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Removing silica bag from coolant header tank

redone

Active Member
Nov 28, 2023
63
23
Got the dreaded bag in my car, its wedged to one side and is really difficult to get it to the middle to then remove it. Any tips?
there is a gate flap keeping the bag to the side in its pen. the flap is farthest from you when stood facing the windscreen. it can be bent out of the way somewhat. this will allow enough space to extract the bag. iirc, i used my finger to bend the flap and used a screwdriver to manipulate the bag. tho i may have this this arse about face! just be careful and take your time. the bag may seem too big to get out. it’s not. it just needs persuasion.
 
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Mo_86

Active Member
Sep 25, 2023
202
66
UK
there is a gate flap keeping the bag to the side in its pen. the flap is farthest from you when stood facing the windscreen. it can be bent out of the way somewhat. this will allow enough space to extract the bag. iirc, i used my finger to bend the flap and used a screwdriver to manipulate the bag. tho i may have this this arse about face! just be careful and take your time. the bag may seem too big to get out. it’s not. it just needs persuasion.
I'm worried that it may split open, I'd rather get the whole bottle replaced along with the coolant?
The ebay link for the febi one is that the correct replacement?
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,963
1,059
South Scotland
I can't say, I was checking the Shell website and I blundered on what they listed as cooling capacity for my 2011 Audi S4 which was listed as being 12 litres, when I replaced the coolant in it with G12evo, I only managed to drain 6.5 litres out of it even when removing the oil cooler pipes as recommended in the workshop manual, and so only managed to refill it with 6.5 litres, that website did also list the coolant capacity of my wife's 2015 VW Polo 1.2TSI, which was listed as being something like 8 litres! Unfortunately nothing was listed for the SEAT Leon Cupra though maybe checking what the capacity was for similar VW Golfs might have worked, but there again, I didn't trust the capacity for the Audi S4! I'd guess that for a Leon Cupra, 8.0 litres would be a safe starting point - but guessing can get you into trouble unless you have another car/bike/bus to go and buy some more if needed. I can't quite work out why cooling capacity is not always listed in the official workshop manuals, it would remove the need to guess and fail, I had bought 10 litres for my Audi S4 and I do have another car to quickly go and buy more if I needed to.
 
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TheSwede

Active Member
Oct 20, 2018
356
197
Sweden
From what I've seen the EA888 TSI engine Leon mk3 Cupra /Golf 7 GTI /R contains 8 liters coolant. This corresponds my experiences when I changed the coolant from G13 for the G12 EVO. Then you need 10 L I suppose.
 
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RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,963
1,059
South Scotland
Just checked my 2016 plate (bought the car a few weeks ago) and I seem to have a new tank fitted, certainly looks new. It's this exact one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204602130245

I can't see a bag in there so I'm hoping it's all good :)
Or, depending on the engine in your car, came out of the factory with that coolant reservoir or same as, fitted. I'm sure that I read that some engine versions tended to put more "stress" on this G13 and the initial fix was to add in these Silicate dosing pouches or even capsules - and not only in VW Group cars.
 
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LeylandVCDS

Active Member
Apr 20, 2015
392
230
Leyland, Lancashire
Just checked my 2016 plate (bought the car a few weeks ago) and I seem to have a new tank fitted, certainly looks new. It's this exact one https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204602130245

I can't see a bag in there so I'm hoping it's all good :)
I might be wrong, but I'm pretty confident that if the header tank has not got MIT SILIKAT stamped on it, it won't have the silicate bag in there. This might sound a daft suggestion, but wait until it is dark, go and have another look right round the tank, and shine a torch through. That way you'll definitately see if there's a bag in there
 
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