Cupra 290 coolant

[kevp2518]

Hi all

I've got a 2019 cupra 290 and recent the coolant has just hit the min line, done about 13000 miles in the first year of owning the car.
Went to a seat garage who sold me the g12 coolant which is purple.
The expansion bottle says g13 and the coolant in there is orange. Seat garage say that's the only one they sell and that it's fine to mix the two. Am I right to be hesitant?
Must say its not my local seat as I'm away from home atm

Thanks in advanced

 

[kevp2518]

Added note it appears they have provided me with the g12 evo which is a new variant

 

[Loadmaster748]

Added note it appears they have provided me with the g12 evo which is a new variant

So, all ok then?

 

[Damo H]

There are various G12’s that G13 replaces. But it seems that the more recent cars now come with the G12 Evo that superceeds the G13.

basically you can mix G12 and G13, but it will only perform as well as the lowest performing fluid. Or so the manual says.

 

[RUM4MO]

Is this where the silicate bags come in, ie G12evo needs its silicate levels boosted while in service - whereas G12, G12+, G12++ and G13 did not?

Has anyone stopped the evolution from G11 or G12 up to G13 and then onwards to G12evo so that we can fully understand what is going on here?

I'm sure that I've seen a G11 > G13 breakdown of what and why etc, but so far never included G12evo, there must be info out there somewhere other than the manufacturers of the basic additive - as it is that that changes from G13 > G12evo.

Edit:- so far I've topped up my older daughter's May 2019 Leon Cupra 290 with G13 twice so hopefully it will not need any more, both my 2011 S4 and wife's 2015 Polo 1.2TSI have never ever needed any coolant added from new.

 

[kevp2518]

So doing some research I found an audio doc that shows that G13 and G12evo can be mixed but slightly reduces the corrosion protection.
I had to add it as I was about 2 cm under the min line and it kept coming up with the warning sign. All seems fine now. Due an oil change soon so will get them to drain and refill with an unmixed solution then

 

[RUM4MO]

What I am interested in finding out is, why has a newer version of coolant additive been launched - that has reduced protection for some alloys in the cooling system?
Now a change of service plan to include a reduced or defined service life for coolant in VAG cars if okay/fine by me, but VAG really do need to bring that to the motoring public's attention.
One thing that annoys or slightly worries me, is that if G12, G12+, G12++,G13 did not give the protection to some alloys that VAG initially thought they would, and this change to G12evo in newer cars solves that issue - I know that this lack/loss of protection to some alloys is only occurring on engines frequently being subjected to extremely but tolerable heat loads - then tell us, though disclosure of bad/negative news does not seem to be VAG's way of doing things.
The only info, so far, that I've discovered is, that the one or two producers of the base coolant concentrate, have changed the chemistry in a bid to reduce environmental impact during the production phase - which is good or fair enough, but that is only good or fair enough for future car deliveries, older models still need to get supplied with a suitable coolant additive or as I suggested, they get replaced by this newer version and a change to the service use/life is then applied.
Also where does this leave the "mit silikat" or no comments about silcate granules?

 

[Damo H]

What I am interested in finding out is, why has a newer version of coolant additive been launched - that has reduced protection for some alloys in the cooling system?

Where have you found this out? I can still get hold of G13 for my older none GPF engine.

 

[RUM4MO]

Where have you found this out? I can still get hold of G13 for my older none GPF engine.

Really just based that on someone in this thread (?) being told that going forward it will only be G12evo that is stocked, and that mixing older coolant with newer coolant will reduce system protection - the inference being, something has changed to reduce corrosion protection probably with the newest coolant which is G12evo.

I'm just a bit concerned and trying to tie up all the loose ends that have come about with the introduction of G12evo.

If in fact each evolution of VW Group coolant meant "better" and "better" then there will be no worries, but bothering to evolve G12++ into G13 and then into G12evo does indicate that we can't assume too much when there are also comments like "when mixed will provide reduced corrosion protection" and then there is the "mit silikat" or not issue.

 

[Woody_72]

Coolant for these cars is a minefield, every parts website gives different advice. Mine came filled with pink, which is G12+, so that's what I use whenever I need any .

 

[RUM4MO]

I've always considered that the only way that you can work out which version of coolant a car left the factory with was by going with the VW Group official information on when each marque started using the next version at the factory. The coolant reservoir marking will mean not much as I suspect that VW Group loaded their stores with say G12 and only started using the ones with G12+ etc etc after the factory stock was depleted and the next version were started from stock.

There is probably nothing wrong if you really have G12+ to keep using it to top up the system, if replacing it, is there any good reason to stick with that or move to G12evo, I'd doubt it. G13 does seem to be "marmite" version as even VW Group gave up on it even after adding these "crafty" silicate pouches to some engine types, but only at the factory.

Since I wrote that last posting in 30th June 2020, I've walked away from at least G12+ or was that G12++, and used G12evo 50/50 to refill my 2011 Audi S4, same for my wife's 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI 110PS if and when I need to dump the coolant out - it should currently be filled from factory, with G13 50/50 mix I think.

Edit:- one issue might be that as far as I could find out, no aftermarket parts supplier offers a G12 evo equivalent yet, so they will lazily default to offering their preferred brew of G12+ or G12++ or G13. The only source of aftermarket G12evo I could find was in mainland Europe and buying it in in conc form and diluting it would end up working out costing more than just buying G12evo premixed 50/50 from any VW Group dealership parts department.

G12evo is actually made by BASF and is known by them as GLYSANTIN® G65®, as no doubt will be any aftermarket versions when they appear.

 

[RUM4MO]

Just to clarify things a bit more, as my 2011 Audi S4 was over 10 years old, I felt the need to replace the coolant, just because it must be degrading with age or at least that way of thinking made sense to me.
I accidentally disturbed a coolant pipe while moving the front out into the service position to replace the front drive belts, working in the vicinity of that pipe caused me to flex it and in doing so break what was a "plugging" trail of evaporated coolant that was escaping from where that pipe fits onto an alloy front engine cover, so essentially rod salt had got into the top area of the coolant pipe and had been "working" on the alloy engine front cover and had undermined the alloy where the rubber O-ring seal is located.
Anyway that was the excuse that I was looking for so I dropped the coolant out, catching and measuring its volume so that I knew how much to refill it with, and refilled it with G12evo 50/50 premix which annoyingly is only sold in 1 litre bottles! I bought and used a Draper Coolant Vacuum Refill kit which worked very well with a small air compressor.
Like most or maybe all VW Group cars, the actual coolant system capacity is not listed in the official workshop manual, so I had bought too much G12evo before dropping the coolant and measuring the volume that came out, I had read roughly 10 litres, bought 12 litres to be safe, then found that that car only required 6.5 litres!

 

[Woody_72]

I was just thinking that 10L sounds like an awful lot but I've just checked Haynes and mine takes 8L .