G12a8d coolant where to buy

Thread starter Mikebabs1 Start date Jul 31, Mikebabs1 Registered User. Hi all, My coolant has dropped below the min mark and so needs topping up.

The manual says to use an antifreeze additive G12 A8D. I went to halfords and they only had their own brand generic stuff. Asked the guy in there and he says there are 2 sorts, red and blue and you shouldn't mix them. He said I should check with the dealer who services my car to see which type they use and top up with that. Seems a bit of overkill to have to take the car in to the garage just to top up the coolant. Anyone know which sort I should be using and where I'd get hold of some of the right stuff?

Car as per signature. Should I top up with water in the meantime or best not to dilute the stuff already in there? ManicMunky Registered User. Is your coolant red or blue? Look in the header tank. AwesomeSarah Registered User. Oh yes , and GSF sell it Sarah. Randomjim Registered User. If you get prestone anti-freeze you can add it to any colour.

Thanks all. I assumed when he was talking about red and blue he meant the colour of the bottle, not the actual coolant! They only had blue in Halfords, mines the G12 and red.

So where do I get some? Halfords do sell the red stuff. They sell it in a navy blue container where as the older stuff is sold in a see through container. Although G12 is highly recommended, any type of coolant should suffice. After all it is the water which cools the engine not the coolant. Thanks chaps. They seem to be pretty good for most things. Hope this helps. T0m Registered User. Hey guys excuse my ignorance how is the best way to drain the coolant out to put fresh in? Looks like ive got to drain mine as I didnt know you cannot mix blue with red and I put some blue in mine the other day!!!

TOM, best way is to get a hose pipe, still it in the header tank, take off the lower rad pipe and flush it though. Im not sure on the Matrix part mate I think when i had my cambelt done and water pump changed they never bled the system properly Most B6 models have a plastic bleed screw on top of a metal pipe under the plastic top engine cover held on by 3 90degree twist screws Be aware though that this screw can shear off and will need to be drilled out if that happens, some even leak, so if you experience coolant loss check here first.

Best way to flush system is to remove the thermostat and use hose to flush top to bottom, reconnect thermo housing minus thermo and fill with plain water and run for several minutes, drain and repeat several times.

Bleed from plastic screw described previously. AJB Audi said:. Just to update the above useful post to November ' Verify that you have the correct anti-phosphate anti-amine G11 or G12 VW coolant.

DO NOT mix normal tap water with coolant. Is Prestone a g12? And that's only because G12 has better lubricating capacities which is why it is sometimes called "lifelong coolant". The regular coolant let's take Prestone as our reference , on the other hand does not contain phosphates. Can I add water to g12 coolant?

Mixing different types of coolant is prohibited. Can you mix 2 different coolants? The green and orange coolants do not mix. When mixed together they form a gel-like substance that stops coolant flow and consequently the engine overheats.

There are some coolants that claim compatibility with Dexcool, but I would rather err conservatively and add what the system is supposed to take rather than gamble.

Can I just add water to my coolant? Although water can be added to the radiator for this purpose, it's preferable to add a mixture of coolant and water because plain water can boil before the proper coolant will boil, causing your engine to overheat [source: pontiac]. A car radiator cannot work if there isn't enough coolant inside the system. Can I use Prestone coolant in my VW? Is g12 coolant the same as Dexcool?

Theoretically, G12 and G13 can mix with no issues. However, if the current coolant in your car is Dexcool orange , or generic ethylene glycol green or yellow , mixing in G12 may cause it to coagulate and clog your heater core, radiator, pipes, or water pump. Can you mix pink and purple coolant? The purple and above pink Vw coolant are interchangeable and can be mixed. This pink and the below purple Vw coolant are interchangeable and can be mixed. How do I know if my coolant is g12? You are correct.

If there is a different type of coolant in the system other than G12 , it should be flushed really well and re-filled with G If you mix G12 and an alternate coolant bad things will happen.