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Losing coolant fast! 2013

6K views 48 replies 11 participants last post by  Tians 
#1 ·
It started about a year ago when I topped up 1l and the warning light came on again about 6 months and 20,000kms later, then 4 months, 2 and the latest was 2 weeks and 500kms later.

Perfect time for Christmas and a 1000km round trip. I do notice some drops under the car more in the middle/front. My engine bay is pretty dusty and I don't see any obvious signs of leaks.

I have had no issues other than the emission related EGR/solenoid warranty items. My 2010 Treg went 200,000kms until a bit of coolant loss just before I traded it in. This one has 146,000kms currently. I also have a new EGR code in the engine which I haven't taken to the dealer to fix under warranty yet.

I have seen a YouTuber in New York City who had a leak and I believe it was a straightforward fix for him but it did cost over $1000 IIRC and it was a crack.

I searched and only found one person with a similar issue 8 months ago but no follow-ups.

P.S. I'm in Toronto and the weather has cooled off to around 0 degrees C. As things tend to shrink in the cold and it has been getting worse the last few months I suspect(hope) it's a simple leak.

Since this is not something I'm likely to work on myself I will try to get an appointment next week but any ideas are welcome before I do. Thanks
 
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#2 ·
If you are seeing drops near the front take a close look at the water pump. But there are other things that can leak, several down in the V.

A first step would be a pressure test.

It’s also worthwhile to change the reservoir cap. A failed cap can cause coolant to exit by the overflow or vapor passes by the failed o-ring in the cap.

Good luck with our local dealers. IMO they all suck at diagnosing.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the tips. Interesting about the cap I will check the seal. It would have to be in pretty bad shape I imagine for the loss to accelerate at such a rapid pace. It felt pretty secure when I topped it off. This is what I like about German cars, how precise they are even with a reservoir cap. Worth a check though.
 
#3 ·
Your EGR cooler could be leaking as well, take it in for the EGR warranty work and tell them the amount of coolent that you are leaking, hopefully they will replace the valve, cooler, EGR thermostat and the myriad of small hoses and seals. Hopefully that will solve your issue for another 100K miles.

Very gealous of the warranty deal that you guys have struck with VW, dealer price to us in AU for the above ~AUD 3,800~USD 2,500.
Is the engine water pump covered as well, get it done as well......

TonyB
 
#5 ·
Thanks for that, I'm not familiar with this part of the mechanics and didn't think about that cooler using the same system. I wonder then if previous work by the dealer would cause this. On my 35 year old Supra I had my mechanic change all the inaccessible coolant hoses when I had my head gasket replaced and I had to go back three times to tighten things up after I found puddles under the car. These connections lasted 30 years and the mechanic wasn't able to secure them properly causing a leak within a week. If it wasn't for German engineering, I would only drive Japanese cars :).

I like your idea of having it done under warranty as part of the EGR issue. It's definitely worth a try. I was going to wait until my next oil change but now I will get them to look at the EGR code and mention the leak.
 
#6 ·
Does anyone use truedelta.com to track issues? I signed up years ago but haven't done a survey and received an email to update my "garage". I looked at Touaregs and there is one 2011 with 131000kms with "EGR cooler major coolant leakage" cost $2100. It's a small sample though.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Hi Synmag,

I read your posts and it seems similar to what I'm currently experiencing. I just bought my 'Reg - a 2013 TDI with 119K on it... clean car. Drove it for a couple weeks and it started losing coolant. Leaking out the front of the engine. The garage I chose told me they would have to remove the "top half" of the engine to get down to the leak.

It's been a week+ and supposedly I'm getting the vehicle back tomorrow. Over 15 hours of shop time up to this point - over $3K - parts and labor. This is out of pocket too. The good news is I got a loaner car from the shop which saved me several hundred on a rental. It's been in the shop going on 10 days.

Attached below is a shot of the leak. Looks like they pulled the whole intake and everything attached to it. There was a large amount of components on top. I read somewhere that another person took this on themselves and they said it was a LOT of work.

I'm not sure if the cost is reasonable. There is a warranty on the repair. So if it leaks again, or anything goes wrong with the top side work, the shop will stand by their repair. From what I understand leaks can pop up in this valley area between the cylinder heads in various forms.

