2.0 diesel - coolant loss and first VW dealer notice.

[BenR]

The new DSG SE Estate has just gone over 10,000 miles and I'm still enjoying every drive. However a week ago the low coolant light came on; I checked the level and sure enough, it was about 10mm below the lowest mark on the spherical reservoir. So I topped it up and booked it in for a check.

When I collected the car the dealer told me they had pressure tested the system and found no leak. However the service bloke than started on an incomprehensible ramble about the engine sucking in air, which was replacing the coolant. None of this made sense so I asked him to explain in greater detail. When he settled down and explained in his own time it emerged that VW have issued dealers with a technical notice about this; it starts with a list of possible symptoms including: "Customer complains that coolant level is low". Mine was a classic complaint and the remedy is to bleed the cooling system to allow air bubbles, trapped in the engine on filling at the factory, to escape. I have to say that I haven't been terribly impressed with the heater or the rate of warming up so I wonder if there was air trapped in, for example, the heater matrix?

However I can't understand why trapped air would make the level drop, unless some of the bubbles had somehow burped out and been replaced with coolant. Anyway I'm back to enjoying the car and will check that level every few days just to be sure there's no loss.

Thought forum members would be interested to know about this little glitch. Anybody else had the same problem?

My only other complaint is that the high beam pattern is not good. I asked them to adjust the headlights and they seem to have made them worse. I know you can adjust the level of the headlights from the driver's seat but on main beam the two pools of light are at different heights and don't merge together in the far distance as I think they should. Might look in the book and see if I can do it myself against the garage door.

[zollaf]

if there is an airlock that then finds its way out the level will drop as the air is replaced by coolant.

[BenR]

Er, yes, that's what I'm guessing has happened!

[356er]

Took delivery of my GTD Thursday 19th November 2015. Used car twice and covered 117 kilometers, check engine coolant level came on. Topped up with distilled water as per manual.and yesterday driving to the dealer had to stop again to top up. As I couldn't see any leakages I thought that an air lock was the cause of the problem. Checked oil just in case, seemed ok. Head mechanic confirmed that air lock was the probable cause, topped up once more and recommended I monitor the coolant for a couple of weeks before they would carry out a cooling system pressure test.
This is my 6th Golf (wife's cars really)and never had such an experience before.

Taking a VW back to the dealer after two days running must be a record.

Must add that the mK7 gtd is great fun to drive. Gave me same thrills as other fine cars I owned over the years, TR3, 356B, Lancia Integrale and my race car 400 hp Evo VI RS with Hollinger sequential g'box.

[rowdy-999]

10,000 miles to burp as system? I just usually give it a blast round the block.

[djmx5]

Just collected mine from VW where I had them check the cooling system following low level. No problems or leaks found just required top up.
Whilst there the techies installed an update to the infotainment module. Something to do with mobile phones.
They even offered to wash the car too.
D