Gt tdi 2001 coolant leak

[Wattsym12]

Got a golf gt tdi 130 a month or so ago lost some coolant through the expansion tank been to two different garages neither can see any signs of other leaks both have pressure tested and sniff tested no problems one garage said oil cooler other said head gasket but neither are sure it's fine for about town driving but when driven hard or over 70ish for long periods of time that is when problem arises vw themselves say it shouldn't be the head gasket but want to do 6 hours of labour trying to find out what it is before I shell out stupid money on new head is there anything else u can try !

[stevieturbo]

Wattsym12 said:

Got a golf gt tdi 130 a month or so ago lost some coolant through the expansion tank been to two different garages neither can see any signs of other leaks both have pressure tested and sniff tested no problems one garage said oil cooler other said head gasket but neither are sure it's fine for about town driving but when driven hard or over 70ish for long periods of time that is when problem arises vw themselves say it shouldn't be the head gasket but want to do 6 hours of labour trying to find out what it is before I shell out stupid money on new head is there anything else u can try !

Yes, find a mechanic with a brain...usually that excludes main dealers.

[Wattsym12]

:L don't suppose you know one in tunbridge wells area as I've tyres main dealer vw specialist and an independent garage all are stumped

[ch427]

Water pump is a favourite and sometimes difficult to diagnose

[stevieturbo]

Of course the other question.....you say some coolant. Just exactly how much is some ?

[Wattsym12]

At first it was about 3/4 of a litre over 800ish miles but now it's a lot like half a litre every two days it's coming out of the expansion tank so I've been told also earlier today coolant was frothy

[stevieturbo]

Wattsym12 said:

At first it was about 3/4 of a litre over 800ish miles but now it's a lot like half a litre every two days it's coming out of the expansion tank so I've been told also earlier today coolant was frothy

So you can actually see where it is leaking from ? And the garages couldnt suggest a fix ?

That sounds kinda strange.

[dblack1]

it sounds like you are saying the coolant tank is overflowing?

If it is doing it at higher speeds, it is likely a blown head gasket (or cracked block/head).
If it does it in stop and go traffic, test your cooling system for leaks under pressure (test your cap as well).

Does it overheat?
If so, the system could be boiling over (and I would test the thermostat first in this case).

Edit: If you think it could be a head gasket (or cracked block/head), you can buy a test kit for that, but generally the other symptoms indicate it is a head gasket enough that the block test isn't necessary.

Edited by dblack1 on Tuesday 31st December 04:52

[duncancallum]

Start with a header tank cap for the sake of a couple of quid. It may not be holding pressure.

The other one I've seen on vag stuff was An egr cooler. That was diagnosed as a head gasket.