G12 coolant - VAG only or others?

[TeebsVRS]

How important is it to use VAG G12 coolant, the handbook sounds like it is crucial but then it would....I just need to top up the coolant tank by a few mm as my coolant warning light keeps coming on every time I start in this cold weather and its getting on my nerves. Hopefully its just the level not the sensor.Would just a quick top-up with filtered water be OK, or do places like Halfords do VAG spec coolant, or is it off the stealers for a skoda labelled bottle?!

[Mike B]

You'll be OK with just water if it's under a litre!

Apparently G12 and any other antifreeze mixed is not a happy marriage!

[Hauptmann]

It IS crucial to use G12. However there are plenty of compliant products which meet the G12 spec. so you dont have to go to the dealer. Halfords sell it in 2L ready-mixed cans, Bluecol also sell the concentrate (try your local factors). Remember it is PINK coloured.

[Greybeard]

German Swedish & French (GSF) or Trade Parts Specialists (TPS) are also good sources if you have them close by.

[Stevolution]

Apparently the correct spec is G12+ TL744F for VAG engines. Most long life coolants (red / orange) ive seen are TL744D which is the old spec (engine made before 2000 i think). Now this is the confusing part, it is not recomended to top up a cooling system filled with G12+ TL744F with G12 TL744D due to possible reaction, only plain/deionised water is recomended. Now this is the weird part, G12+ TL744F coolant CAN be used to top up a cooling system filled with G12 TL744D. Now how this is possible I dont know, i can see it from the point of veiw, dont mix old spec with new spec but TL744F G12+ coolant is designed for use to be mixed safely with the old spec G12.

Id say if you need to top up the coolant, then as long as its a red coolant of G12 spec then its safe to use altho its better to use G12+ as thats the recomendation.

What you must not do under any circumstance is mix the Red coolant with a blue/green coolant as this is where a gunge type subtance is made after a while that coats everything in the cooling path of the car and isnt good.

[rum4mo]

Stevolution, think about it, G12+ will exceed the spec of G12, so it is replacing it. Adding G12+ to G12 will always be okay as it (G12+) will have been designed to include this as one of the typical uses. But, the situation where anyone would need to add G12 to G12+ should never arise - ie there is no real need as to why this would ever need to happen - and convenience would never be considered to be a useful reason.Edit, remember any VAG outlet will sell this stuff - so don't just head for Skoda - use the one that is most convenient to get to as the price should be the same.

[giandougl]

G12 is diluted by water and have read somewhere, don't mix water with G12. Went to local NON-Skoda garage of many years and boss said mixture of water with G12 is used to set correct level of concentrate. Used a glass tube thingy gadget to check and verify it's concentrate level.

Its the mixture of other types of anti-freeze with G12 being the forbidden area, to avoid.

Edited 13 October, 2010 by giandougl

[gregoir]

The G12 bottle says 50/50 mix with water is OK for -36°C. Good enough for Buxton I think.

[mudyf0x]

my coolant is a greeny blue... whats going on here then ?

:(

[joelk2010]

I paid £8 for proper G12+ from the local skoda garage. Whats the point in trying to save a few £'s when it isnt all that expensive for the "official" stuff ?

[TissMe]

my coolant is a greeny blue... whats going on here then ?

:(

May be worth getting it checked

But G12 is pink , and G12+ is lilac

They can be mixed

G11 is the old blue one and that could not be mixed with the G12 , so G12+ was made , so that would solve all the problems

If yours is off colour , it may be worth getting it checked , head gasket is a problem that can effect the coolant colour , or if it requires a coolant chane

that IIRC is 6 years

All VAG`s use the G12+

I now work for the parts in a VW van centre , and they use the G12+ too

Sarah

[mudyf0x]

May be worth getting it checked

But G12 is pink , and G12+ is lilac

They can be mixed

G11 is the old blue one and that could not be mixed with the G12 , so G12+ was made , so that would solve all the problems

If yours is off colour , it may be worth getting it checked , head gasket is a problem that can effect the coolant colour , or if it requires a coolant chane

that IIRC is 6 years

All VAG`s use the G12+

I now work for the parts in a VW van centre , and they use the G12+ too

Sarah

thanks Sarah, Ill pop into my local SEAT garage today as its only a few doors up and see what they say .. hope there is nothing wrong with head gasket, go me worrying now lol

[fougs]

Hello,

Got a bottle of G12 concentrate from Morissons for £3.99 (from the garage), its probably cheaper elsewhere but if you cant be bothered etc.

