Author Topic: Coolant Loss New Radiator Required?  (Read 8018 times)

Offline Pld118

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Re: Coolant Loss New Radiator Required?
« Reply #20 on: 06 February 2015, 15:09 »
Covered under warranty.  Reportedly a failed Rad seam weld.  No corrosion, no damage.

Dealership delighted and untimely expenditure rightly averted.

Do not understand why they made such great play on the possibility of this being stone chip damage! 

Offline andygo

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Re: Coolant Loss New Radiator Required
« Reply #21 on: 06 February 2015, 16:28 »
Could just as easily be the water pump...

Andygo, I've just had a thought.  I read back the through the timing chain tensioner replacement thread, recalling that you've done this recently and I was looking for your 'how to' to determine if any coolant components need to be or could be damaged or disturbed during the process because our timing chain tensioner was only replaced by the dealer a few months ago.

You're post shows that at least the coolant reservoir gets disconnected and moved to do the job.  Hose left not watertight and/ or otherwise damaged, for example:
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=262793.270

Good to see its all sorted for you, but in answer to your question, no, the coolant reservoir doesn't need to be disconnected, nor do any other water pipes. The reservoir just has a small pipe  connected, and its long and flexible enough to move the whole unit out of the way.

Offline Booth11

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Re: Coolant Loss New Radiator Required?
« Reply #22 on: 06 February 2015, 16:55 »
Glad it's getting sorted at vw's expense.
Black Beauty: MK7 R 5dr DSG, DBP, 19" Pretoria, DCC, Vienna leather, Keyless, Dynaudio, DNS Pro, Rear camera, HBA
2012 MK6 GTI DSG
2008 MK5 GTI DSG
2005 MK5 GTI Manual

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Offline Pld118

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Re: Coolant Loss New Radiator Required?
« Reply #23 on: 07 February 2015, 05:56 »
Cheers Booth and Andygo. 

In contemplation of "what could have occurred to cause some slight coolant loss?" it actually did no harm before they started the work to be able to also email them pictures of a coolant reservoir displaced and upside down in the engine bay during the timing chain tensioner replacement process, a job they recently did.  Along with other things pointed out to them, it set a reasonable 'fighting my corner' scene, should that later become necessary.

It's all about trust.  Due to the negative experience at a different garage in the months after the initial buying process, unfortunately it takes some doing to get that trust back.

For anyone's future reference:
If you have a warranty and coolant loss and you intend to take the car to an authorised warranty repair garage, then beforehand, take good close up photographs of the front honeycomb grille on the car being intact and undamaged (if that is the case) so that you can challenge any suggestions that stone chip damage is the cause of radiator failure, ie how likely is it that a stone would get through those small holes without also contacting/ damaging the plastic honeycomb grille surrounding the hole?

Likewise, if you can, photograph the intact and undamaged protective tray underneath the engine bay (if that is the case) to be able to further challenge the probability of a stone finding its way up to the radiator to damage it.

« Last Edit: 07 February 2015, 11:27 by Pld118 »