2014 GTD - Coolant loss issue

[ravowen]

Hi everyone,

I have a 2014 Manual GTD with 75k miles and recently it has developed a few problems.

1. The coolant level after just a couple of days will reduce to next to nothing.
2. Heating also does not work properly when at motorway speeds.
3. When heating is off it will still sometimes blow hot air but at low speed.

There are no visible leaks, I have took the car to a garage who said there are no visible coolant leaks and they 'checked over 100 pipes' and I am now booked in with a German car specialist in Manchester. (I have researched VW Specialists but found a high rated german car specialist who knows of this problem)

I know that the heating issue could be caused by a faulty/blocked heater matrix but I am now worried about the coolant loss.

Engine temp always sits at 90 degrees on the dashboard and the digital oil temp also sits around 90-95 degrees.

Is there anyone here who could advise if they have had similar issues?

 

[golfdave]

Sounds like a blocked cabin heater matrix....or air lock..or it could be leaking inside the cabin where the cabin heater is...

You could try posting on the UK forums such as golfgti....

 

[ravowen]

Sounds like a blocked cabin heater matrix....or air lock..or it could be leaking inside the cabin where the cabin heater is...

You could try posting on the UK forums such as golfgti....

There is no leak in the cabin under the mats as I have seen that the heater matrix is to the right and under the glove compartment.

Regarding the air lock, do you mind explaining that more? Also, would the problems you highlighted above affect the coolant level?

And thanks, I will ask in other forums too.

 

[misor1994]

May be the intercooler regrading the leak. It is a common issue, at least from what I heard and experienced with my previous car (Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI). No visual leaks. It started with adding coolant after 2-3k kilometers, but it got worse and I had the low coolant level warning every few hundred kilometers. Confirmed with the intercooler bypass - connecting the hoses together, which causes a higher fuel consumption and loss of the power, but at least a simple way how to test it.

And this is what it looked like inside the intercooler.

 

[ravowen]

May be the intercooler regrading the leak. It is a common issue, at least from what I heard and experienced with my previous car (Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI). No visual leaks. It started with adding coolant after 2-3k kilometers, but it got worse and I had the low coolant level warning every few hundred kilometers. Confirmed with the intercooler bypass - connecting the hoses together, which causes a higher fuel consumption and loss of the power, but at least a simple way how to test it.

And this is what it looked like inside the intercooler.

The symptoms you have described are exactly what I am getting. Did your heating also stop working sometimes?

Regarding the intercooler bypass, was the higher fuel consumption and loss of power a result of the bypass? Or was that the result of the symptoms?

I am asking as I am not experiencing higher consumption or a power loss.

Thanks

 

[misor1994]

Nope, I had not any issue with the heating. This may be another issue...I would try to calibrate the flaps and you will see - YouTube is full of videos about it. In case of the blocked heater, it would work just at one side of the car from what I have read.

Higher consumption and loss of power will be a result of bypass, since the air flowing into the engine will be hotter due to lack of cooling when going through the intercooler.

 

[ravowen]

Nope, I had not any issue with the heating. This may be another issue...I would try to calibrate the flaps and you will see - YouTube is full of videos about it. In case of the blocked heater, it would work just at one side of the car from what I have read.

Higher consumption and loss of power will be a result of bypass, since the air flowing into the engine will be hotter due to lack of cooling when going through the intercooler.

Okay thanks for explaining.

I am taking the car to a German car specialist garage tomorrow who will run a pressure test to find where the coolant is going and then hopefully sort the problem.

I will keep you updated on what actually happens.

Thanks

 

[ravowen]

So the German car specialists did a visual check for leaks and they found none. They then ran a pressure test and noticed that one of the clips on the charge cooler has failed and it is leaking from there.

They have said this may sort the problem so they will order and fit the new clips but I will have to give feedback after a week or so to see if the problem has been sorted.

They said if this does not sort the problem they will absorb the cost of fitting the clip into whatever the next fix could be. £100 for diagnosis, pressure test, the cost of the clip and labour.

 

[welshireland]

Hello, How did you sort the problem in the end ?

 

[Heathy]

Any news on this and what fixed it?