VW Polo Coolant has gone brown?

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Mon 9 Jul 2007 21:51
VW Polo Coolant has gone brown? - shirike
Hello,

In order to diagnose an issue with the temperature gauge on my 1.4 VW Polo 1996 N-Reg not working I had cause to replace the thermostat. This meant having to drain the coolant.

I don't know what was in it (I bought this car recently ) but it was pink in the coolant tank but blue when it came out of the radiator hose - sounds weird. Ha.

Anyway, I used Halfords Ready Mixed Coolant to fill the cooling system back up but I'm now worried because the coolant looks brown inside the tank and I vaguely recall brown colours being bad news as far as VW coolant goes.

Can anyone offer some advice?
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Mon 9 Jul 2007 22:25
VW Polo Coolant has gone brown? - TurboD
with an old car ,as yours, it is a good idea to flush it to get rid of all the old sediments etc.
The VW company had various coolants, I remember G11 fluid for my van, ,that was blue ,lasted 10 years then the engine expired anyway, but it kept clean.
Also a pink fluid. G12 I believe- stopped G11.
But it is also a good idea to take expansion tank off and clean it with hot weater and whatever ,in the kitchen, then easier to monitor.
I cannot see colour being death of engine. It is if exhaust gas is in it from leaking head gasket/cracked head. Then there would be bubbles in header tank when revved.
Perhas your new coolant has mixed with the remnants of th eold to make an awful mixuture?
I would flush and start again, if you think the car is worth it of course.

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 10/03/2008 at 19:34

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Wed 11 Jul 2007 14:03
VW Polo Coolant has gone brown? - shirike
Yes, I'll be flushing the system shortly and using G12 coolant- I was just worried about the coolant in its present state and whether it was about to kill my car :D

Now I just need to find out what mixture of G12 coolant and anti-freeze to use :(

do I use a specific anti-freeze or will any do?
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Wed 11 Jul 2007 14:47
VW Polo Coolant has gone brown? - Alec
G12+ IS antifreeze.
Mix it 50/50 with water and add it after you flush the rad and engine block to get rid of the precipitate caused by mixing G11/G12 with conventional antifreeze.
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Wed 11 Jul 2007 16:09
VW Polo Coolant has gone brown? - shirike
Alec, top man :) Thanks a lot - just been to Pulman's and bought some G12+ so I'll get it flushed through :)

to flush the coolant system I just disconnect radiator hose, put a garden hose into the coolant tank and flush cold clean water through until it runs clear?

Obviously, I do this when engine is cold.
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