Repeat head gasket failure

[nta16]

Well done.

 

19 minutes ago, areed said:

this notch is the skim limit indicator

I sent my mate the photo before and he said not.

 

21 minutes ago, areed said:

I think they will be OK once freed off

Exercise the brakes a bit more than usual and you'll find if they free off.

 

[Thefeliciahacker]

11 hours ago, areed said:

I vaguely recall seeing on here that this notch is the skim limit indicator, although I'm not certain. If it is, then the limit has presumably now been reached.

It is the skim limit indicator

 

11 hours ago, areed said:

Does anyone have a recommended brand of coolant compatible with these cars?

Go with G11, also ethelyne glycol may be less harmful to the hg but I wont know that until I examine mine...

[areed]

1 hour ago, Thefeliciahacker said:

Go with G11, also ethelyne glycol may be less harmful to the hg but I wont know that until I examine mine...

 

The manual I have for mine says it should use VW774D (G12) only?

[D.FYLAKTOS]

2 hours ago, areed said:

The manual I have for mine says it should use VW774D (G12) only?

 

Your Felicia manual does not says VW TL 774 C?

[areed]

1 hour ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

Your Felicia manual does not says VW TL 774 C?

 

Nope definitely TL VW 774D, here's a photo:

 

[nta16]

This is VW's control freakery and thinking they are clever by insisting on 'special' specification of fluids are required for their products but you can't ignore it as you never know what they've done, "improvements"/engineering short cuts or mistakes to necessitate theses things.  Later of course they have been known to change their minds on the fluids or claim improvements (G13 to 12evo, 'synthetic' to mineral on some DSG gearbox oil).

 

You never know what additives in the different coolants might or might not mix well so whilst G12 is still about I would stick with it (unless I was doing a very full and very thorough drain, clean, flushes and change of all coolant and the residue normally left with coolant changes).

 

The colour is a VW thing the specification (TL VW 774D) is what matters but I might still stick with the red colour to save any possible future concern or confusion.  See table below lifted from here (D.FYLAKTOS?)

  

Edited 13 March, 2022 by nta16
deleted some words by mistake

[KenONeill]

1 hour ago, areed said:

Nope definitely TL VW 774D, here's a photo:

Absolutely use coolant marked "G12" (or G12+) then. Under no circumstances put an old fashioned G11 (ethylene glycol) in the system. Also, depending on brand, G12(+) may be orange rather than red or pink.

[D.FYLAKTOS]

2 hours ago, areed said:

 

Nope definitely TL VW 774D, here's a photo:

 

 

Strange, i have the same manual (in Greek) when i bought my Felicia at 2000, says VW TL 774 C and the same says the Haynes Manual.

[nta16]

Always be wary of Haynes, as for VW recommendations/specifications see above.  German engineering excellence - It takes a long time to loose a bad reputation but even longer to loose a good reputation.

 

Edited 13 March, 2022 by nta16

[Thefeliciahacker]

I would put g11 honestly as it should be softer on the aluminium. 

[D.FYLAKTOS]

8 minutes ago, Thefeliciahacker said:

I would put g11 honestly as it should be softer on the aluminium. 

 

I bought my Felicia with G11 and after 22 years i never had any issues with this (mixing antifreeze or adding MoCool etc was my fault)

Our motor came from Favorit (G11) and i have seen ''suggestions" even for G13 from some e-stores. 😲

 

[RicardoM]

@areed

Follow the advice I gave you 6 years ago. Use pink coolant of decent quality without getting paranoid about formulas. Use a Viktor Reinz head gasket. Enjoy.

Be careful who do you take advice from on this forum.

[nta16]

On 13/03/2022 at 13:44, areed said:

Nope definitely TL VW 774D, here's a photo:

Well unless it's an error, there it is literally in black and white.  The warnings about not using other (VW colour coded) coolants in 1999 would surely refer to the not mixing with the G11 (VW Blue Green) as the later (VW) Pink(s) and Light Red/ Violet were not about until 2000 onwards.

 

As it was a coolant HGF and bits of gasket I personally would thoroughly flush, clean, flush, back-flush, flush and remove all residue (well as much as can be) between each of these stages from the engine block, rad, heater matrix and pipes/hoses before completely (almost dry capacity hopefully) refill with the coolant of my choice with reasonable surety that I had removed as much old coolant and system crud as possible so no worry about cross contamination of different or same coolant types.

 

Not all TL VW 774D coolants comply with the VW colour coding but you can get various reds, pinks and violets to suit your preference.

 

Just as example of not compiling with VW's colour code. - https://www.motul.com/gb/en/products/auto-cool-optimal-37-c

Edited 14 March, 2022 by nta16

[D.FYLAKTOS]

On 13/03/2022 at 19:06, nta16 said:

Always be wary of Haynes, as for VW recommendations/specifications see above. 

 

 

Skoda Service manual for models 08.96>  says VW TL 774 C

[nta16]

5 minutes ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

Skoda Service manual for models 08.96>  says VW TL 774 C

That is fair enough but all publications like this get updates and amendments and things like Technical Servicing Bulletins (or some such name) that go out when mistakes and really world use comes in.

 

Who knows why, other than VW, there were two changes of coolant specification between 1996 and 2000, it's almost as if they did not fully know what they were doing or discovered they did not fully know what they were doing.  The former type of coolant had been used for decades and then perhaps there was a rush to change it.  Car companies generally are very slow and reluctant to change anything they can get on the cheap.

 

All of above assumes the information given by the publications mentioned, included the illustration I posted, is correct.

 

[D.FYLAKTOS]

I bought my Felicia at spring 2000 with Green G11 inside and after many years i change it to Blue G11 because i could find more quality products (Repsol, Motul etc).

The majority (and maybe all) of new mechanics since they don't know the Felicia or don't want to bother more they suggest G12 ''because the sensors can read better" or ''all the Skoda now are using G12" as they have told me.

I have tested G12 for few months and i didn't notice any difference to G11, i didn't like the idea and i flush it so i am using G11 for about 20,5 years and i don't see why should i change it since i have an old design (Favorit) motor.

[RicardoM]

On 13/03/2022 at 15:44, areed said:

Nope definitely TL VW 774D, here's a photo:

Do what the manual says. Disregard anything else.