Volkswagen Cooling System Repair in Seattle

If you own a Volkswagen, chances are that you’ve needed to think about adding coolant to your vehicle. While coolant leaks are an inconvenience, if not severe, you can continue driving your vehicle until you can have it looked at, as long as you maintain the proper level of coolant in the system. Just be careful to monitor your engine temp and be aware of any low coolant warning lights on the dash. If the engine is overheating stop driving and let it cool down and tow your vehicle to your local Volkswagen shop in Seattle, Precision Motorworks.

How most Volkswagen cooling system symptoms start

One morning you start your VW only to find a message on the dash, “Check coolant, see owners manual”. Being the responsible owner that you are, you locate the section on coolant in your manual, and are met with a confusing sight. G11, G12, G12+, G12++, G13, G12Evo are all factory Volkswagen coolant specifications, but what do they mean? You might search for Volkswagen coolant on the web and be met with even more confusion, Pento-E, G40, Peak European, are all common replacements.

Understanding your how coolant works in your Volkswagen

First thing’s first, what does coolant do? Its primary job is in the name, coolant. Keeping the engine cool via exchange of thermal energy is coolants number one duty. But there is much more to it. The primary ingredient in all coolants is glycol or glycerin. Both of these chemicals when mixed with water raise its boiling point, and lower its freezing point. This is so your engine does not overheat when the coolant gets hot, or crack due to it freezing when cold. The metals of your engine need to be protected from corrosion. You’ll find various corrosion inhibitors to protect the unique metallurgy of your engine. This is why choosing the proper coolant is so important.

Does the color of your Volkswagen coolant matter?

The color of the coolant does NOT always indicate compatibility. The color of any given coolant is just a dye added to distinguish it from others, and while sticking with the same color, in the case of VW, pink, is a safer bet then mixing, it is best to install only the proper coolant type. If the color does not define the type of coolant, then what does? Engine coolants can be broken down into two main categories relating to their chemistry. Inorganic Acid Technology, or IAT. And Organic Acid Technology or OAT. Modern engine coolants have improved upon these roots and nowadays most commercially available formulas will be a Hybrid Organic Acid Technology or HOAT, or a Silicate Organic Acid Technology or Si-OAT. These distinctions relate to the anti-corrosion additives within the coolant.

Which coolant should I use in my Volkswagen?

Let’s start with breaking down Volkswagen’s factory coolant nomenclature. Unlike most other auto manufacturers, VW has updated and revised their recommended coolant regularly. In contrast, other European manufacturers like BMW and Volvo have used Glysantin’s G48 spec for decades (until recently). G11 was the first VW specific coolant specification and was used only from model years 1989 to 1996, it was blue in color. Next came G12, which, as with all later revisions was a pink/purple hue, and was a factory fill in model years 1996 to 2001. G12+ came in 2001 to 2004 models, G12++ from 2004 to 2008, G13 was long standing from 2012 until 2019 when G12Evo was released.

You may still be asking, what should I use? Lucky for you, Volkswagen has made all new coolants reverse compatible with older ones to a certain extent. To ease the confusion, VW has released this table to provide a visual aid:

To simplify even further, excluding G11 and G12 which for all effects and purposes are no longer commonly produced or relevant, any new revision can be used to replenish older cars, but an old revision should not be used to replenish a newer car. Unless you are looking to purchase directly from a dealership, chances are you will not find a coolant with VW’s nomenclature on the bottle. This doesn’t mean you can’t find readily available coolants that are compatible though. G40 is a designation created by the large chemical manufacturer Glysantin. The “G40” specification fits into the chart where G12++ and G13 are.
When you can not find original coolant, looking for G40 spec coolant will ensure a safe top off until Precision Motorworks your local Volkswagen repair shop in Seattle can evaluate the source of leakage. If no options are available, you can safely top off with distilled water. Keep in mind the freezing point will be raised, and the boiling point lowered. So avoid freezing weather, or hot strenuous usage when doing this.