Some at the oil cooler and others at the connecting hoses and fixtures. At first the shop thought it was the head gaskets - but it turns our it's some stupid plastic piece that probably costs a few bucks.

Let me know what you find out. I hope you're outcome is much nicer than mine.

Lesson learned? I have an extended warranty from here on out. Cheers, TBS

Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive exterior Font Auto part
 
#8 ·
Thanks for posting your experience. That sucks, especially on a newly acquired vehicle. It's a similar price range as the one reported on truedelta. I wanted to take mine to the dealer with the EGR code and have them check but unfortunately, the check engine light went off in the meantime.

I'm a bit conflicted now because it looks like quite a bit of labor is involved taking things apart just to diagnose the problem and if it's not covered under warranty I would take it to my independent mechanic.

Sounds like yours might have started to lose coolant for the previous owner and they passed it on rather than deal with it. I feel for you.
 
#9 ·
It started about a year ago when I topped up 1l and the warning light came on again about 6 months and 20,000kms later, then 4 months, 2 and the latest was 2 weeks and 500kms later.

Perfect time for Christmas and a 1000km round trip. I do notice some drops under the car more in the middle/front. My engine bay is pretty dusty and I don't see any obvious signs of leaks.

I have had no issues other than the emission related EGR/solenoid warranty items. My 2010 Treg went 200,000kms until a bit of coolant loss just before I traded it in. This one has 146,000kms currently. I also have a new EGR code in the engine which I haven't taken to the dealer to fix under warranty yet.

I have seen a YouTuber in New York City who had a leak and I believe it was a straightforward fix for him but it did cost over $1000 IIRC and it was a crack.

I searched and only found one person with a similar issue 8 months ago but no follow-ups.

P.S. I'm in Toronto and the weather has cooled off to around 0 degrees C. As things tend to shrink in the cold and it has been getting worse the last few months I suspect(hope) it's a simple leak.

Since this is not something I'm likely to work on myself I will try to get an appointment next week but any ideas are welcome before I do. Thanks

Have the crankshaft pulley removed, and check the water pump for leaks. It can also be sprayed all over the front end by the serpentine belt. This is the most likely reason for coolant loss.
 
#11 ·
I'm going to pick up another bottle of coolant and procrastinate until after the holidays. The plan is hopefully the code comes back on at which point I will have the dealer look at it but if they want to start charging labor to investigate I will take it to my mechanic instead. If it does turn out to be EGR coolant related I will decide the best course of action then. I'm not sure if VW Canada would entertain picking up the tab from an independent mechanic or they would only honor the warranty through the dealer.
 
#10 ·
Hi Synmag,

I picked up the car today and spoke at length with the owner of the shop. They definitely seem competent. In the end they had to degrease the engine to find the leak. They had to pressure test it twice. Not only was the outlet leaking he also had to replace the oil cooler. He mentioned he saw a small amount of coolant in the oil cooler so he did a complete oil change. The oil cooler was $670 for the part. Also replaced the serpentine belt that had enough coolant on it to survive an arctic express.

I'm going to talk to the dealer that sold me the car tomorrow now that I have the final paid invoice in hand. It's my guess the VW dealer who got this on a trade was able to diagnose the issue... either by a "snake camera" or maybe they "black lighted" the car to get the pink antifreeze to show up. It went from a VW dealer to an auction. It's up to the independent dealer who sold it to me to make sure it's a good car. I'm gonna suggest we split the bill - which I think is quite fair.

On the other hand... I really, really like the car. The mechanic said it was in great shape and was a big fan on the TDI engine. For a large "truck" SUV it rides great and pulls incredibly strong. The only issue now is get 30 days and 1000 miles on it before my extended warranty kicks in. In fact, I'm considering adding a new short term "immediate cover" warranty until the delayed one I have now kicks in.

IMHO - these cars are sought after and rare. VW only made sold 8200 Touaregs for the 2013 model year. They cost over $50K (USD) new and most people could bring themselves to fork over that much coin for a VW. They've replaced the 'Reg with the Atlas and the reliability reviews on that are terrible. The Atlas can only tow around 3000 lbs.

From what I've read, the major issues with Touregs are the timing chain tensioner failing which will take out the engine and the high pressure fuel pump failing and sending shrapnel through the engine. Some horror stories of the injectors failing as well. That being said... Google just about any car and you'll find they all have faults.

