G12 coolant smelling like paint thinner

[SlowDriver]

Hello everyone,

My Polo's water pump was replaced by VW 2 weeks ago due a leak.

Seems like another leak has developed as coolant level is dropping rapidly again, worst still the coolant smells like paint thinner!

I remembered G12 coolant as having a similar smell to normal green coolant, I really wonder how the smell turned into one that is similar to paint thinner and whether it has got anything to do with the suspected second leak.

[Umai Naa!!]

It is normal for the coolant level to drop a bit after major work to the cooling system. Your dealership may or may not have mentioned this to you when you picked the car up.

Have you topped it up again since the water pump was replaced?

[SlowDriver]

What I'm really worried about is the coolant smelling like paint thinnner.

Also, the coolant inside the expansion tank looks and feels very oily.

[gavs]

Normally, that really isn't a good sign, generally a tell-tale of a leak in a head gasket but with these fancy new coolants, I couldn't tell you for sure...

[Transporter]

It doesn't have to be the head gasket, there is more than 1 way how the oil can enter the cooling system. Just wipe it out or suck it out and see if it re-appears. It could be just a residue from when they chnged the w.pump.