Coolant level warning

[davejay]

I've just had it come on when I started the engine. The manual gives the usual warnings but i) is it possible that it's just a bit of a computer malfunction and ii) will it be okay to do a couple of days driving until I can get it checked out? 

Edited 18 April, 2017 by davejay

[FelisBengalensis]

What level is the reservoir showing?

[davejay]

4 hours ago, FelisBengalensis said:

What level is the reservoir showing?

It's now quite a bit under the minimum so there probably is a loss but when I started the engine a few hours later the warning didn't come up.  I have a couple of hundred mainly motorway miles to do in the next few days so will I be okay topping up with water then taking it in at the end of the week? 

[Ootohere]

All depends when you know the coolant was last between MIN & MAX. 

& what miles etc your car has done.

 

If a water pump replacement might be imminent then there is a gamble as to topping up to above MIN is enough and then travelling.

[davejay]

40 minutes ago, Awayoffski said:

All depends when you know the coolant was last between MIN & MAX. 

& what miles etc your car has done.

 

If a water pump replacement might be imminent then there is a gamble as to topping up to above MIN is enough and then travelling.

 

 

It's done just under 12k. I spoke to the main dealer who said that topping up with water before every journey will be okay until I can get to them next week. Thanks for the help. 

[Ootohere]

No tell them to get a Courtesy Car arranged or call Skoda UK Customer Services and have them arrange one,

 

Get 'The Dealer' or the Dealership employ to put in writing what he or she says.  

How do they know without even looking are they Derran Brown? Too many think they are on Service Desks.

[Ootohere]

?

So when was the car serviced since the PDI and do you know when the level was last between MIN & MAX?

Has is had a Fixed Service or is it on Flexible Servicing?

[Bugginbob]

Quite common I think, lots of people with similar issue. Mine did it and then not again after topping up with 500ml of water. Spoke to Skoda and they advised it can be topped up to a litre of water without affecting the system. Mine went in to be tested and found no fault.

[Ootohere]

Affects by 1 litre the ratio of G13 coolant to H20 though, not that the person telling you would care much about that, likely saying you are in the UK.

[GaSelle]

It´s not uncommon to have coolant low warnings on new cars. All the hoses expands a little over time, and the resovoir is not full to the brim from the factory. Watch the level and get the dealer to top it up ASAP.

[Speedman]

My coolant drop from max to min about a week after I got the car, it never went any further than that. The car had to go in for something else so I asked them to check and they said it was fine on a pressure test (lazy dealer didn't bother topping it up though!!). After another 4k miles it hasn't lost any more.

[James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale]

On 18/04/2017 at 17:29, Awayoffski said:

No tell them to get a Courtesy Car arranged or call Skoda UK Customer Services and have them arrange one,

 

Get 'The Dealer' or the Dealership employ to put in writing what he or she says.  

How do they know without even looking are they Derran Brown? Too many think they are on Service Desks.

Normally in order for that to happen the vehicle has to show a red warning light, break down, have skoda assist attend then they tow you to the dealer and arrange a hire car through the Mobex scheme. 

 

the coolant dropping on micro cooling systems is nothing new. I'm sure there are various threads on both the Octavia 3 and superb 3 forums where they have simply topped up the system and never experienced further issues. 

[davejay]

No further loss this morning after a couple of hours steady motorway driving. I'll keep an eye on it from now until it goes in on Tuesday. 

[Ootohere]

So what is the story has your car had a Fixed Service or is it on Flexible and have you looked at the Coolant level from getting the car until the level showing below MIN?

[davejay]

1 hour ago, Awayoffski said:

So what is the story has your car had a Fixed Service or is it on Flexible and have you looked at the Coolant level from getting the car until the level showing below MIN?

 

It's not been serviced at all yet (less than 12 mionths old); I've been lax in regular checks but the levels have always seemed fine prevously. 

[rickyang]

Mine seems to need topping up every couple of weeks and for me that's about 1000 miles.  It has been into Skoda for a "Pressure Test" and they found nothing wrong with it.  I've a big bottle of pre mixed fluid from Halfords in the boot so just put it in when it is needed.  Just over 5000 miles on the clock and the car was new in January.

[davejay]

I've had the same problem now for the past couple of mornings on my 18 plater - I park on a slope and get the warning but not afterwards when it's been parked on the level for anything between ten minutes and eight hours.  The coolant level seems fine, it's done just over 13,000 miles and it's about 14 months old. Has anyone else had a similar problem?

Edited 13 August, 2019 by davejay

[MileMile]

I had something similar. Coolant level when I took it from dealer (new) was 1 cm above max line. After 4000 km, it was in the middle between min & max lines. No warning lights. Dealer told me that it is normal for new engine (150 tdi) in bedding in process and he just topped it up. No visible leaks. Or maybe there was some air pocket in smaller radiator that was now gone which kept the level up before.