Good luck on the repair and it if helps I'd be glad to share the name and contact of the shop who worked on mine.

Cheers to you!
TBS
 
#12 ·
Snip...

On the other hand... I really, really like the car. The mechanic said it was in great shape and was a big fan on the TDI engine. For a large "truck" SUV it rides great and pulls incredibly strong. The only issue now is get 30 days and 1000 miles on it before my extended warranty kicks in. In fact, I'm considering adding a new short term "immediate cover" warranty until the delayed one I have now kicks in.

IMHO - these cars are sought after and rare. VW only made sold 8200 Touaregs for the 2013 model year. They cost over $50K (USD) new and most people could bring themselves to fork over that much coin for a VW. They've replaced the 'Reg with the Atlas and the reliability reviews on that are terrible. The Atlas can only tow around 3000 lbs.

From what I've read, the major issues with Touregs are the timing chain tensioner failing which will take out the engine and the high pressure fuel pump failing and sending shrapnel through the engine. Some horror stories of the injectors failing as well. That being said... Google just about any car and you'll find they all have faults.

Good luck on the repair and it if helps I'd be glad to share the name and contact of the shop who worked on mine.

Cheers to you!
TBS
I agree they are amazing cars, mostly a Porsche Cayenne in disguise and while $50k was high for a VW my research showed that it was a bargain compared to the Q7/Cayenne. They are pretty reliable the key is to do the maintenance religiously espcially oil changes.

I looked into an extended warranty from the dealer but it was a ridiculous amount. I haven't checked 3rd party yet but haven't heard too many good things about them here in Canada. Having the VW extended warranty for the diesel gate was a big selling point for me.

Hopefully, you are able to recover something from the dealer. You have better protection in the US.

Enjoy it now that it's fixed!
 
#13 ·
Best of luck with the leak. I researched the various warranty services - some better than others. The one I went with is here in Chicagoland.

I wondered the same thing about having an independent mechanic work on the car and getting reimbursed from VW. In my case the parts weren't under the EPA warranty extension. That being said, I did notice my car has a 12 year unlimited mileage warranty on corrosion perforation. That's crazy!! I'm good for another 3 years. Then I took notice to the sheet metal. Its not the flimsy Toyota or Honda stuff. I watched a dealer promo video from 2013 and the roof panel is a continuous seam weld instead of spot welds.

I was looking through then Owner's Manual and other information - and found the window sticker... $54K. I also tried out the DVD players in the back of the front seat head rests... it was cool to see a Matrix DVD playing in the car.

Cheers, Merry Christmas and let me know how things turn out.
TBS
 
#15 ·
Best of luck with the leak. I researched the various warranty services - some better than others. The one I went with is here in Chicagoland.

I wondered the same thing about having an independent mechanic work on the car and getting reimbursed from VW. In my case the parts weren't under the EPA warranty extension. That being said, I did notice my car has a 12 year unlimited mileage warranty on corrosion perforation. That's crazy!! I'm good for another 3 years. Then I took notice to the sheet metal. Its not the flimsy Toyota or Honda stuff. I watched a dealer promo video from 2013 and the roof panel is a continuous seam weld instead of spot welds.

I was looking through then Owner's Manual and other information - and found the window sticker... $54K. I also tried out the DVD players in the back of the front seat head rests... it was cool to see a Matrix DVD playing in the car.

Cheers, Merry Christmas and let me know how things turn out.
TBS
I had a 2001 Audi before this which had a 7 year rust warranty that surprised me at the time. First sign of rust happened just when I sold it at age 15. A few years ago I was helping my mother-in-law buying a car and when I looked at VW I was surprised again that they had 10 year rust warranty. Hopefully I won't need to use it on the Treg as with the Audi.

It sounds like you are new to VW I'm sure you're going to love it, especially with the peace of mind the extended warranty provides. Look into the diesel age warranty though as the extended warranty is good for 4 years or 17x000kms or equivalent miles. There should be a sticker in the engine bay when the conversion was done.

Merry Christmas to you as well.
 
#14 ·
It started about a year ago when I topped up 1l and the warning light came on again about 6 months and 20,000kms later, then 4 months, 2 and the latest was 2 weeks and 500kms later.

