1.4 BBZ/AUB Coolant

[Lordnikon]

Is there just a coolant drain on the rad of these engines to drop the coolant ?? Dont want to take the bumper off to epic disappointment lol

[RUM4MO]

Sorry to reply with a question, but why do you want to drain the coolant - is it to replace it? If so I'd reckon that stuff is for life - which probably normally means for the life of the waterpump which is best replaced with an exchange one when replacing the cambelt every 4 yours or 60,000 miles.

[Lordnikon]

Yes its to replace it, and anyone that leaves coolant in for 60000 miles no matter who tells them is mad. Changed every 2 years for all and every one of my cars. For the sake of 30mins and £15 worth of coolant its not a big deal tbh - just dont want to mess around removing the bumper to find nothing there

[RUM4MO]

Each to their own, but I will stick with my previous reply to this thread and say that as far as I knew, vast leaps and bounds have been made in the "design" of engine coolant additives, and the "for life" has been checked out. Haynes, of course, is "supported" by Castrol I think, and by default supports your theory and tell people to get out there and dump the coolant and reload with a Castrol product after a couple of years, as I said (I think), even a 1994 Ford (or earlier) had "for life" coolant - and the internals of the water jacket seemed okay - and these engine had aluminium top sand cast iron bottoms. Actually these Fords also tended to need new cambelts after 60,000+ miles and on the 1994 one I didn't change the waterpump - but within 9 months it fell apart (leaked at bearing) when I did as you suggested - ie replaced the coolant - that was not the cause just a result of back flushing and running with clean water to "rinse it out " and washed out so crap that was sealing the wearing out front seal - pump would obviously have failed around this time anyway, but I prompted it. So it just shows that changing the water pump with the cambelt has always been a good idea.

[ihpj]

The filled for life bit is the first I have heard, and on this Forum. I will bow to the greater and better knowledge of contributors here...however, VW still recommend a coolant change every 4 years and is part of the service schedule (well was on my Mother's 9N). Consequently, this was replaced at the 4 year mark (as well as a whole bunch of other things) as per recommendation.

To my mind, whether filled for life or not, coolant change can be around £40 (all inc.) at your Dealer (less at an Indy) and for peace of mind, it is a small price to pay to avoid engine over heating IMHO.

[RUM4MO]

The filled for life bit is the first I have heard, and on this Forum. I will bow to the greater and better knowledge of contributors here...however, VW still recommend a coolant change every 4 years and is part of the service schedule (well was on my Mother's 9N). Consequently, this was replaced at the 4 year mark (as well as a whole bunch of other things) as per recommendation.

To my mind, whether filled for life or not, coolant change can be around £40 (all inc.) at your Dealer (less at an Indy) and for peace of mind, it is a small price to pay to avoid engine over heating IMHO.

I'll take your comment on "VW recommend a coolant change every 4 years and is part of the service schedule" and check my wife's service schedule document.

I would never try to stop someone making extra unecessary fluid changes - I'm sure that I'm a bit OTT there myself, I was just trying to stop anyone panicing and getting their coolant changed NOW on the strength of a posting here - ie I was just trying to correct what I knew was a wrong definative statement.

[RUM4MO]

Following on from what has been said already, I've now looked in the "service schedule" for my wife's MY2003 Polo 9N - document issued 03/2001, and can't find any referance to replacing the engine coolant - any where. Also, I've just looked on the info on the G12 bottle and it says "suitable for filled for life systems" - exactly the same as is written a G12 PLUS bottle of coolant concentrate (newer version of G12).

I would have thought that a VW garage suggesting that the coolant was changed at 4 years is just being a bit enterprising (generating revenue) - but as I said already, by 4 years the cambelt(s) should have been replaced along with lots of other things like bolts and tensioners and idlers - and most indie VAG specialists would advice replacing the waterpump to avoid another costly strip down at 5,6, or 7 years - but strangely VW would dispute that there is a need to replace the water pump before it fails - during a cam belt change, only about an extra 0.5>1.0 hours labour is required plus the £25+ for a VAG exchange water pump - oh and the coolant that got replaced anyway in your case - no garage would ever bother to re-use removed coolant. Replacing the water pump when it failed between cam belt changes would cost as much as a cam belt change and most garages would include changing the cam belt early to save yet more expense.

[RUM4MO]

Yes its to replace it, and anyone that leaves coolant in for 60000 miles no matter who tells them is mad. Changed every 2 years for all and every one of my cars. For the sake of 30mins and £15 worth of coolant its not a big deal tbh - just dont want to mess around removing the bumper to find nothing there

I'm sorry but I've miss quoted Haynes earlier - what Haynes says is "if the coolant is not the recommended VW coolant, then it should be replaced at the specified intervals". Also, there might be a drain "tap" fitted to these cars - "jack up and support front, remove undertray, the coolant drain plug is located in the bottom hose fitting to the left-hand bottom end of the radiator. Unscrew the drain plug and pull it out slightly (there is no need to remove it completely). Where no drain outlet is fitted to the hose end fitting, remove the retaining clip and disconnect the bottom hose from the radiator", I'd think that that means that you ease back the retaining clip but do not remove it completely either.

[Lordnikon]

Just to close this off they do indeed have a drain tap on the lower left of the rad when you remove the front bumper. 20 minute job all in

Thanks for the info

[Greendon]

The junction the drain plug is in - Mine's leaking around the joint to the radiator (not the drain plug). Looks like an easy replacement, but whats the typical failure mode? Do these work like a push fit domestic water drain pipe, with a rubber sealing ring, then the metal clip just hold it in position? I have the pinkish residue on the rad hose spigot as if its coming out past the seal. Is there a chance the radiator spigot has developed a crack?

Thanks - Greendon