Loosing coolant in 2019 Beach: BiTDi 199. Happened to anyone?

sylwek_szczepaniak · Oct 31, 2022

Hi All,

I have been recently been loosing coolant in my Cali: 2019 Beach Edition with 4Motion and the 199 BiTDI engine. Anyone has had/heard of similar problems?

I lost 1 liter during a 4500km ride. I am still over 1000km from home and so far had 50/50 advice from other sources on whether to drive to nearest VW shop and get it fixed/diagnosed for (possibly) a pot of gold or I make it home and visit my personal magician/mechanic.

Is there anything I can easily check to help me asses the risk?
Water pump?
Loose hose near cooler?
EGR valve? (probably not...)
Leak into the engine? (this probably I will not be able to check - or will I? Oil color/consistency?)

I want to decide whether to drive slowly with a few bottles of G12 coolant in stock or head to the local VW shop? Any comments are welcome - and I know I am risking it. Just do not know if I should panic or not

still a Cali Newbi

BR,
Sylwester

flying banana · Oct 31, 2022

A few simple things to check. Obviously is there a leak. Then check the exhaust when running, get someone to rev it up whilst observing the tailpipe for smoke,usually white in colour. This indicates coolant in the cylinders. Also run the engine with the coolant header tank cap off. Is it bubbling in there? What does the oil look like. Is there oil in the coolant. Is the van hard to start, does it struggle to turn over after being stood for a while. This points to a failed head gasket. Check the level. Coolant tastes sweet if put on the tongue. A good indicator. Are you in warranty? Get it booked in asap

Perfectos · Oct 31, 2022

If there is no obvious leak,
things To check in addition to Flying Bananas post :
leaking EGR cooler, ( internal failure) this can be checked by removing the front EGR pipe, if the EGR has failed internally, coolant will be visible in the EGR cooler Body
quite often there are no symptoms when an EGR cooler fails, other than coolant usage.
surpassingly common issue And sometimes hard to diagnose

sylwek_szczepaniak · Nov 1, 2022

@flying banana and @Perfectos: Thanks for the tips.

Already looked for an obvious leak - found none but will look again. Exhaust smoke, coolant and oil I will check today. As to the EGR - no tools, no access currently (@Perfectos: or is it simpler then I think?).

And I am just over half year out of warranty

. 80 000 km

I will keep the thread open until I get this fixed and add a summary in the last post (for future reference).

Perfectos · Nov 1, 2022

sylwek_szczepaniak said:
@flying banana and @Perfectos: Thanks for the tips.

Already looked for an obvious leak - found none but will look again. Exhaust smoke, coolant and oil I will check today. As to the EGR - no tools, no access currently (@Perfectos: or is it simpler then I think?).

And I am just over half year out of warranty . 80 000 km

I will keep the thread open until I get this fixed and add a summary in the last post (for future reference).

Removal of the front EGR pipe is relatively simple if you have basic tools and knowledge, four bolts will allow it to be removed for a visual check of the EGR cooler.
if you don’t posses the tools, have an indi garage look at it, I would imagine they would charge an hours Labour to remove the front EGR pipe and carry out a visual check (a boroscope would assist in looking into the EGR cooler, but if it’s failed you should see coolant in the EGR cooler body, after removing the front pipe anyway ).
there are probably some vids online showing it

edit:
not the best how to Vid but it clearly shows the fault and the removal of the EGR pipe removal and the fluid in the EGR cooler, (later in the vid) as well as pressure testing for head gasket leak etc.

edit: 11.40 minutes in shows the coolant in the EGR cooler

i wish you the best of luck, keep the thread updated to help others

dspuk · Nov 1, 2022

Not exactly the same but about a month after getting our 6.1 (July 22) we got a low coolant warning.

Cue panic buying G12.

The level had dropped but was not fully empty so topped up, took about 1/3 the bottle. Sent the other 2 bottle I bought back to Amazon.

All been good since. Our assumption was that it was likely a little low from factory / dealer or there was a small air lock somewhere.

Does not stop me checking it weekly atm though and I now keep the remaining 2/3 of the bottle in the drivers door.