Perfect time for Christmas and a 1000km round trip. I do notice some drops under the car more in the middle/front. My engine bay is pretty dusty and I don't see any obvious signs of leaks.

I have had no issues other than the emission related EGR/solenoid warranty items. My 2010 Treg went 200,000kms until a bit of coolant loss just before I traded it in. This one has 146,000kms currently. I also have a new EGR code in the engine which I haven't taken to the dealer to fix under warranty yet.

I have seen a YouTuber in New York City who had a leak and I believe it was a straightforward fix for him but it did cost over $1000 IIRC and it was a crack.

I searched and only found one person with a similar issue 8 months ago but no follow-ups.

P.S. I'm in Toronto and the weather has cooled off to around 0 degrees C. As things tend to shrink in the cold and it has been getting worse the last few months I suspect(hope) it's a simple leak.

Since this is not something I'm likely to work on myself I will try to get an appointment next week but any ideas are welcome before I do. Thanks
You've been driving willingly for the past year, knowing there is a leak? Its probably covered by emissions/power warranty. Not to mention an EGR code + coolant leak means they're likely related.


I'm going to pick up another bottle of coolant and procrastinate until after the holidays. The plan is hopefully the code comes back on at which point I will have the dealer look at it but if they want to start charging labor to investigate I will take it to my mechanic instead. If it does turn out to be EGR coolant related I will decide the best course of action then. I'm not sure if VW Canada would entertain picking up the tab from an independent mechanic or they would only honor the warranty through the dealer.
No, they're probably going to be pissed and might not even touch it now. Most independent shops don't know what they're doing with these.

I agree they are amazing cars, mostly a Porsche Cayenne in disguise and while $50k was high for a VW my research showed that it was a bargain compared to the Q7/Cayenne. They are pretty reliable the key is to do the maintenance religiously espcially oil changes.

I looked into an extended warranty from the dealer but it was a ridiculous amount. I haven't checked 3rd party yet but haven't heard too many good things about them here in Canada. Having the VW extended warranty for the diesel gate was a big selling point for me.

Hopefully, you are able to recover something from the dealer. You have better protection in the US.

Enjoy it now that it's fixed!
The base models started at $50k, usually $55k out the door.. thats a sport VR6. The TDI start around $60, usually $65-68k out the door. Hybrids were closer to $80k

Best of luck with the leak. I researched the various warranty services - some better than others. The one I went with is here in Chicagoland.

I wondered the same thing about having an independent mechanic work on the car and getting reimbursed from VW. In my case the parts weren't under the EPA warranty extension. That being said, I did notice my car has a 12 year unlimited mileage warranty on corrosion perforation. That's crazy!! I'm good for another 3 years. Then I took notice to the sheet metal. Its not the flimsy Toyota or Honda stuff. I watched a dealer promo video from 2013 and the roof panel is a continuous seam weld instead of spot welds.

I was looking through then Owner's Manual and other information - and found the window sticker... $54K. I also tried out the DVD players in the back of the front seat head rests... it was cool to see a Matrix DVD playing in the car.

Cheers, Merry Christmas and let me know how things turn out.
TBS
VAG has had 10 year corrosion/perforation warranties since 1999.....


No, Volkswagen will not reimburse private shops to do warranty or emissions work.
 
#16 ·
You've been driving willingly for the past year, knowing there is a leak? Its probably covered by emissions/power warranty. Not to mention an EGR code + coolant leak means they're likely related.




No, they're probably going to be pissed and might not even touch it now. Most independent shops don't know what they're doing with these.



The base models started at $50k, usually $55k out the door.. thats a sport VR6. The TDI start around $60, usually $65-68k out the door. Hybrids were closer to $80k



VAG has had 10 year corrosion/perforation warranties since 1999.....


No, Volkswagen will not reimburse private shops to do warranty or emissions work.
Sorry I'm no good with quotes especially multiple quotes...

Yeah, initially I saw that people had issues with cracked coolant tanks and since it was such a slow leak, not sure I would have called it a leak, I figured it was ok to top off. Now that it's more I am looking into it of course. I have been doing some research and there is a lot of discussion whether or not a water pump is covered. The typical experience seems to be that it should be, but it's not, at least not without causing a lot of fuss.

