Coolant system malfunction?

[ciaranm]

Hi Guys,

Not a great start to my Scirocco ownership. Only had the car 5 weeks and already I'm getting warning lights, but I hope someone can put my mind at ease and tell me it's nothing serious!

The car is a 2010 2.0 TSi GT
Got in it this morning to go to work, started it up and noticed a red light flashing. Took the owners manual out and read that it was the Coolant system light. According to the manual, If the light is flashing this indicates a coolant system malfunction and indicates to "use expert assistance". So I turned the engine off to go back inside to get the girlfriends car instead but before I did I thought I would try starting the car up again to see if the light was still on. This time it didnt come on, so I cautiously drove to work and kept a close eye on the temp gauge, which didnt go above 90.

So, come 5.30 I get in the car to go home from work, start it up, no light. But 30 seconds down the road, the bloody thing came on again and starts flashing, so I pulled over, turned the engine off, and then back on again straight away and the light had gone out, so again I drove cautiously home, keeping a close eye on the temp, which again didnt go above 90.

So I am now at home, waiting for the engine to cool down so I can check the coolant level and have a look about but I honestly wouldnt even know what I'm looking for.
Can anyone shed any light on this issue please? The car is driving fine.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am worried I am doing damage by driving the car, but I need it to get to work and back.

[Cuprabob]

Sometimes on VAG cars the coolant level sensor in the coolant reservoir can play up. It's 2 metal prongs that stick into the coolant but can only be replaced by buying a new coolant reservoir. Long time since I bought one but I guess they would be around £35 now.

First thing to check, when the car is stone cold, is that the coolant level is above minimum. If not, top up with a 50:50 mix of water and G13 or G12++. If it's only a small amount you can just add neat G13 or G12++.

Other thing to note is the temp guage is corrected to display 90 when the actual temp is between 75 and 105.

[ciaranm]

Thanks man! Appreciate the advice. I checked the level of the coolant and it was just below minimum so I'm going to top it up today and keep an eye on it. IS it normal for the temp light to flash to indicate low coolant level. Seems a bit dramatic. I would've thought a check coolant level light would be more appropriate than a "coolant system malfunction" light!

The car supposedly had a major service before I bought it so I would assume the coolant would have been topped up then. In which case, it shouldn't have lost so much in the 5 weeks I've owned it.

[Gaz r]

You need to top it up to the black line above the min arrow. I would then take it for bit of a blast and get it up to temperature. Then with the engine still running pull over somewhere and pop the bonnet. If there is a leak you may be able to see it or at least see coolant in the engine bay. Chances are if it has a leak you will able to see it when the system is pressurised and under load. Maybe get someone to apply some revs too.
With it losing that much it probably points to a leak somewhere. The water pump can be an issue on these engines and is situated at the front of the engine under the inlet manifold.
Keep an eye on it, if it gets too low it can cause other problems.

[Billc]

The fact it was "supposed" to have a service before collection is no guarantee that it actually had one nor that it was done 100%!

[ciaranm]

I filled the coolant back up. Took the car for a spin to get it up to normal operating temp. Pulled over, popped the bonnet but couldn't see any signs of any leaks.
Checked the coolant level this morning before I left to go to work and it does look like it has dropped slightly since last night. I couldn't see any stains on the ground or in the engine bay so I'm not sure what's going on?
The light hasn't came on again since I topped the coolant up but it does appear the car is using more coolant than it should.
What do I need to look for in the water pump @Gaz r? I have zero mechanical knowledge, so I need an idiots guide here lol

[Gaz r]

The water pump is on the front right side of the engine under the inlet manifold. Check this area in case the pump is the culprit. If the leak is very small it may only leak when being driven, with the engine under load. If you can check the engine when it's dark with a torch that will make spotting a leak easier.
If it's still losing coolant and you can't find a leak take it back to the dealer. A mechanic can pressure test the system simulating the coolant system being under load. This should show any leaks.
Good luck getting to the bottom of it.

[ciaranm]

Thanks mate. So you're saying to check if the water pump is leaking? Sorry, I thought you meant to check if the coolant tank was leaking.
If the water pump is leaking, is this likely to be an expensive repair?
Cheers for your help mate! appreciate it!

[skippy]

My car needed a replacement water pump when it was much newer. Mine is a 2009 and I started getting the 'low coolant' message on the MFD.

The leak was so slow I could not locate the source, but I did detect an accumulation of anti freeze gathering on the undertray.

I took it to the dealer (this was back in 2010) who pressure tested it and confirmed the problem.

Luckily the car was under warranty so they replaced the pump and associated hoses for me.

Good luck with it, my bet is that it's the same thing.

[ciaranm]

Thanks Skippy, do you know what the repair bill was?

[skippy]

Hi Ciaran,

Well - as mine was under warranty luckily it did not cost me anything, this was when my car was only 18 months old and only had 7K miles on it. I am sure the Service guy said it would have cost £300-£400 if it wasn't under warranty, as I say, this was back in 2010.

I needed a torch to locate the water leak, as I mentioned, I could only see it accumulating on the undertray.

I would take it back to the dealer (this is assuming you have some kind of garage warranty on it), or perhaps a VW independent can look at it. There is a little more info here, (http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... nt#p151695" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) but I suspect you may have already seen this.

Good luck with it, I hope it does not cost too much to sort, but keep a close eye on the level in the meantime!

[ciaranm]

Thanks Skippy, that's very helpful.
I'll keep a close eye on the level. I have the car booked in for Tuesday to get the gearbox serviced so I'll say to them to check for any leaks.
I bought the car from a dealership in Luton, but I'm based in Northern Ireland so I cant bring it back to them, but I did get a 6 month warranty so hopefully that will cover any repair costs.
I'll update when I know more.
Cheers for the advice.

[skippy]

No worries Ciaran,

That's good, at least you do have warranty with your car. They should cover this as it has been seen a few times previously.

[ciaranm]

Just a quick update. Got the car back yesterday after having the DSG serviced and parking sensors fixed. They couldnt find any leaks in the cooling system and the level doesnt seem to have dropped in a few days, so all seems good.
Now to start modifying it!

[ciaranm]

Just another update on this for anyone that has or may have a similar issue in the future.
The car was still losing coolant. I was having to top it up every few days so I brought it back to the garage, who discovered the water pump was done. So one new water pump later and I'm back in action and as a bonus the warranty company paid for it all.

[BiotecVirus]

Had exactly the same thing happen to mine a few months back, thought abit more dramatically as the water pump decided to explode dumping my coolent all over the road. Least your was covered by warrenty as mine cost be £400 to put right which was far better than the £1800 VW wanted!