Help! Brown Coolant!

[GTI_16V]

Hi,

Got my GTI 16v home tonight and decided to take a look at the coolant - it was brown, but didn't look oily at all.  I've looked at some of the other posts about Head Gaskets etc and many of you talk about chocolate milkshake!  Does this sound like a Head Gasket then?  There is no mayo on the oil cap and the car runs fine.   My temp gauge doesn't work, but the oil temp is ok.

Any advice?!

Cheers!

[monkeyalan]

i'd flush it out and put new coolant in. see from then.

[...joe]

its probably just rust, do what he says and flush it out. you put some additive in it then run it for a while then flush it all out with a hose and roberts your mothers brother.

[Bam Bam]

....Alan's probably right, it sounds as if it has'nt been changed for a few years.
Drain the old stuff away by undoing the bottom hose on the Radiator and refill with clean water (make sure your heater control is in the HOT position when refilling to prevent airlocks. Use the car for a week as normal and then drain again, this has probably turned brown too but to a lesser extent.

Refill with clean water and the recommended mixture of Anti-Freeze/Coolant to prevent it happening again.

Jim.

[GTI_16V]

Thanks for the advice.  Just been out for my nightly 'fiddle' with the golf and managed to get the temp gauge working, took her for a spin and temp/fan etc is ok.  Everything is fine - apart from the brown water!!
Looks like tomorrow nights 'fiddle' will involve changing the coolant!!

I think i just sh!t myself after reading all the recent posts on here about head gaskets etc!!

Will post a progress report later!

Cheers

[mrwotto]

I would invest in a bottle of rad weld, just incase!

[monkeyalan]

I think i just sh!t myself after reading all the recent posts on here about head gaskets etc!!

try owning a rover! my ringpeice was in a constant state of flux

[...joe]

I would invest in a bottle of rad weld, just incase!

yeah but don't use it!!! put it somewhere to remind you that it can do more harm than good!!!!!

seriously a flush will do the trick. basiclly you have an iron block which is gonna rust with water swishing around it, anti freeze/coolant has stuff in it that holds it off which is one of the reasons why it should be changed to keep things clean. your may not have been changed for a while so has stopped being as effective as it should be. also your expansion tank will probably be stained so if it bothers you that much buy a new one. only about a fiver or something from gsf. oh and get a new cap as well, make sure it is blue and that should be all your problems sorted!

[Gambit]

if you want take you expansion tank off and fill it with bleach n water mix and leave it overnight, this will lift all the scum on the inside

also, buy your expansion cap from VAG, the seals i found in the GSF items where not as good

[Judderi]

I would invest in a bottle of rad weld, just incase!

yeah but don't use it!!! put it somewhere to remind you that it can do more harm than good!!!!!

I agree with you on that one!