I drove it this morning and used a light and I see coolant on the belly pan and leaks from the front of the block. I see three pulleys and the one on the left has a small stream flowing from it and I also see evidence of leaks from the middle and right pulley as well. This seems more than just a water pump.

I found a thread on Reddit where someone had the same thought process as me regarding warranty inspection. It seems dealers in the US like to do inspection work to see if it is a warranty item and make you pay the labor after denying the claim and you're stuck with working with them since they have the engine apart at that time.

I had a similar conversation with my service manager when I had my EGR codes before. She said they have to inspect it to determine if it is covered and if not I'm on the hook for both the repair and the inspection. She reassured me that time that most likely it will be covered which I confirmed and went ahead.

This time it's not as straightforward, unfortunately.

Also, people are saying that in theory anything, except for the transmission, is covered under warranty as long as it throws a code. I'm not sure if they would go for it with the EGR code. Of course, the check engine light has gone out and hasn't come back on since. The last time I was told it had to be on for them to do the work even if the code was in the computer. Can you walk me through your logic why the two can be related? Because of the EGR cooler, even with the leaks I saw? I don't know where the EGR cooler is. As you can tell I'm not familiar with this engine. I'm like a new dad, learning on the job.

Regarding my mechanic, elsewhere people have gone to non-dealer VW specialists for an estimate and then to the dealer armed with an independent report. If I can get an estimate from my mechanic and it sounds reasonable I might just let him do it. Not sure about the Treg but I read it was a relatively easy job on other VW models.

Another thing is what's the expected life of a water pump? At 146000kms (just under 100k miles) is this premature?

I was estimating the price based on TB Shorty's comment. They were all over the place with the various trims levels and engine options. I do remember my 2010 was $55000 new and I'm sure the 2013 would have been more. Anyway, it was about $10,00 less than similarly equipped Q7/Cayennes. It's a much nicer vehicle than the Atlas. I believe the Atlas was/is ~$10000 less than the Treg. It's more of a minivan vs a luxury SUV.

Merry Christmas. Hopefully, you don't have to spend Christmas dealing with a mess like this.
 
#17 ·
Wow lots to reply to. Merry Christmas by the way.

If your coolant is streaming as you said it was, I would stop driving that car.. blow the engine up and NOBODY is going to cover it. By the way - I hope you're using VAG coolant g12 or g13 and thats IT in the car...

Second - going into the dealer for a diagnosis. You take them the car. If its warranty covered, they tell you and fix it. If its NOT.. they charge you a set diagnostic fee of 1-hour labor which is like $100 or something. Thats it. Now that you've let issues compound over time, half might be warranty, half not. There is also the possibility that they diagnose, you have it repaired.. but end up having to go back 2x, 3x etc until all of these ignored compounded issues are fixed one at a time. The transmission IS covered under the 10/100 warranty and also should be covered under the emissions warranty.

A fully loaded atlas can approach ~$62k, which would be a mid-grade TDI Touareg cost.
 
#18 ·
Wow lots to reply to. Merry Christmas by the way.

If your coolant is streaming as you said it was, I would stop driving that car.. blow the engine up and NOBODY is going to cover it. By the way - I hope you're using VAG coolant g12 or g13 and thats IT in the car...

Second - going into the dealer for a diagnosis. You take them the car. If its warranty covered, they tell you and fix it. If its NOT.. they charge you a set diagnostic fee of 1-hour labor which is like $100 or something. Thats it. Now that you've let issues compound over time, half might be warranty, half not. There is also the possibility that they diagnose, you have it repaired.. but end up having to go back 2x, 3x etc until all of these ignored compounded issues are fixed one at a time. The transmission IS covered under the 10/100 warranty and also should be covered under the emissions warranty.

A fully loaded atlas can approach ~$62k, which would be a mid-grade TDI Touareg cost.
I talked to the dealer and they confirmed if the water pump failed it wouldn't be catastrophic it would mean being stranded and needing a tow. I had a similar issue with an old Audi where I started losing coolant fast on a trip where I started getting the rising temp warnings. I kept adding coolant every 50kms or so just to get home (why do I feel deja vu as I write this? Probably mentioned this already). Dealer said as long as you don't drive it overheated you're fine. We made it one way with no major loss and should be fine on the way home as well unless things get worse.

