99 Jetta Coolant leak due to repair shop mistake

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ewb4arch - 12 May 2007 03:50 GMT

A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
restart due to a coolant leak. Fortunately it turned out to be a
cracked fitting and nothing too major. Car even runs fine now once it
cooled down and the coolant was filled back up.
Unfortunately the repair place did not get the lowest 90 deg elbow
fitting (the one you use to drain the system) seated properly. Tonight
it finally blew loose and once again the car stalled due to
overheating. After much trouble, I reseated the fitting properly and
filled the car up with coolant. The trouble is, all I had available
was the green stuff. Two questions for you:

1)Should I have the system drained and flushed and the coolant
replaced with the proper VW spec coolant

2)Do you think I should insist the repair place do it for me at no
cost? (and check this same fitting after he's done?)

I've drained the coolant myself last summer and know that the fitting
in question is a nightmare to get back on properly due to the water
pump bracket getting in the way.
Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
EWB

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al - 12 May 2007 10:03 GMT

> A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
> recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> Thanks,
> EWB

If they are not confident in putting the fitting back correctly, they always
can remove the pump housing for easier access to that fitting (thermostat
housing)...
al.

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dave AKA vwdoc1 - 12 May 2007 12:10 GMT

Definitely tell that shop about it and see what they say.
Now are you sure that they even touched that lowest 90 deg elbow fitting
(the one you use to drain the system)?

You can just do it yourself!

http://www.blauparts.com/vw/vw_fluid/vw_coolant_engine_fluid.shtml

BTW why is the driver letting it overheat so badly that it stops running?
The warning light should come on first when the coolant level drops if it is
working correctly.
Are you sure that there is not more wrong with the engine like a bad
cylinder head gasket or warped cylinder head?

JMHO

Signature

later,
dave
(One out of many daves)

>A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
> recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> Thanks,
> EWB

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Lost In Space/Woodchuck - 12 May 2007 12:18 GMT

you got a mess now, should have just used water until you could put the
correct stuff in. the issue G12 & G11 coolant don't mix. Get the correct
stuff, remove hoses from heater core and flush, along with the rest of the
system. And as for the OEM elbow... replace it as they have a habit of
leaking once removed.

>A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
> recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> Thanks,
> EWB

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none2u - 12 May 2007 23:49 GMT

> you got a mess now, should have just used water until you could put the
> correct stuff in. the issue G12 & G11 coolant don't mix. Get the correct
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>> Id do it myself, flush the system by running water in it , and letting it
>> drain. And fix it. Id go elsewhere for service.

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ewb4arch - 23 May 2007 18:41 GMT

OP here with a follow-up.

After speaking with the shop, my confedence in them has slipped
further. He basically refused to take responsiblity for the fitting
coming loose. That fitting has the "U" shaped metal retaining clip. I
can't imagine it working loose had it been installed properly.

I ended up taking saturday to drain and flush the system. After
running water through it three times, it no longer came out green. It
was sort of a cloudy grey. It didn't appear to be oil, but I don't
know what else it might be. Any ideas? Should it be a concern?

Another concern is that the cooling fans didn't kick on until I turned
the car off. Is that normal? I let the thing run for almost 30 minutes
and the thermostat was pushing 230...still no fan...but the instant I
shut the engine off, they immediately kicked on.

My wife's been the driver when it's quit running due to coolant loss/
overheating. She claims it was a sudden failure with no warning from
the temp light or thermostat.

EWB

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dave AKA vwdoc1 - 24 May 2007 05:05 GMT

Well if they did not touch that fitting then they might be right! ;-)

I would say disconnect the hoses going into the oil cooler and connect them
to each other thereby bypassing the oil cooler. Start up engine after you
fill it up the cooling system with water and examine the oil cooler coolant
pipes for oil coming out.
The oil coolers can internally rupture and leak oil into the coolant system.
UGLY and I have pictures to show that it is! ;-)

I think that 'Lost In Space' told me to use Dawn while cleaning out the oil
in the cooling system.
Water + Dawn + running engine + extra flushings with plain water = Clean
system.

It worked fantastically and it has been 2 years so far and that vehicle is
doing fine. <g>

Signature

later,
dave
(One out of many daves)

> OP here with a follow-up.
>
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> EWB

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