Leaking Coolant Resolved?

[Loz]

Have you had a leaking coolant issue resolved?

Please use the poll to tell us what was the cause.

If your resolution is not listed please add a reply and we'll add it to the list.
Please not discuss you issues in this thread (they will get deleted, start a new topic in the appropriate area)

 

[Loz]

Hi @Loz, I’ve put ‘other’ because it’s actually the gasket between the cooler and valve that is leaking. Not had it replaced yet. It takes about 3 months for the header tank to lose 1cm of coolant.

Added thanks

 

[Nick Fox]

Just had a coolant leak resolved by Brookspeed Ltd in Eastleigh, Southampton.
It was the water pump.
Also had the timing belt and tensioner replaced and also another idler that was squeaking.
£660 all in
Really happy with the service, and they took the time to explain the work in detail.

2016 T6
85k miles

 

[JunglieD]

Just added my vote to the 'Charge Air Cooler' list for my 2017 T6 with 61.5k miles (California Ocean). For record, my symptoms/steps-taken were:

- Summer 2023 on return from 3-week high mileage Euro Tour - low coolant light comes 'on' for the first time. Caption clears when topped up above 'min'
- Sep through Nov 2023: 2 more recurrences of low coolant. Usage was light in this period (90 miles pw with no single drive >30-mins)
- Nov 2023: Breeze Poole inspect during MOT/service but no visible coolant leaks seen
- Dec through Jan 2023: Possibly even lower usage due to festive break etc. Light comes on one more time
- Jan 2023: Hand van over to V-Tech Automotive in Salisbury for an investigation (1hr - £90 well spent as they ruled out EGR system by pressure test - so that wasn't at fault (phew - £1300 repair avoided) but carried on investigation to find signs of coolant in the Charge Cooler which clearly shouldn't be there. Parts and labour £672.50.
- Problem solved

 

[Ed_T]

Mine is (hopefully) now resolved ... he says cautiously as it has only been 1 week so far. Coolant was going down from max to min in about 150 miles. Pressure test was fine. Charge cooler was changed first as it was very wet in the pipes around it (£1k cost for diagnosis time and charge cooler supply and fit). No real difference so it went back in 2 weeks later for the EGR cooler. Another £1.5k cost (cost was agreed up front but garage said it ended up taking 10 hours labour (which is more than he expected)... apparently the removing pipework for the DSG gearbox added time on vs working on a manual).. they reckon they will quote higher next time one comes in needing it done.

Coolant went down quickly when I initially got the van back, but this seems to have just been the system settling and the air being pushed through to the expansion tank. After 24 hours (maybe 50-75 miles) it seemed to settle with no further drop in the coolant level in the past week (driven around 250-300 miles).

 

[Dm85]

Mine is (hopefully) now resolved ... he says cautiously as it has only been 1 week so far. Coolant was going down from max to min in about 150 miles. Pressure test was fine. Charge cooler was changed first as it was very wet in the pipes around it (£1k cost for diagnosis time and charge cooler supply and fit). No real difference so it went back in 2 weeks later for the EGR cooler. Another £1.5k cost (cost was agreed up front but garage said it ended up taking 10 hours labour (which is more than he expected)... apparently the removing pipework for the DSG gearbox added time on vs working on a manual).. they reckon they will quote higher next time one comes in needing it done.

Coolant went down quickly when I initially got the van back, but this seems to have just been the system settling and the air being pushed through to the expansion tank. After 24 hours (maybe 50-75 miles) it seemed to settle with no further drop in the coolant level in the past week (driven around 250-300 miles).

Thing is there’s the charge cooler inlet pipe to the manifold and the EGR cooler pipe to manifold. So it should not have been a part swapping experience imo, plus there has been so may EGR coolers that have failed due to the extreme heat and cooling they are put under, and that should have been flagged first. Pretty sure it’s just a flow and return feed to the DSG and easy to get to you can see it just above the gear box. Sounds like they didn’t have the experience

 

[Ric1962]

Glad I found this thread. Took my camper (2019, 150bhp, manual) to a VAG main dealer last week for an engine software upgrade. This was done under the camper van suppliers warranty as I have only had the vehicle about 11 weeks and was part of their attempts to resolve a yellow EML issue. Anyway, as part of the service the VAG dealer did a "health check". Sure enough, they found two more issues, firstly the power steering fluid needed topping up, despite allegedly having been checked by the camper supplier on the PDI, and secondly the report said the "vehicle coolant is low, investigation required, possible EGR valve"

Now, im no mechanic, far from it, but I was scratching my head trying to work out how the coolant system, which I thought was a sealed system, could be related to or even come into contact with, the Exhaust Gas system. Now that I've seen it listed above as one of a list of possible causes, I feel a bit more at ease. I did think for a minute that the VAG dealer was trying to nick some more work to be carried out and paid for via the suppliers warranty as they mentioned "up selling the issue" to the camper supplier!

Maybe any techs on the forum could explain, in lay-mans terms how one affects the other and what any possible causes and cures there maybe, or if there maybe anything else to look out for if indeed the ERG valve / system turns out to be faulty?

Cheers in advance all,

Rick.

 

[Dm85]

Egr cooler has coolant one side and exhaust gases the other. So if the barrier fails you’ll get coolant going into the air intake

 

[Ric1962]

Cheers Dm85 for explaining that. Hopefully that won’t be the cause but there is obviously a leak somewhere in the system. Hopefully the camper van supplier’s workshops will identify and rectify it! Hopefully.
That’s a lot of “hopefully”!