I will let the dealer diagnose it and pay for it if it's not covered. I'm just going to make it clear to them not to spend major time without checking with me. IMHO an experienced dealer should be able to look at the visible leaks and provide a reasonable estimate in a relatively short time. I'm sure they will charge at least an hour but realistically it should take no more than half an hour. I was quoted a ball park CAD$1500 for a new water pump.

What's a 10/100 warranty? 10 year/ 100k mile? Most comments I have read say the extended emmission warranty does not cover the tranny but if it is still covered by the original warranty that is great. I'm not familiar with the original warranty other than the usual 4 years and the 10y corrosion protection

I will take your word on the prices as I haven't looked recently. I was repeating a youtube review where they said the Atlas was more of a people hauler minivan and the price dif. was about $10k. I assume they compared similarly equipped vehicles. This is neither here nor there as they say as I was simply pointing out that the Treg is a much nicer vehicle IMO. I have been in the dealer's Atlas shuttle.
 
#19 ·
10 year 100k warranty covers trans and so should emissions warranty. Trans aren't huge issues in these cars but I've seen replacement under emissions warranty
 
#20 ·
"I drove it this morning and used a light and I see coolant on the belly pan and leaks from the front of the block. I see three pulleys and the one on the left has a small stream flowing from it and I also see evidence of leaks from the middle and right pulley as well. This seems more than just a water pump."

Hi Syn,

My repair shop had to degrease the engine to troubleshoot the leak. As a side note, (and I think I mentioned it already) they replaced the serpentine belt because the coolant was running off the front of the engine down.

I did speak to the car dealer that sold me the car and they'll pay for about a third of the repair which (IMHO) is a pretty good deal. They could have flat out said no dice.

I also agree with VFL... driving your car with a leak is a recipe for bad things. I hated the idea of fixing mine, but didn't want to have a 'Reg with a blown diesel.

Now that I have the car back, I really like it a lot. Drove it in slushy snow over the weekend and it rolls true to a laser line on the highway. Plus I've noticed at cruising speeds ~70 to beyond.... this thing wants to run! Torque at cruising speed is amazing. My Escape was a bit faster, but wouldn't ever be able to keep up with the Reg on top end.

Cheers,
TBS
 
#24 · (Edited)
Hi Syn,

My repair shop had to degrease the engine to troubleshoot the leak. As a side note, (and I think I mentioned it already) they replaced the serpentine belt because the coolant was running off the front of the engine down.

I did speak to the car dealer that sold me the car and they'll pay for about a third of the repair which (IMHO) is a pretty good deal. They could have flat out said no dice.

Now that I have the car back, I really like it a lot. Drove it in slushy snow over the weekend and it rolls true to a laser line on the highway. Plus I've noticed at cruising speeds ~70 to beyond.... this thing wants to run! Torque at cruising speed is amazing. My Escape was a bit faster, but wouldn't ever be able to keep up with the Reg on top end.

Cheers,
TBS
Glad it worked out for you.

Treg's are great. When my wife and I were looking for a replacement for our Audi allroad she wanted something a bit higher so we looked at the Tiguan, rav4, forester etc. and while we were at the dealer waiting for the rep to bring a Tiguan around for a test drive I sat in the Treg they had in the showroom. As soon as I set in it I was like wow, this is cool! I'm 6'4" and it was spacious and felt like a tank. This was the 2010. I said to my wife let's take it for a test and she said no, it was too big, too expensive so fine. Then I saw a 2010 at a used lot and I convinced my wife to stop by for a test drive just to see. As soon as I took it up on the highway I was like crap, I gotta convince her to get this without giving much away. It was her turn and she was impressed with it as well.

Turned out it was a diesel and also an import from the US that was bought back by VW after multiple owners had fuel pump/rails/gas tank replaced but it had been driven in Canada for 4 years with no service history. We took a chance on it and got it really cheap with diesel gate still in limbo at the time. That one drove like a tank. I don't know what it's like driving a snowplow, but I think that's what it felt like. Then I returned it under the diesel deal and bought the 2013. This one I find is a sport version of the 2010 with less weight, better fuel consumption, and better handling. It doesn't coddle you with luxuries like an Audi or Mercedes might, but it has most of the functions.

BTW I don't know if you have heard but you can have the emission "fixes" deleted along with all the various hardware that will likely fail for you. When my extended warranty runs out I'm going to look into having it done to avoid future headaches.

