To celebrate my recent 100% no coolant leak status, I'm going to point out to you fellow MK2 new-comers what to look out for if you suspect a coolant leak. Veterans - Please contribute by all means! 1. Coolant expansion tank | These don't generally don't leak per se, but if it's the original tank, it could well have a split caused by various factors (removal and man handled over the years while work has been done) 2. Expansion tank cap | The original black ones are terrible. It's widely known that they can't cope with the pressure that generates from the water temperature. Most notably in GTi's. Get it replaced with a Blue one. Much better, cheap enough and could potentially cost you hundreds in the long run! 3. Pipes | Check every single pipe. Pipes should be firm when they're warm from engine being up to temp. If they're soft, or even look a bit tired - Don't hesitate to replace them. Again, cheap enough to replace and widely available. If you can afford it, get silicone pipes, although personally whenever I've had to change pipes on any of my previous cars of various manufacturers, I've always replaced with standard rubber. I've also found myself with Gate's pipes which seems to be a good American make. 4. Water pump | I've never had a water pump failure, but I've heard that if it happens, you would suffer an almost immediate coolant loss. The water pump is just under the alternator. For those who are very new to cars in general - The alternator is usually a grey metal unit with that drives a belt. On the MK2 it is found South-West of the engine bay. 5. Thermostat housing | Again, connected to the water pump. This is a 'forgotten' but essential part. I was reading recently that VW always recommended that the thermostat should be replaced every 3 - 4 years. If it has indeed been neglected, the seal could possibly have been corroded by years of abuse from salt grit kicking up from the road in the winter and general road grime. Very cheap to replace. You're looking at about a tenner for a Circoli manufactured one. 6. Radiator | Inexperienced Golf owners tend to 'write' their cars off when they hear that the radiator has gone. Totally unnecessary. The radiator is possibly one of the easiest parts to replace and relatively cheap to buy. You're looking at anything from 40 to 100. I've never heard anything bad of 'EIS' branded radiators. They cost around 50 from Eurocarparts. Radiators, like thermostats can become corroded over the years from grime. Also, if you've just bought your golf, I can almost guarantee that your radiator has been replaced at some point in it's life. Get a Haynes from your library and fit it yourself. It's a 20 minute job. but be mindful that the fins tend to be very delicate. 7. Blue & Black Temp Sender housing | I'm talking from a 1989 8v GTi Digifant point of view, but all MK2's have a variation of this. It is found generally between the second and third HT leads on the engine. Note: Not all models necessarily have the blue/black colours. Check that there aren't any leaks coming from here. The housing is readily available from VW suppliers on the internet. 8. Lastly, if you are losing coolant but there are no apparent leaks on the floor, I'd recommend that you perform checks on your head gasket. Common signs of head gasket failure are loss of power, white smoke coming from the exhaust on acceleration, the expansion tank smelling like oil, rough starting when the engine is cold, cutting out at junctions/traffic lights etc. However, you'll tend to have more than one of these symptoms so don't panic if you have just one or two of these. Investigate properly. There is plenty of advice available on this forum!
I've had the long metal pipe on the gearbox end of the engine replaced. Thank you Stealth you cured our unfindable water leak when you put on the "Shed head". Oh and don't forget the blessed heater matrix. That is if the word blessed covers it!! Go Mk 3 and ditch the pressure relief system which will, by now, be gunged up anyway. Nick
Yes - The MK3 matrix is readily available from GSF, EuroCarParts etc. It's a job for me over the summer, mines not leaking at all but the heaters are not too bad at the moment. I'm not too concerned now as the weather is getting 'warmer'....
