffyEyeball]

Nope shouldn't be using coolant at all, certainly not in that time. It can drop when brand new or after a change due to air in the system, but it's done too many miles for that now I would have thought. Plenty of threads on here with people having warranty work done to sort it out.

 

Not sure on the diesel's, but the petrol's did have a problem with a large batch of faulty water pumps/seals that needed replacing; sorted easily under warranty  

[glosrich]

They do seem to drop a bit from the factory, maybe the coolant settles, air locks come out etc.

 

Seems a large amount to have to top up though. 

 

I wouldn't advise adding so much water, you may dilute the antifreeze during this cold weather. 

 

Pick up a 1.5l G13 coolant top up from any VW group dealer for about £12.

[Adenuf]

Going in for its first service next week, so I'll get then to give it a good looking at.

I did wonder cylinder head gasket.

 

[Gabbo]

The water pump is a common fault on the diesels so ask them to check this thoroughly as well.

They should be aware of the issue.

 

Normally, you should use no coolant at all during normal running.

[Adenuf]

Well it's just had its first service, and asked them to look closely for visible signs of a leak, especially around the water pump.

Nothing found, but they confirmed what you lot have said, that they have and do leak sometimes.

 

1 week on, and the level hasn't moved at all.

 

Most puzzling, and a bit of a pita having to check it every couple of days now due to paranoia.

[James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale]

Plenty of these engines seem to suffer with a one - time coolant drop, even skoda themselves have admitted that the system can air lock at times.

[Adenuf]

17 hours ago, James@Pentagon_Seat said:

Plenty of these engines seem to suffer with a one - time coolant drop, even skoda themselves have admitted that the system can air lock at times.

Really? 

 

Thanks for that.

Slightly less paranoid now.

[Skaut]

Similar on mine at about a year old, warning light came on, topped up coolant & not dropped since.  Had dealer check for leaks at first service but nothing found.

[sturgi]

They can leak around the thermostat housing but need to use a borescope to check, keep an eye on the levels and if it drops get them to check in this area.

[LewJo]

On 08/03/2017 at 21:24, James@Pentagon_Seat said:

Plenty of these engines seem to suffer with a one - time coolant drop, even skoda themselves have admitted that the system can air lock at times.

 

Yes, this happened to me in both my Petrol and then Diesel VRS O3's. One time only.

 

it also has happened to both of my brothers O3 Diesel VRS'

[renton]

I asked them to look into my coolant leak as it had dropped quite a bit twice in the year I have had the car. I can also smell hot coolant occasionally. 

 

They pressure tested the engine whilst cold and also hot and couldn't find a leak. 

 

However they did show me a Skoda tech bulletin basically saying that some models will use coolant over the cold weather spell. 

 

Sounds like b.s to me. 

[JamesVRSmk3]

I had a leak around the water pump a year ago which was fixed.

 

At the weekend I lost two inches of coolant in 20 miles and the alarm sounded. Topped up and lost another two inches and alarm on over a period of about 10 miles again Monday.

 

Thursday the same happened so called Skoda Assist. He pressure tested and couldn't see any sign of a leak despite it going down by 1/2 cm in 5 mins while we were watching it. Told me it's probably an air lock and fine - I kept a copy of the paperwork.

 

Im VT'ing my car in 2 weeks time so if anyone sees a green one for sale (GL14 plate) stay well away! It's specifically this awful service from Skoda which is the reason I'm getting rid. Always denying problems.

Edited 10 March, 2017 by JamesVRSmk3

[gregoir]

And my Passat 1.9 PDI also did that ONCE in 140000 miles.

[Skaut]

On 3/10/2017 at 12:46, renton said:

However they did show me a Skoda tech bulletin basically saying that some models will use coolant over the cold weather spell. 

 

Sounds like b.s to me. 

 

May not be b.s, mine was new in the spring, got the low level warning on the first frosty morning of the following winter.  Been fine ever since.

[renton]

Mine had already been into the delaers when it was a couple of months old for coolant drop and they couldn't find anything wrong. Since then I have had to top it up from below minimum on two or three occasions. 

 

It's been into the dealer's again a few weeks back and again no fault found. 

 

It's got to be going somewhere ??? 

[Black_Sheep]

17 hours ago, renton said:

Mine had already been into the delaers when it was a couple of months old for coolant drop and they couldn't find anything wrong. Since then I have had to top it up from below minimum on two or three occasions. 

 

It's been into the dealer's again a few weeks back and again no fault found. 

 

It's got to be going somewhere ??? 

Ditto on mine... every 1500 miles it needs topping up from Low to High mark. 

 

Dealer cant find a fault either - just checking all fluids religiously for any signs that all is not well.  

[Brinky]

Had my thermostat housing replaced under warranty. Same symptoms as Adenuf, low coolant warning came on, topped it up. All appeared to be ok, but coolant dropped VERY slowly over a month or 2. 

Dealer pressure tested system and found a very slight leak from thermostat housing. Been ok since it was replaced.

[64VRS]

Having the same problem.  Bought my car back of December last year (2016) and it had gone through a 'Skoda used car service' at just shy of 18000 miles and everything ok! 

 

Whilst filling up my washer fluid I had a quick check of levels and found coolant to be at minimum level! 

 

Found a VW & Audi Specialist in the town where I live and bought some G13 coolant fluid.  Going to top it up (when my engine has cooled) and keep an eye on it! 

[village]

I had to top mine up about 5k ago (18k now). Nothing since and i mentioned the top up when it was in for it's first service this week. They pressure tested it and couldn't find anything. There seems to be a bit of a theme here...

[evan15281]

There have been quite a few folk on here who have had this, me included. Happened once, at around 7000 miles, now on 13000 and nothing since. Not quite a year old but I do carry some of the recommended coolant in the boot just in case.

[Black_Sheep]

3 hours ago, village said:

I had to top mine up about 5k ago (18k now). Nothing since and i mentioned the top up when it was in for it's first service this week. They pressure tested it and couldn't find anything. There seems to be a bit of a theme here...

 

3 hours ago, evan15281 said:

There have been quite a few folk on here who have had this, me included. Happened once, at around 7000 miles, now on 13000 and nothing since. Not quite a year old but I do carry some of the recommended coolant in the boot just in case.

Whilst this was the same as mine followed by 30 months of no coolant loss (likely airlock in coolant system from manufacture), the car is now dropping coolant on a regular basis with no fault found. 

[Arjun75]

Had to top up coolant twice in the last two and a half years of owning my car.its a 2.0 TDI DSG.

Roughly every 20000 kilometres and around a litre every time.No leaks or other issues found.