99 Jetta Coolant leak due to repair shop mistake

A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
restart due to a coolant leak. Fortunately it turned out to be a
cracked fitting and nothing too major. Car even runs fine now once it
cooled down and the coolant was filled back up.
Unfortunately the repair place did not get the lowest 90 deg elbow
fitting (the one you use to drain the system) seated properly. Tonight
it finally blew loose and once again the car stalled due to
overheating. After much trouble, I reseated the fitting properly and
filled the car up with coolant. The trouble is, all I had available
was the green stuff. Two questions for you:

1)Should I have the system drained and flushed and the coolant
replaced with the proper VW spec coolant

2)Do you think I should insist the repair place do it for me at no
cost? (and check this same fitting after he's done?)

I've drained the coolant myself last summer and know that the fitting
in question is a nightmare to get back on properly due to the water
pump bracket getting in the way.
Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
EWB

ewb4arch wrote:

A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
restart due to a coolant leak. Fortunately it turned out to be a
cracked fitting and nothing too major. Car even runs fine now once it
cooled down and the coolant was filled back up.
Unfortunately the repair place did not get the lowest 90 deg elbow
fitting (the one you use to drain the system) seated properly. Tonight
it finally blew loose and once again the car stalled due to
overheating. After much trouble, I reseated the fitting properly and
filled the car up with coolant. The trouble is, all I had available
was the green stuff. Two questions for you:

1)Should I have the system drained and flushed and the coolant
replaced with the proper VW spec coolant

2)Do you think I should insist the repair place do it for me at no
cost? (and check this same fitting after he's done?)

I've drained the coolant myself last summer and know that the fitting
in question is a nightmare to get back on properly due to the water
pump bracket getting in the way.
Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
EWB
If they are not confident in putting the fitting back correctly, they always

can remove the pump housing for easier access to that fitting (thermostat
housing)...
al.

Definitely tell that shop about it and see what they say.
Now are you sure that they even touched that lowest 90 deg elbow fitting
(the one you use to drain the system)?

You can just do it yourself!

http://www.blauparts.com/vw/vw_fluid...ne_fluid.shtml

BTW why is the driver letting it overheat so badly that it stops running?
The warning light should come on first when the coolant level drops if it is
working correctly.
Are you sure that there is not more wrong with the engine like a bad
cylinder head gasket or warped cylinder head?

JMHO
--
later,
dave
(One out of many daves)

"ewb4arch" <ewb4arch (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote

A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
restart due to a coolant leak. Fortunately it turned out to be a
cracked fitting and nothing too major. Car even runs fine now once it
cooled down and the coolant was filled back up.
Unfortunately the repair place did not get the lowest 90 deg elbow
fitting (the one you use to drain the system) seated properly. Tonight
it finally blew loose and once again the car stalled due to
overheating. After much trouble, I reseated the fitting properly and
filled the car up with coolant. The trouble is, all I had available
was the green stuff. Two questions for you:

1)Should I have the system drained and flushed and the coolant
replaced with the proper VW spec coolant

2)Do you think I should insist the repair place do it for me at no
cost? (and check this same fitting after he's done?)

I've drained the coolant myself last summer and know that the fitting
in question is a nightmare to get back on properly due to the water
pump bracket getting in the way.
Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
EWB

you got a mess now, should have just used water until you could put the
correct stuff in. the issue G12 & G11 coolant don't mix. Get the correct
stuff, remove hoses from heater core and flush, along with the rest of the
system. And as for the OEM elbow... replace it as they have a habit of
leaking once removed.

"ewb4arch" <ewb4arch (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote

A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
restart due to a coolant leak. Fortunately it turned out to be a
cracked fitting and nothing too major. Car even runs fine now once it
cooled down and the coolant was filled back up.
Unfortunately the repair place did not get the lowest 90 deg elbow
fitting (the one you use to drain the system) seated properly. Tonight
it finally blew loose and once again the car stalled due to
overheating. After much trouble, I reseated the fitting properly and
filled the car up with coolant. The trouble is, all I had available
was the green stuff. Two questions for you:

1)Should I have the system drained and flushed and the coolant
replaced with the proper VW spec coolant

2)Do you think I should insist the repair place do it for me at no
cost? (and check this same fitting after he's done?)

I've drained the coolant myself last summer and know that the fitting
in question is a nightmare to get back on properly due to the water
pump bracket getting in the way.
Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
EWB

"Lost In Space/Woodchuck" <newsgroupmail1 (AT) wildblue (DOT) net> wrote

you got a mess now, should have just used water until you could put the
correct stuff in. the issue G12 & G11 coolant don't mix. Get the correct
stuff, remove hoses from heater core and flush, along with the rest of the
system. And as for the OEM elbow... replace it as they have a habit of
leaking once removed.

"ewb4arch" <ewb4arch (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote in message
news:1178938225.400618.163170 (AT) o5g2000hsb (DOT) googlegroups.com...
A couple weeks ago I had my wife's early 1999 A3 Jetta towed to a
recommended Import repair shop. The car overheated and wouldn't
restart due to a coolant leak. Fortunately it turned out to be a
cracked fitting and nothing too major. Car even runs fine now once it
cooled down and the coolant was filled back up.
Unfortunately the repair place did not get the lowest 90 deg elbow
fitting (the one you use to drain the system) seated properly. Tonight
it finally blew loose and once again the car stalled due to
overheating. After much trouble, I reseated the fitting properly and
filled the car up with coolant. The trouble is, all I had available
was the green stuff. Two questions for you:

1)Should I have the system drained and flushed and the coolant
replaced with the proper VW spec coolant

2)Do you think I should insist the repair place do it for me at no
cost? (and check this same fitting after he's done?)

I've drained the coolant myself last summer and know that the fitting
in question is a nightmare to get back on properly due to the water
pump bracket getting in the way.
Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
EWB


Id do it myself, flush the system by running water in it , and letting it
drain. And fix it. Id go elsewhere for service.