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Coolant disappearing!

Adamski23

New member
Location
Ipswich
Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on a coolant loss issue. I’ve had my 2014 gtd for just under 2 years when the coolant low level light came up on my dash!
I topped it back up & kept an eye on it & after about a month it dropped back down again. The car was still under warranty so I took it to the garage, but they checked it for external leaks & did pressure tests but couldn’t find anything.
After another month it dropped again so I took it back & they did more extensive checks after contacting vw about what else to look out for & found there was a leak in the cooler recharge unit!?? I think that’s what they said anyway.
So after another month & a half it drops down again so the light comes on my dash! At this point my car is out of warranty but my thought was that the issue still isn’t fixed? I took the car back again & again they did external checks & pressure tests (not internal though) but I was told they could not find anything! They have basically told me that to try to find the problem could take many hours & that in their mind would not be covered by warranty as vw were sent evidence that it was fixed in the cars previous visit to them & it might be hard to provide evidence that it is part of the same fault! I asked if the fixed part had been checked & they said it had & it was ok. Also that the part that might be at fault might not be covered under warranty anyway!
They told me that they don’t think it will damage the engine in anyway!
So now I’m wondering whether to go back to the garage & try to get it done under warranty still & also hope it’s a ‘warranty’ part! (I do know the manager so maybe have a word with him?) Or I keep an eye on it & if it starts to go through coolant quicker then I take it back in the hope it then shows up on their tests? Or last resort is if it gets worse I sell the car, which isn’t really what I want as I was looking to keep it for at least another 2-4 years!

If anyone has had this issue & might know what it is or advice on where I stand with my warranty then please let me know?

Cheers Adam.
 

The Fed

Old Guys Rule
Location
Florida
Really can't figure out what a cooler recharge unit is. What does it read on your invoice? That will have the name and part number of the item they replaced.

Any visible leaks? Are you getting steam from your exhaust? Pull the oil dipstick, is it showing overfilled?
 

TechGuy32

Ready to race!
Location
My Place
Finding small coolant leaks can be extremely difficult. I have found looking for spots on the floor/pavement or coolant residue in the engine compartment that kinda looks like a white colored salt type residue helps find tiny leaks. Pressurizing the coolant system to 20-25 PSI both cold and hot may help spot a small leak but there is no guarantee. I've seen tiny cracks in the return flow hoses, a crack in the coolant reservoir, or a slightly loose hose clamp or an old rubber hose cause occasional tiny leaks that simply don't occur consistently or when the vehicle isn't in motion. The temp sensors in the heads also crack sometimes causing a small leak. O-rings can harden over time and leak occasionally. I've seen internal casting porosity that allows coolant to leak into the cyl. and then be burned off. It's just not easy to find these kind of leaks.
 

ROBK75

Ready to race!
Location
Liverpool
Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on a coolant loss issue. I’ve had my 2014 gtd for just under 2 years when the coolant low level light came up on my dash!
I topped it back up & kept an eye on it & after about a month it dropped back down again. The car was still under warranty so I took it to the garage, but they checked it for external leaks & did pressure tests but couldn’t find anything.
After another month it dropped again so I took it back & they did more extensive checks after contacting vw about what else to look out for & found there was a leak in the cooler recharge unit!?? I think that’s what they said anyway.
So after another month & a half it drops down again so the light comes on my dash! At this point my car is out of warranty but my thought was that the issue still isn’t fixed? I took the car back again & again they did external checks & pressure tests (not internal though) but I was told they could not find anything! They have basically told me that to try to find the problem could take many hours & that in their mind would not be covered by warranty as vw were sent evidence that it was fixed in the cars previous visit to them & it might be hard to provide evidence that it is part of the same fault! I asked if the fixed part had been checked & they said it had & it was ok. Also that the part that might be at fault might not be covered under warranty anyway!
They told me that they don’t think it will damage the engine in anyway!
So now I’m wondering whether to go back to the garage & try to get it done under warranty still & also hope it’s a ‘warranty’ part! (I do know the manager so maybe have a word with him?) Or I keep an eye on it & if it starts to go through coolant quicker then I take it back in the hope it then shows up on their tests? Or last resort is if it gets worse I sell the car, which isn’t really what I want as I was looking to keep it for at least another 2-4 years!

If anyone has had this issue & might know what it is or advice on where I stand with my warranty then please let me know?

Cheers Adam.

I had a similar problem, there was no visible leak but I was topping the coolant up about once a week. Took ages to sort out and I ended up replacing the EGR, Charge Cooler etc trying to fix it. Turned out to be the water pump, I took it to numerous garages, all VW Tuning specialists who had worked on the car numerous times, and none of them could find the problem. I was told the only other place it could be losing it was through the Cylinder Head so I was about to get the Head Gasket done at great expense when one day I noticed a tiny bit of water in the engine bay right by the water pump casing. I had it replaced and haven't had any issues since.
 

Jose_Gti

Autocross Newbie
Location
Philadelphia

Hexxum001

Ready to race!
Location
Los Angeles
Yup I was losing coolant as well. I could smell it after a drive but I could never spot a leak. I would just top off the coolant and go about my business. One day I was at a friend's house and she sees a small puddle forming under my car and tells me she thinks I have an oil leak. I freaked out at first but when I checked.......aha! There's the coolant leak that I had been looking for. As is common with our cars, I had a leak coming from the water pump/thermostat housing. It was replaced under warranty and it has been fine since then. If you have any kind of coolant loss, that's the first place that you should start.
 

Wildfyre116

New member
I'm new to both VW and TDI, but I remember reading that if the water pump is habitually leaking, it can pool to where the timing belt is going through coolant at the bottom, which weakens it. Through my research i came to think this was could be a serious problem if the leak is left alone. I'd rather replace a water pump then blow the engine up - but getting a mechanic, dealer or otherwise, to check the timing belt condition based on that fact alone might be hard.

Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
 

Finglonga

Drag Racing Champion
The issue was reported under warranty, they have failed to fix it so it is still a warranty issue. The warranty is with VW, the dealer contacts VW to permit a garage to do the work and pay them for it and the parts. Take it to another dealer and ask them to get permission from VW UK to have another look at the issue as it was never fixed. If not trading standards will help you.
 

George Ab

Drag Racing Champion
Location
Pacific NW
A lot of history of water pump thermostat housing leaking in our cars. Surprised the dealer did not change straight away. I would document and provide a letter explaining the history with the dealer and problem and let them make it right. If that fails, I would start to go up the change to VW in your country. Per this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZjYptD-8Qk the water pump has changed design. Worst case you get it done by an independent for under $700.
 
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