Timeline for Water temperature randomly drops while car is in motion (VW Golf Mk6)
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
12 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 15, 2022 at 10:48 | comment | added | fraxinus | In regard to the coolant lifespan: manuals usually state years or kilometers/miles, whatever comes first. The main aging path of the coolant is oxidation (direct or microorganism-related) that converts glycols into acids. When the pH buffer capacity of the coolant is expended, free acids build up and corrosion starts. Shelf life in an airtight container and without direct sunlight is probably decades. | |
| Feb 15, 2022 at 10:40 | comment | added | fraxinus | @Vikki Whatever is released through the valve should return back after cooling down. If it doesn't, there is either oil or exhaust gas in the cooling system. Both are expensive to fix. A minor leak, OTOH, is something one can either live with (topping up periodically) or fix by replacing a cheap clamp or hose or even a radiator (still cheaper than the engine rebuild). | |
| Feb 15, 2022 at 9:18 | comment | added | Vikki | @fraxinus: Pedant here - is the coolant lifespan 5 years period, or 5 years in use? | |
| Feb 15, 2022 at 9:15 | comment | added | Vikki | Why does too much coolant produce more expensive problems than too little? One would think that coolant overflowing through the relief valves would be less expensive than the engine block melting from inadequate cooling. | |
| Feb 15, 2022 at 8:13 | vote | accept | YourAverageDeveloper | ||
| Feb 15, 2022 at 8:10 | comment | added | YourAverageDeveloper | Thanks for the clarification! I think I'll take the car in to a mechanic and have them purge my coolant system and put in fresh coolant. Hopefully this will fix the issue. If it doesen't, I know for sure that it's most likely the thermostat (according to you and @Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2). | |
| Feb 14, 2022 at 21:10 | comment | added | fraxinus | I think you are somewhat overdue, but check your manual. I am not aware of any coolant type that is guaranteed for 10 years. The service interval for the factory coolant is likely 5 years and the previous owner has no reason to do anything about it for their 4 years of maintenance. | |
| Feb 14, 2022 at 20:24 | comment | added | YourAverageDeveloper | The coolant level is at 'max' ; its color is roughly the same as that of new coolant (it has a bright violet-pink colour). I've bought the car back in November 2015 and never done a coolant flush. I only added more coolant as necessary (I checked the coolant every 6 months or so and added more if I ever saw it drop below the 'min' mark). My car uses a mixture of coolant and water, and I had a mechanic check that the water-coolant proportions were appropiate (I think it's 1 part coolant to 1 part water, so 50/50), and they were fine. Maybe I'm overdue for a coolant flush ? | |
| Feb 14, 2022 at 15:14 | comment | added | fraxinus | How old is your coolant? I expanded my answer. | |
| Feb 14, 2022 at 15:10 | history | edited | fraxinus | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
expanded
|
| Feb 14, 2022 at 12:58 | comment | added | YourAverageDeveloper | About the ECU: my car is affected by the Dieselgate scandal, and I had the Dieselgate fix done by a VW dealership a few months after the car started having the water temperature issue. The fix for the 2.0 TDI engine in Europe is an ECU update. Since then, a few months have passed, and the issue is still there (I have not seen any change after the ECU update). Thus, I doubt that it's the ECU (that, or VW knew about the problem and didn't bother fixing it). | |
| Feb 14, 2022 at 11:31 | history | answered | fraxinus | CC BY-SA 4.0 |