I used a different coolant. and...

[the Jinn]

Here goes.

The flange plug on my wife's 01 beetle was leaking, so we'd been putting in purified water for about 2 weeks (pretty much no g12 left). I'd already ordered a new plug and bought an o-ring from pepboys, but when I went and looked at it Saturday night, nothing was wrong with the plug, so I put it back in. the next day the light starts blinking and beeping at us, so we pull over, and I look in and there's no plug! It’s GONE! So my father-in-law gives us a ride back home, about 15 min, and I get back, put the new plug in, and fill it with purified water so we can get it back home. This was Sunday, and the dealership was closed until Tuesday...and we needed the car, so I made the decision to put in Prestone's any make/model/type coolant. I drained out all of the old stuff, which was by now only water anyway, and put in 50/50 coolant. No problems after about 100 miles. There is no tell-tale film in the expansion tank, and the leak at the flange plug is gone. So maybe you can use something other than G12. I'll keep this updated. Just didn't have $300 dollars to hand VW for red fluid.

[noR]

I don't recommend ANYTHING except G12 coolant. There is a certain chemistry between the metals and the coolant.

I'm glad you're still running, but good luck.

[The Cheat]

the any make/model universal coolant is safe as long as it says "compatible with fuschia/pink coolant." it's what i used in all my dubs...i'm not paying $24 to vw for a gallon of g12 concentrate. i reccomend peak global to be specific as i KNOW it's compatible with fuschia g12 (same additive package).

i had to use it in a pinch a few weeks ago for a timing belt job, and it turns pink, looks just like g12 coolant. my guess is it can take on properties of whatever coolant residual is in the system. it does have the same additives as g12, and mixed properly, will not cause a problem.

it also works well in honda blue too.

[kaiser]

i wouldn't belive it unless it say's compatible with g12. (some of that enviromentaly freindly stuff is pink but not g12)

i have seen these universal coolants really mess up the cooling systems on our cars.
when mixed with a non-compatible coolant g12 turns to a thick mud.

you can get g12 at any decent foriegn car parts place.
the brand name is pentocin.

[The Cheat]

good luck finding pentosin in east bumblefudge, maine. i've used the universal stuff in the past to top off (actually added a whole gallon to the jetta...no issues at all 8k miles later), never had a problem, so it was the best choice to use for a drain and fill.

some of the univeral coolants CAN cause problems, yes, BUT it is my experience that Peak and Prestone both are compatible and will not cause problems.

g12 should always be the first choice, but this stuff works pretty well too.

i swear by the peak global, it's all that goes in any of my cars when i do drains and flushes, and i NEVER have had a problem in over 200k miles' worth of driving with it.

the best part is, if someone needs to top off their coolant in my house, they can just grab and go instead of having to look for pink (vw/audi), blue (honda/acura), orange (the trucks), or gold (toyota) coolant.

[draco24433]

I have been using anything other than G12 with no problem. My car runs great and cools just as good as the VW stuff.

[hako]

My opinion only but I think this whole G12 thing is being promoted like a new religion. The NB engine is totally conventional - nothing exotic, no rare earth metals or stray electrical currents from hidden gizmos to worry about. Why should the required coolant be different from other cars?
...

[Lnzbug]

Why take the chance? To save ten bucks? Not worth the risk. But then, I don't have to pour more in every other day either.

[noR]

Originally Posted by hako

Why should the required coolant be different from other cars?
...

Electrolysis?

Some cars have iron parts, some have aluminum parts. You think they act the same because they're both metal?

[Smileybug]

Coolants are different from each other...which is why there are different kinds and certain ones are recommended for some vehicles and not others.

My bf has a '95 Passat. The coolant switch to g12 was in 96. When he got the car, he still had the old kind of coolant in it (this was like 3 1/2 years ago). So he drained the old coolant and put in the g12. His coolant system freaked out and a lot of stuff was damaged because of the switch. Everything is good now and he's running g12 with no issues. It was just the shock to the system when he switched coolants.

Moral of the story: Coolants are all different. Use what is recommended for your car. Thats the only thing that you can be SURE will work for you consistently.
The g12 may be expensive, but as long as you don't have a major coolant leak, one of those bottles will last a long time. I put new coolant in after I did my coolant temp sensor (I lost a ton of coolant...) back in January. Haven't added coolant since. Its worth the money...you can be sure it will work with your car.

[larryziegler]

The discussions with regard to coolant are not limited to VW only. I also belong to hondapilot.org and hondasuv.org and the discussions over proper/approved coolant are vigorous there as well, since the recommended course of action for a Honda product, whether it be coolant, transmission fluid, rear diff fluid, or power steering fluid is to use nothing but Honda branded products due to their unique formulated recipe.
Me? I find it cheap insurance to spend the extra $$ and buy my fluids at the appropriate dealership's parts dept.

[noR]

It's not that I think other coolants might not work. Some cause catastrophic failure sure; but some don't.

But I look long term. 10 yrs down the road, what's the engine block look like? That's why I stick w/vw fluids.

Anyway, doesn't matter much. Everyone will use what they're comfy to imo.

[The Cheat]

i tore down my nb's motor at 150k to replace a couple bearings, and it had been running on peak global for over 100k at that point. nothing was out of whack, no rust, or anything.

i fixed the bearings, replaced the fluids with 505.01 oil and peak global coolant, and had no worries until it got hit at 160k.

never overheated, never caused premature failure of the water pump (they fail on their own hahahaha), never did anything abnormal.