The red coolant warning has come on my Octavia which I've had for 3 months after an initial dealer full service.

 

I've never been aware of coolant in my previous passats. Looking at my pdf manual I read that the coolant cools the engine and consists of water and coolant additive. Is it normal for the light to come on so close to a full service? Does one top up oneself or is it a garage thing?

 

Probably unrelated: I have not found it straightforward to demist the windscreen and have found it works best when the AC is on, which seems strange.

Thanks for any help!

Edited 22 September, 20232 yr by boardtc

The coolant light should never come on.

 

Check the coolant level and top up with correctly mixed G12 Evo as required, if the level drops again you likely have a leak.

 

When the AC is on it will dehumidify the air which aids in demisting 👍

@boardtcWhat engine?  How many km done?

 

When you opened the bonnet and looked at the coolant where did it show between MIN & MAX?

 

Did you ever look after the Dealer Full Service and see if they had filled it too MAX.  An error often as it often sets it,s own level.

 

If there was a FILL TO THIS LEVEL.   They would put that on the reservoir / bottle.

 

Thanks guys. At the moment if I opened the bonnet I would not know where to look regarding coolant. 

 

I am due to drive 200k tonight and 200k tomorrow evening, prior commitments I can't miss. Is it a bad idea driving on a coolant warning light?

Best get someone to look then because not the best idea to be setting off having not checked.

only 200 km i hope and not 200,000

 

You have a Owners Manual, sadly you do not do checks of your vehicle it seems, ask a friend to look, someone that knows even the basics of cars.

 

I hope your tyre pressures are checked, the TPMS reset, the spare wheel pressure set & the tools there including the locking wheel nut socket, the windscreen washer bottle topped up etc. 

 

PS

At least dip the oil cold and see there is oil, it should be checked hot though / at normal operating temperature.

No guarantee from the Full Service it had enough oil in.

Edited 22 September, 20232 yr by toot

7 minutes ago, boardtc said:

Is it a bad idea driving on a coolant warning light?

 

Yes! If it is loosing coolant then it'll likely overheat and possibly cause permanent engine damage...

 

Coolant tank is circled below. Might be worth ringing local Skoda/Seat/VW/Audi dealers to see if anyone has some premixed G12 evo you can buy today.

 

15 minutes ago, boardtc said:

Thanks guys. At the moment if I opened the bonnet I would not know where to look regarding coolant. 

 

I am due to drive 200k tonight and 200k tomorrow evening, prior commitments I can't miss. Is it a bad idea driving on a coolant warning light?

Really bad idea, if the engine is low in coolant engine will almost certainly overheat and could cause very serious damage to it.

If you do need to top up, make sure the engine is cold. If the engine is hot and you unscrew the cap hot water will escape under high pressure.

 

With the engine running at normal temperature, look around for any obvious signs of leaks.  Does the heater work correctly?

I bought the car with 130k. Thanks @langers2k. This is what my coolant looks like now, engine not running since this morning. I talked to the dealer I bought from (2 hours away) and he said when they replaced the timing belt in June, they did the coolant. He said if it was low it could be topped up with water now to the mark. I can't see a mark when I open it, where is it?

That does look low.

 

The minimum and maximum lines are on the side:

Just for reference, this is all covered in the owners manual. If you have got one, you can download a copy from: https://manual.skoda-auto.com/210/en-GB/models

 

7 minutes ago, boardtc said:

 He said if it was low it could be topped up with water now to the mark.

 

That's not strictly true. The owners manual clearly states: "If water other than distilled (demineralised) water is used, then have the coolant replaced by a specialist garage - there is a risk of engine damage".

 

If you haven't got distilled water, I'd still with my earlier recommendation of pre-mixed G12 evo from any VAG group dealer.

 

Relevant section from a 2018 version:

Many thanks. At the moment if I opened the bonnet I would not know where to look regarding coolant. 

 

I am due to drive 200k tonight and 200k tomorrow evening, prior commitments I can't miss. Is it a bad idea driving on a coolant warning light?

Edited 22 September, 20232 yr by boardtc

Many thanks all for your support, very reassuring. Just got 1L of pre mix at VW dealer just before they closed and topped up to halfway between Min and Mac líne. Phew. Friday evening, can relax now and drive stress free. Thanks again all.

I wouldnt say stress free, coolant is not a consumable and the level should not drop.

Chances are that you have a leak so keep an eye on the level at cold only over the next few days.

Plus + for @ApertureScomment on keeping an eye on coolant. Please consult manual on how to do routine checks Tyres, oil, coolant - not necessarily every day, but on a regular basis. It is a common and bad mistake to simply rely completely on warning lights - the problem already exists by then, and may well be too late to prevent damage. 

Edited 23 September, 20232 yr by Warrior193
typo

23 hours ago, toot said:

At least dip the oil cold and see there is oil, it should be checked hot though / at normal operating temperature.

 

Oil? I've never been aware of oil in my previous Skodas! 😒

@JR RS wrong name comes up sorry, can't remove.   But @J.R. are you attempting at humour or something.   Re engine oil and checking it?  Or what do you mean?

20 minutes ago, toot said:

@JR RS wrong name comes up sorry, can't remove.   But @J.R. are you attempting at humour or something.   Re engine oil and checking it?  Or what do you mean?

20 minutes ago, toot said:

@JR RS wrong name comes up sorry, can't remove.   But @J.R. are you attempting at humour or something.   Re engine oil and checking it?  Or what do you mean?

20 minutes ago, toot said:

@JR RS wrong name comes up sorry, can't remove.   But @J.R. are you attempting at humour or something.   Re engine oil and checking it?  Or what do you mean?

I think it is a wry comment on OP.

On 22/09/2023 at 10:50, boardtc said:

Thanks guys. At the moment if I opened the bonnet I would not know where to look regarding coolant. 

 

I am due to drive 200k tonight and 200k tomorrow evening, prior commitments I can't miss. Is it a bad idea driving on a coolant warning light?

 

You may find this series of DVSA videos useful

 

 

11 hours ago, toot said:

@J.R. are you attempting at humour or something.   Re engine oil and checking it?  Or what do you mean?

 

On 22/09/2023 at 11:19, boardtc said:

I've never been aware of coolant in my previous passats.

 

11 hours ago, J.R. said:

Oil? I've never been aware of oil in my previous Skodas!