Hello

My 2016 Fabia 3, 110PS 1.2 petrol, is coming up for 10 years old in June. It has 66k on the clock and has been serviced correctly by Skoda dealer and local garage. It has never had the coolant changed and I am wondering if this should be done at the next major service? It doesn't seem to come up on any of the service schedules I have found for the car but it seems odd that the coolant doesn't need changing after all this time.

Hello, welcome to the forum.

IIRC, coolant change interval is around 5 years - at least that's what I currently stick to.

I'll take a look at current recommendations for you.

Update - It appears to be recommended at 3 to 5 years - yours is well overdue.

NB. the EA211 coolant system is particularly prone to airlocks when draining and refilling the cooling system, it is recommended to use vacuum filling method or similar.

Edited 21 February21 Feb by Warrior193
added information

Another point to check - does your coolant expansion tank have 'Mit Silicat' printed anywhere on it? If so, definitely replace it with one that does not have the silicate 'teabag' in it - this is an easy (and cheap) DIY job that will not require complete drain of the coolant.

Specify G12 evo to be used when the coolant is changed.

@Warrior193 Where have you seen or are seeing this recommended change regime for Anti freeze / summer coolant / anti rust fluid, AKA Coolant? Anyplace from VW Group or Skoda? Check the Strength of the Coolant for the Region used. The Service should include that, but very few do. Where are you seeing the price of a Coolant Change at main Dealers now that Cam belt / Water pumps with a TDI or Cam Belt with a TSI is not at 50,000 miles / 5 years?

1 hour ago, Evolution13 said:

@Warrior193 Where have you seen or are seeing this recommended change regime for Anti freeze / summer coolant / anti rust fluid, AKA Coolant? Anyplace from VW Group or Skoda? Check the Strength of the Coolant for the Region used. The Service should include that, but very few do. Where are you seeing the price of a Coolant Change at main Dealers now that Cam belt / Water pumps with a TDI or Cam Belt with a TSI is not at 50,000 miles / 5 years?

1 hour ago, Evolution13 said:

@Warrior193 Where have you seen or are seeing this recommended change regime for Anti freeze / summer coolant / anti rust fluid, AKA Coolant? Anyplace from VW Group or Skoda? Check the Strength of the Coolant for the Region used. The Service should include that, but very few do. Where are you seeing the price of a Coolant Change at main Dealers now that Cam belt / Water pumps with a TDI or Cam Belt with a TSI is not at 50,000 miles / 5 years?

1 hour ago, Evolution13 said:

@Warrior193 Where have you seen or are seeing this recommended change regime for Anti freeze / summer coolant / anti rust fluid, AKA Coolant? Anyplace from VW Group or Skoda? Check the Strength of the Coolant for the Region used. The Service should include that, but very few do. Where are you seeing the price of a Coolant Change at main Dealers now that Cam belt / Water pumps with a TDI or Cam Belt with a TSI is not at 50,000 miles / 5 years?

Did not quote any price for coolant change.

Agree, have not seen coolant change interval on any VAG site yet, but have used online research.

Contrary to some information out there, coolant is not 'for life' - it is not just the anti-freeze levels that can drop, there are anti-corrosion agents that deplete over time.

Protection against corrosion in engine blocks is critical - especially in alloys.

Edited 21 February21 Feb by Warrior193
typo

I've been monitoring the ph level of the original coolant in my wife's July 2015 build VW Polo 1.2TSI as this should tie in with how the anti corrosion properties are "behaving", it was filled G13 at the factory and has no Silcate "boosting" package as probably VW did not consider that these small TSI engines would end up needing the Silcate levels boosting as there should never exist really high temperatures locally in their cooling systems to start degrading the G13, but I found that they were wrong there and the ph was heading towards being too acidic a lot quicker than the G13 in our older daughter's May 2019 build SEAT Leon Cupra that does have a Silicate "booster" in the coolant reservoir - okay that Leon Cupra, probably like some TDI with the exhaust gas cooler, can end up getting the G13 hot enough at certain points in the coolant system to start degrading the G13, and that Silicate booster seems to be still doing its intended task.

I replaced the G13 with G12evo at the 10 year point in that Polo's life, using a coolant vacuum refill kit, a Draper version which cost a bit, I think that there are many (Chinese) copies out there for a lot less money and perfectly good for a DIYer to use now and again.

When you look at the BASF specs for the old G12+, G12++, G13 and G12evo - they do tend to get called "long life" or "long service".

When you look at the resellers version/offering for the same BASF based coolants, they all reckon that they should be replaced in 5 years - obviously that works well for their sales!

I did the same for my old 2011 Audi S4 - it came from factory with G12 in it, it's coolant ph level seemed to be heading towards being acidic a lot slower than the G13 in the 2015 VW Polo, but I felt to need to replace it "just in case" - again using the Draper Coolant Vacuum Refill kit.

Note:- even using the official workshop manual instructions, I found that you didn't get as much of the old coolant out as possible, if you only "drain and refit pipes - apply vacuum" once - old coolant appeared in the reservoir twice after applying a vacuum - so I opened the system up again and let more coolant out twice, I could have repeated that a few more times, but only only small quantities of extra old coolant dropped out each successive time - I did not have that issue with the 2011 S4 though - but it only had 2 coolant systems with few if any restrictions etc fitted like the 1.2TSI and other newer engines have.

I too do PH tests on my coolant, level was borderline high when I tested it in December - total coolant change (G13) was last done 5 years ago.

Second change last month.

Thanks for the helpful responses. I will get it changed at the next service.

If you lived up to your member name you'd not bother or if you're not keeping the car for a number of years more.

The 6-7k-miles average per year would want timely engine oil and filter, air filter and possibly spark plug changes and some blow-out runs to stop the engine and turbo clogging up too soon in the future if you're keeping it more years on..

Ten years seems a reasonable time to allow this fluid to remain in the engine without change subject to engine use and perhaps fluid testing (personally I changed sooner, same for manual gearbox oil). ETA: coolant testing is usually just about the antifreeze side but coolants are about more than just stopping the fluid freezing. Remember VW don't want the engine to last too long after any warranty ends. IIRC VW's warranty in the UK is usually 3 years from new yet "cheaper" manufacturers offer 5 and 7 years !!

16 hours ago, cheepskatebob said:

Thanks for the helpful responses. I will get it changed at the next service.

I doubt if the Dealership will want to change, tell you it's "lifetime", whatever lifetime means, which, what's, life?

If they do change it ask for cost first.

You can change it yourself, I did on my wife's 2015 Fabia 1.2 TSI (as put well before 10 years as is my choice), you're supposed to use a vacuum on the change but you can do it without, as I did and I am not mechanical but doing the job yourself you can do a thorough and job rather than the as quick as possible from a dealership or perhaps garage or professional mechanic many of who in my decades of experience don't take sufficient care or pride in their work.

Good luck.

Edited 22 February22 Feb by nta16