Coolant level...

[CHR15B]

I just did my weekly filling of screenwash to my Ibiza and whilst I was there I checked the coolant level - much to my surprise was below the MIN mark.

I filled it to the split in the middle with just normal water... is this OK?? Is it normal for the coolant to drop like that? If I should add coolant what one should I get and where?

Cheers

 

[MikeO]

Hi

Never had to top mine up in 4 years of ownership. The level is pretty much always in the middle when cold. Keep an eye on it and see if it goes down again and maybe check under car for water etc.

 

[ettlz]

CHR15B, you can get the coolant additive at most SEAT and VAG dealerships --- I think it's a bottle with the logos of VAG brands and hazard symbols on the side. The car's manual says adding significant amounts of water should only be done in an emergency and then a proper mixture of the additive should be put in ASAP (again see the manual and bottle for concentration). Like MikeO says, put something, preferably white, under the car and see if there are any pink patches of additive left (the stuff's quite non-volatile and tends to stick around).

 

[sssstew]

generally the level should never change but in the life of my car i have had to do a couple of little top ups like you have found, dont have any leaks and it stays up for ages after, so an odd occasional little loss. The amount youve put in will not have made any real difference to mixture so dont worry about it. If you need to top up again though in a short period of time then its time to look into it more.

 

[rashcupra]

the coolant you need is called G12 (pink) and is a genuine vag part costs about £6! if the car is running then the coolant level is always a touch below the seam then whenn cooled down should rise back to normal very small loss is pretty normal but if its regular then try a new resevoir filler cap this can go faulty and coolant CAN be lost or check the joints like this on the rad VV

check the oil cap for mayo looking diposits aswell

 

[CHR15B]

Excellent thanks for the replies, no sign of leaks at all and this is the first time I've noticed anything like this - no sort of mayo deposits at all... I had this before on my Mk2 when my head gasket went.

I'll keep an eye on it, the car was cold and not running when I checked it - I've not filled it up to the max just about the middle.... but to make the concentration right I'll buy some concentrate from Seat and fill it up to just below the MAX mark.

 

[rashcupra]

you can just do little top ups with water but if its regually then do a 50/50 mix with g12 antifreeze and water

 

[CHR15B]

Nice one, thanks