Cheers

Callum

[Jim H]

I have found this pic on a passat forum that makes it clear about the colours.

Legend:

G11 green-blue

G12 red

G12+ and G12++ purple

Taken from here http://forum.vw-passat.pl/showthread.php?t=48192 (post #8)

The Purple stuff is newer (G12++ being the newest) and better than the red/pink G12 coolant.

You MUST NOT use the green/blue G11 stuff, as if you mix it they react and gunk up the system.

Edited 20 October, 2010 by Jim H

[martinch]

or if it requires a coolant change that IIRC is 6 years

Hi Sarah,

Don't suppose you'd know if that was a service bulletin, or if it's in the manual? I'd thought mine said that the G12 coolant was life-of-vehicle, and only non-G12 needed a change, but it wouldn't surprise me if I missed something...

[newskoda]

Blue, green, pink, purple these are just dyes to help identify coolants.

As a rule never mix longlife(4-5 year) pink/orange with blue/green as these tend to be the shorter 2 year life ones.

G12 can be mixed with G12+ and i'm pretty sure you could mix longlife coolant with this(any brand)

[TissMe]

No , you cant mix g11 with g12

I am sure the g12 , pink one was 6 years , I will check for you

But my fella seems to think it has a lifetime of 5 too

But if youo reploace the water pump , you have to drain the coolant out , so can be done then too

Sarah

[rum4mo]

I seem to remember the Ford coolant I used to replace the factory fill on my previous Ford cars was "for ever", same for the VX stuff I used with my VX Cav and same for any VAG stuff (G12 & G12+) I have needed to use since then. Car service and operator handbooks issued with VW from 2000 don't mention the need to change coolant.

But, as Sarah said, with so many people that care for their cars changing the water pump when the belt is changed, saving the old fluid and re-loading it should not be happening much I'm think - so most "4+" years old cars will be getting their coolant changed if it is required or not.

[xman]

All VAG coolants since G11 have been "lifetime" coolants. The problem is when they get diluted/contaminated by over enthusiastic owners. I have always found VAG cars settle with their coolant to just below the MIN mark (by up to 10mm) when cold. Instinct may say top it up to the MAX mark, but all that happens is the coolant expands when hot and is thrown out and settles back to the MIN mark. A lot of owners are likely to top up with plain water (which has a lot of dissolved air in it) or any old brand antifreeze as part of their weekly or monthly level check ritual - what happens is the coolant is diluted or contaminated over a period of a couple of years with regular input of dissolved fresh air and soon the corrosion/sludge starts.

Moral - unless its more than 15mm below the MIN mark - leave it alone. And ALWAYS use premixed (30%-50% G12++ with boiled or distilled water) coolant to top up to no more than the MIN mark - the MAX mark is where the coolant will be with a hot engine. Most users will never need to top up if you follow this.

VAG stopped selling G11 years ago. If you have a car with G11 (pre 1999 IIRC) you CAN top up with G12+ or G12++. Its the deadly combination of G11 and the original G12 that's a disaster - it produces a gel that is almost impossible to remove from the engine block.

Note that UK spec Skodas are supplied with 30% concentration coolant - the minimum necessary to provide long term corrosion protection. IIRC Scandinavian countries get 40%. It is not recommended to exceed 50% concentration as the cooling properties suffer. The best way to check the concentration is to check the specific gravity of the coolant (which is what a decent garage do with a hydrometer)

For what it costs, always use Genuine VAG G12++.

Edited 23 October, 2010 by xman

[Vagophile]

How important is it to use VAG G12 coolant, the handbook sounds like it is crucial but then it would....I just need to top up the coolant tank by a few mm as my coolant warning light keeps coming on every time I start in this cold weather and its getting on my nerves. Hopefully its just the level not the sensor.Would just a quick top-up with filtered water be OK, or do places like Halfords do VAG spec coolant, or is it off the stealers for a skoda labelled bottle?!

[Vagophile]

TeebsVRS - did you sort your problem? I have the same problem with mine, started last year, had the sensor changed, OK for 2 days, then back again. The problem stopped in the summer, now returned in the colder weather. I intended to top up with G12 mix, so found my way to this forum. Having read posts, I'm sure that the warning is a malfunction and has nothing to do with the present coolant level which in any case is just above the minimum mark. The warning light only comes on after the first cold start, after warming up it doesn't happen.

I know this post is slightly off topic but being a newbie I hope to get away with it!

If I don't, can I start a new topic on the subject of malfunctioning warning lights?