Club 80-90 Forums

The little one in the engine rather than the onboard drinking supply?

I'm wanting to check water levels and have no clue - have opened the engine up and found a container of red/pink type fluid - what's that?

Also on the right hand side is another liquid container but there's no easy access point to that to put water in which I'm assuming hte water container would have. It seems all sealed up.

binka wrote:The little one in the engine rather than the onboard drinking supply?

I'm wanting to check water levels and have no clue - have opened the engine up and found a container of red/pink type fluid - what's that?

That is your engine cooling water and the PINK is the anti-freeze in it.

Also on the right hand side is another liquid container but there's no easy access point to that to put water in which I'm assuming hte water container would have. It seems all sealed up.

When you say the "right hand side" are you looking at it from the front or the rear of the van ?
If you are looking at it from the rear it is also part of the colling system. Can you say from what position you are looking at it ?

Phredd

I'm looking at it from the rear.

The tank on the left (with the blue 'Dalek' cap on in the photo) is the expansion tank. The one behind the number plate flap (that you can't see in the photo) is the Overflow ('top-up') tank. There are 'Max' and 'Min' marks on the one on the right and your coolant level should be between these.

Excellent, thanks. The one which I thought was brake fluid is the overflow tank then. There are min and max marks and level is ok. Thanks.

Brake fluid reservoir is under the dash pod at the front - wouldn't hurt to check that level too

binka wrote:Excellent, thanks. The one which I thought was brake fluid is the overflow tank then. There are min and max marks and level is ok. Thanks.

I think you need to get a haynes manual asap, and start getting clued up where bits are!!!!! How long have you had the van, and your only just checking stuff like this???????

The Haynes manual only covers petrol doesn't it? Mine's a diesel and its had a 1.9ltr engine out something else,(passat?) put in so not sure which manual I should get.

I've had the van just over a year, the bloke who sold it me checked everything for me, then I broke down once and the AA man checked it all a few months later and said everythign was fine. Then a few months after that I had new tyres fitted and Kwikfit checked oil and water for me while I was there. But I was thinking I need to check it myself now.

oh, didn't realise it was a diesel - that picture I posted was of a 1.9 petrol.....

I did think it looked a bit different but thought that was maybe because mine is a Passat engine rather then the original. But I worked out from your description of the overflow tank being behind the numberplate with the min and max lines. I have one in the same place. Sorry should probably have mentioned it was a diesel.

Yo Bink's, come to RTTHS and I'll give you a tour of where to look, if we get stuck, we can ask James