Passat, why does is use so much coolant?

[jefo1970]

Hi there
Glad to be here im a forum newbie and am in need of assistance the problem is as follows:
I have bought a 1999 Passat 1.8 petrol with 71K on the clock
the car is superb but it seems to use a awful amount of coolant (water) I am putting in about 1/2 to 3/4 litre a week, I have checked the engine, pipes & hoses but nothing obvious. Can anyone help me with this as im a bit concerned, a friend of mine who is a mechanic has said he knows of passat's that use a pint a week is this true?? or have I got a huge bill coming up?

any info greatly appreciated

neil

[Sam]

You say you've checked hoses and pipes have you checked the pipe on the underside of the coolant reservoir?

Check for pink crusty deposits. And if you do need to tighten the clamp make sure you replace the pipe and the clamp. Quite often the clamps go bad and wont tighten any more, or they begin to destroy the pipes with over-tightening