engine coolant

[dugwiththevwbug]

I have a 88 panel van 1.9dg one carefull owner Fully serviced by dealer to 40k and independant to present.
Current mileage is 68k very light useage by retired carpenter who used it to go fishing
10k in last 5 years recently did a 250 mile round trip no issues at all
ran like a dream with almost an unbeleivable 30mpg

I hear many stories about coolant needing changing and mine never seems to have been (have all service docs)
Do i need to change mine?

I am worried that changing the coolant will mean probs other than wrong coolant and rusty studs . What happens if the system is not bled and filled properly dont want to cause probs when I dont have any.
Any advise would be greatly appreciated

[Ian Hulley]

If it makes you feel more confident in your bus (and you can afford it) have it serviced by a good, knowledgeable garage .... peeps local to you may (ahem) HOPEFULLY chip in at this point and tell you their good and bad experiences in your area.

Welcome to the Club BTW

Ian.

[kevtherev]

my ten pence.

It's a dilemma but.....I would change it, if only for peace of mind.
I did mine soon after I bought it. No drama just followed the advice from the wiki and it was done.
Over heating, trapped air in the heater matrix are the only things I can think of for a botched job



welcome to the forum

[chuckle-bus-tom]

One of the first jobs I did on my van as a complete novice. Followed the wiki with a bit of a dip into the haynes and went smooth as. Helped with the confidence to tackle other jobs too!

[Hypnovan]

Cue 'Ahem!':

Ahem! My experience is that if you are in any doubt, get it checked and changed. It's not a lot to ask to have regular oil and water changes. While you're checking your fluids, what about brake,power steering and battery levels too? Which coolant to use and how much of it are my next questions.

I have used a garage in Hove called Pfeiffer's (www.pfeifferpartnership.com) and they have been working on VW and Audis for about 3 decades....which is why I don't mind paying that little bit extra for someone's time who understands the hidden secrets of VW campers.

Having said that, a coolant change isn't really a universal mystery so why not learn how to do it yourself? I'm about to do mine too so why don't we share our findings and questions? It's probably already on the forum Wiki anyways but i'm getting into learning how my wonderwagon works and just because someone has already asked the question, doesn't necessarily mean that nobody else can.

If you still want to take it to a garage, mostly any garage (recommended) will be able to change your coolant for you.

Hope this helps,

HV

1.6Td 1990 Atlantic High top in Calypso Green - with a small amount of rust showing through.

[R0B]

well worth a read...http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/forum ... ?TID=29710

[dugwiththevwbug]

Thanks for all the advice
It was more an anorak question than a can/cant do question

Really I need to know does any degradation occur of the cooling fluids ability as a rust inhibitor over time

[Ian Hulley]

Thanks for all the advice
It was more an anorak question than a can/cant do question

Really I need to know does any degradation occur of the cooling fluids ability as a rust inhibitor over time

Yes.

[Hypnovan]

If left coolant will degrade and corrosion of parts will occur potentially rendering any attempt to remove them useless. This could result in requiring a new engine as opposed to changing the coolant regularly. That's part of what I read along the way.

My garage, Pfeiffer's of Hove, did a major service on my van within days of me buying it and although they weren't entirely happy with the condition of some of the components (which I had them change immediately and gave the bloke I bought it from a fairly large piece of my mind too) they said that the coolant they put in will last for ages (upto 2 years). I like to do things every 6-12 months.

Get yer coolant changed mate.

HV

PS: Today, i'll be mostly taking the wheels orf, cleaning them and replacing the rusty nuts with shiny ones. Ain't I good to my motor?

[Hypnovan]

If left coolant will degrade and corrosion of parts will occur potentially rendering any attempt to remove them useless. This could result in requiring a new engine as opposed to changing the coolant regularly. That's part of what I read along the way.

My garage, Pfeiffer's of Hove, did a major service on my van within days of me buying it and although they weren't entirely happy with the condition of some of the components (which I had them change immediately and gave the bloke I bought it from a fairly large piece of my mind too) they said that the coolant they put in will last for ages (upto 2 years). I like to do things every 6-12 months.

I'm going to thoroughly flush the entire system so it's all sparkly on the inside just like it is on the outside.

Get yer coolant changed mate.

HV

PS: Today, i'll be mostly taking the wheels orf, cleaning them and replacing the rusty nuts with shiny ones. Ain't I good to my motor?

[Nicola&Tony]

I have a 88 panel van 1.9dg one carefull owner Fully serviced by dealer to 40k and independant to present.

I hear many stories about coolant needing changing and mine never seems to have been (have all service docs)

Just out of interest ('cos it's peeing down so I can't get me jobs done ), if it still has the original vw coolant in it, will it still need changing? I thought the g12 / g12+ stuff from vw is supposed to last a lifetime, or is that just a myth?

Tony

[Ian Hulley]

Tony, according to Haynes it should be changed every 20,000 miles or 2 years whichever comes first ..... I'd have thought 20K was a bit mean, especially for me ... I just change it when I change the engine

Bearing in mind how many cooling system components we change on these old buses I bet there's not many that's still got the coolant in for 2 years

Ian.

[Nicola&Tony]

Bearing in mind how many cooling system components we change on these old buses I bet there's not many that's still got the coolant in for 2 years

Good point! That reminds me I need to be out there checking that vee belt and coolant % mix after our south-west adventure.

Tony

[andysimpson]

I have a 88 panel van 1.9dg one carefull owner Fully serviced by dealer to 40k and independant to present.

I hear many stories about coolant needing changing and mine never seems to have been (have all service docs)

Just out of interest ('cos it's peeing down so I can't get me jobs done ), if it still has the original vw coolant in it, will it still need changing? I thought the g12 / g12+ stuff from vw is supposed to last a lifetime, or is that just a myth?

Tony

The latest g12+ is supposed to last forever.

[chuckle-bus-tom]

I have to top up with a bottle of G12 and a splash of water every 1000 miles or so. The van doesn't overheat and the leaks from the water jackets are so minor that I'm keeping the self changing system. It mirrors my self changing oil.