You back your Volkswagen or Audi out of the garage and …… WHAT IS THAT SPOT ON THE FLOOR????
Your vehicle holds multiple fluids, and it could be any one of them including:
- Coolant / antifreeze
- Engine Oil
- Washer Fluid
- Transmission Fluid
- Your vehicle’s HVAC system also creates condensation if recently driven so that could be a possibility as well
Your VW or Audi uses G13 coolant, which is a lilac or bright pink in color (previous antifreeze was G12 and is pink). The nice thing about this “bright” color is that it is usually fairly easy to determine if it’s coolant that is on your floor. Of course, the best way to know exactly what the fluid leak is will be to take it to a repair shop to have the vehicle properly diagnosed. Common culprits for a coolant leak could be:
- Water pump
- Radiator
- Cooling hose
- Coolant Pipe or hose
Most vehicles nowadays have a coolant gauge on the dash that provides a visual for the temperature of the coolant in your VW or Audi. (Many Beetles do not have this coolant gauge, so it is very important to know quickly if you have a coolant leak so that the vehicle does not overheat). Your temp gauge should remain in the center, between Cold and Hot. If the gauge moves to the right or towards HOT, then you have something going on that needs to be looked into NOW!
A coolant leak can be a huge issue if not addressed in a timely manner. And with the heat of the South Carolina summers quickly approaching, paired with the stop & go idling in traffic that we are all known for ….this could add up to big problems in a quickness. Once your VW or Audi (or any vehicle, for that matter) loses enough coolant, there will not be enough in the engine to keep it performing at normal operating temperature. Too long in that scenario and you overheat the engine ……and then the big repair bill comes!!
It is important to note that many auto part stores will try to sell you “magic” in a can that will attempt to fix your coolant leak. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. You will be introducing something into your cooling system that will circulate and lead to more problems. Think about the tiny fins that are in your radiator and your heater core. Gunk can easily clog these fins, and then coolant will not flow at all.
Coolant leaks can be the result of an oil leak that saturated a hose, pipe or other engine component. They can also be caused by sheer age and degradation of materials over time. Think about a plastic pipe that carries hot/cold/hot coolant its entire life, sitting next to a very hot engine. That plastic will not last forever. Coolant leaks can be expensive, so it is very important to have your VW or Audi diagnosed once you realize that you have a loss of fluid. Give Das Autohaus at call at 803-520-8523 to schedule your vehicle into the shop for a proper diagnosis of what is causing that pesky fluid leak.
