Coolant leaks ('05 2.0 FSI) (Sydney)

[mk5 golf]

Hi, I just bought a mk5 golf 2.0 FSI tiptronic this week, knowing that there is a minor leak under the car. The prepurchase inspection report says "repair coolant leaks from the back of the engine block head gasket base - can be common for this model and coolant can be seen dribbling down the back of the number 4 cylinder with dribbling down to bell housing areas; readily visible underside with raised up; quite serious over time."

The temperature gauge and coolant level are normal at the moment and the previous owner told me he didn't have to top up the coolant and didn't notice any temp. change since his last service last year. The car had 45000km on the clock and had always been serviced by a vw service. Since the factory warranty expired last year without the extended warranty, I thought I might just have the 45k service done by someone else. So I contacted Lube Mobile to get a written quote on the leak problem and 45k service. The guy from there told me he wouldn't worry about it if it were his car until the leak gets serious like when engine temp goes past a certain point on gauge or if there is a marked change in coolant level. He said changing the head gasket would cost around $2000 and would not do it until the leak becomes more prominent. I did ask him if it would be too late then as it might have also affected other parts but he just told me to watch out for temp change and check coolant level regularly.

He did look around engine bay but didn't even get under the car. I don't know anything about cars but I got the impression he wasn't very thorough. Now that I see some marks on the ground under the car I am really worried and want to get this fixed as soon as possible. So I was wondering if Lube Mobile is reliable for basic maintenance service and fixing this leak problem. I liked the fact that they are employees of a big company and I will be able to watch closely and ask questions as they are working on my car. They also offer 12 month warranty on parts and labour.

Also, what sort of engine oil should I get for my car? I read a couple of threads on this but they only covered GTI and TDI models. I've checked the owner's manual and it just says vw 503.00 in technical data booklet. Would any brand be ok as long as they meet this vw 503.00 standard?

Thanks in advance for any advice/info.

[neil]

What area in Sydney are you in.
It will help other members advice you on who to take the car to.

[mk5 golf]

What area in Sydney are you in.
It will help other members advice you on who to take the car to.

I live around Burwood. So is Lube Mobile not reliable for general servicing?

[gregozedobe]

Many people on here prefer to have someone who is more familar with the specific quirks and special requirements of VWs, it can save money and avoid problems over the long term. There are quite a few reputable independents around who specialise in VAG vehicles.

[Blitzen]

I live around Burwood. So is Lube Mobile not reliable for general servicing?

Not saying they are not good to use, but I wouldn't use them. If not using dealer servicing, look at a VW or German/European vehicle specialist. Thats what I do, or I service it myself(but I am a Mechanic).
To detect where the leak is, go to someone you trust(where did you get your previous cars serviced??), and get them to but a cooling system pressure tester on the radiator cap, and get them tto pressure test the radiator and cooling system. This will show up definatly where the leak/leaks are. Its a quick job to do, and will show if there is a pressure leak in the system.

[Rileyowner]

My 07 Jetta TDI has just returned from the stealer for the fifth time to fix a coolant loss issue present from day 1.

The first four times they fiddled with hose connections and this time they seem to be implying it's my imagination. Despite everything, they still do not seem prepared to admit that there is an underlying continuous coolant loss issue

I'm now losing just under half a litre of coolant between oil changes and the stealer implied: "Some cars lose coolant like others use oil - get used to it."

What absolute crap! My response was: "I'd rather my car used oil rather than coolant any day of the week". My wife has a Mitsubishi Colt and my son a Corolla, neither of which uses ANY coolant. For Ch***t's sake my Landrover Discovery TDI didn't even use coolant unless there was an obvious leak.

When I suggested the leak might be via somewhere else such as the cylinder head, the stealer Service Manager said it would show up as deposits on the spark plugs. In a diesel?

I have asked VWA repeatedly to state whether coolant loss is normal with 2.0litre TDIs (and if so, how much?) and so far they have not come up with any definitive statement - or any statement at all really.

[Blitzen]

When I suggested the leak might be via somewhere else such as the cylinder head, the stealer Service Manager said it would show up as deposits on the spark plugs. In a diesel?

Hahahahahah...What a douche...I hope you set him straight!!

[neil]

Hahahahahah...What a douche...I hope you set him straight!!

Yeah.

I think if they say something like that, it's time to move on.

[Vdubya]

I think dealerships really underestimate the intelligence of the general public.

When i was shopping around for a GTI, i noticed one had a hole in the back of the car (bumper), which i imagined a result of the previous owner fitting a towbar.

Asked if i was interested in the car could the bumper be replaced, under warranty before purchase, as that gaping hole was ugly.

His answer was the hole is factory specifications as a result of the turbo.

Needless to say i just left and sought business elsewhere. To be honest, i had complaints of dealership service with my previous mazda, but Volkswagen overall has been a nightmare.

[mk5 golf]

Many people on here prefer to have someone who is more familar with the specific quirks and special requirements of VWs, it can save money and avoid problems over the long term. There are quite a few reputable independents around who specialise in VAG vehicles.

Thanks for the advice. I could imagine letting different people touch my car shouldn't be good in the long term. So I've searched on the net a bit and found one close by. Have you or has anyone heard of Eurotech Automotive? I've just spoken to a guy there and I was quoted $280 for a minor service and ~$500 for a major service. He told me he has to have a look at the car and logbook to see if it needs a minor/major service. It is a bit cheaper than what I was told by the previous owner but I was wondering how much other places charge.

[mk5 golf]

Not saying they are not good to use, but I wouldn't use them. If not using dealer servicing, look at a VW or German/European vehicle specialist. Thats what I do, or I service it myself(but I am a Mechanic).
To detect where the leak is, go to someone you trust(where did you get your previous cars serviced??), and get them to but a cooling system pressure tester on the radiator cap, and get them tto pressure test the radiator and cooling system. This will show up definatly where the leak/leaks are. Its a quick job to do, and will show if there is a pressure leak in the system.

Thanks for the advice. I've seen that being done on my previous car. I will probably ask the mechanic at Eurotech to do it when I get my car serviced.

[hienous]

Hi, I bought my 2005 golf fsi in feb and had a very similar problem. It was ok the first week but after that the coolant warning light would go on once or twice a week and I had to top up my coolant. My local mechanic found a leak apparently in the "thermostat housing" and it was just above the head gasket so it looked like a head gasket leak. Cost me about $500 to fix, $165 of it in parts, rest in labor. When I bought it, I did the usual checks for head gasket leak: ie check oil filler cap for gray crap, and check for white smoke in the exhaust and there was none so I would've been really pissed if it was a head gasket leak. It may be you have the same problem as mine. Just a thought.

[mk5 golf]

btw from your experience would a water pump be something that needs replacement at this km (46k). I just hope it's not the head gasket.

[hienous]

I'm not a mechanic but I think I'm reasonably mechanically minded to be able to rule out problems using just common sense and logic based on what limited knowledge I know. Just think of the possible places that it might leak from and put forward what would happen if that was the cause of the problem- what symptoms would you see on your car (I have a health background!). If your waterpump was on the way out, I would guess you would have at least some overheating- ie, the needle would be nudging towards hot even with the car full of coolant- because the water is not being circulated well enough.

[hienous]

and 46k is not very high at all. so no, I don't think it is past it's the use-by km. But if it is, then it would probably be a defect in that part.