2008 1.4i polo 9n heavy on petrol

VAG Fan
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Re: 2008 1.4i polo 9n heavy on petrol

Post by VAG Fan »

Neeven wrote: Sun Oct 10, 2021 11:01 am Hi guys, I need to find out something for a friend. If a car was running on water only and if my friend decided he wanted to start running anti coolant on the car going forward. Will it cause problems?

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The switch to a coolant mix will, in itself, not cause any problems. But the previous running on water, without additive, may already have caused problems that only manifest themselves now, e.g. fouling or blocking of coolant channels with rust. This can lead to hot-spots, gasket failure, etc.

Depending on how badly and how long the system was neglected, a flush might not be able to remove all rust residues. I was in this situation. The previous owner of my Fox had only filled up water. By the time I got the car and did a flush, it was too late. A few months later, the head gasket failed because of a rust blockage that had remained behind even after flushing, causing a local hot-spot.

So, flush the system and use the correct coolant mix, but continue to observe and be prepared for underlying problems. If the engine doesn't lose coolant or overheat, your friend was lucky.
Mark R.
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2004 VW Golf TDI, type 1J, AHF, 317k (2016-current) --- daily
1990 VW Fox, type 16, HM, 304k (2005-current) --- spare runaround
Previous:
1992 Audi 500 SE, type C4, AAR (2001-2020) --- nice while it lasted
1983 VW Golf GTS, type 17, FR (1992-2005) --- most fun car I've ever had
1978 Audi 100 GLS 5E, type 43, WC (1991-92) --- died in the side of a Rekord who cut me off
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