Then,
 
#21 ·
Here's the "process" that my local "Dis-service Department" used for coolant loss:

A) Customer states that " INSERT CUSTOMER STATED PROBLEM HERE"
B) Dis-Service department, finds nothing wrong (?), charges a labor fee. (aka - free wallet dipping)
C) One month later, Customer Returns with SAME complaint. Dis-Service Department: "FINE -We'll look deeper" (WTF did they do the first time!?!?!?!)
D) Finds "A" problem, creates cost estimate, tries to get signature for repair.
E) Customer says "WHOA- Under warranty"........Dis-Service department: Evades like a slimy snake trying to undo what they just said.
F) Finally, agrees to repair, 2+ week wait, tries to evade loaner requirements........
G) Repair finally proceeds, dis-service department : " Hey, we can pad this bill by asking for unwarrantable labor while we have it apart". Customer understands their behavior, and declines unnecessary work.
H) Customer receives car finally... Begins losing coolant AGAIN later that year WTF!?!?!?!?
I) Takes car back refer to A)
J) Dis-service passes problem to a roaming wandering vagabond VW service expert. Expert removes nose pulley, finds water pump is obviously leaking, and the belt and engine dust shield are covered in oily coolant slime. 3 weeks later water pump is replaced, problem disappears, and has not returned since.
K) Customer hates them even more...............Vows to NEVER purchase another VAG product.

WELL DONE VW !!!!
 
#27 ·
I don't know if VW USA is stricter but my experience is that the dealers are usually happy to help out and fix things under warranty if they can. From what I understand they get less for labor but it beats nothing if I take it to an independent mechanic. I was actually going to say something to hint at that when I asked them if they'd advocate for me to get it done under warranty but decided against it which turned out to be the right call. I think they can put 2 and 2 together from last time when they quoted me on brakes and they didn't get the job.

I think it's sad when people with poor dealer experience are turned away from an otherwise great vehicle. My allroad was a similar situation. Doug Demuro had a video where he said the alroad was the worst car ever made. He completely missed the mark with that video. It was one of the greatest cars ever made, the problem was it was the first generation with lots of teething problems and expensive repairs. But when it worked it was three cars in one: a sports car in the lowest setting, a nice family wagon in normal height, and a capable offroad vehicle in the higher settings. Owners were very divided over it. Many thought like me that it was the best family vehicle without going with an SUV while others who couldn't afford the expensive maintenance were cursing it. But the consensus was that we couldn't come up with a replacement vehicle that would do everything and as well as the alroad did. To this day there isn't an equivalent because the new version doesn't have the adjustable suspension.

The Treg is the closest thing now with the diesel engine. Despite the size of the SUV it's more fuel efficient than my alroad was.
 
#22 ·
I've not had that experience with my Volkswagen dealer. Though, my 2.0TSI Tiguan was a real nightmare at the end of ownership.
 
#23 ·
FYI, The 10 year/100k mile warranty will cover the water pump. I recently had mine replaced under warranty on a 2013 V6 Exec. Would have been a $600 job otherwise.
 
#26 ·
Here's the update. It turns out I was right with my expectation that it should take about half an hour to test. I was willing to pay for one hour of labor to diagnose it and get an estimate. They were cagey about the EGR code and reconfirmed the engine light must be on for them to read the code and they said it might not be there in which case I'd be on the hook for $150 for the scan. I told them to only scan it if the engine light came on for them.

So they pressure tested it and also said the engine light came on resulting in the EGR code coming up for them. So they said the leak was from the EGR cooler and will fix it under warranty. Great news. At first, they were a bit hesitant and I got the impression that they weren't 100% sure it was leaking from the EGR cooler but with the EGR code they are able to fix it under warranty. I'm also going to see if they're willing to replace the belt as initially, they said coolant was getting on it. That should also be covered by the warranty.

They also found an oil leak at the fuel filter housing which seemed a bit odd to me but the liquid under the car seems like it might be oil though I never had to top it off, nor did I get a warning for low level. I had them change the fuel filter with a recent oil change. I'm waiting for parts and should have it fixed by next week.
 
#30 ·
Ahh. I could see that happening. Thankfully my dealer is phenomenal and I don't have this issue
 
#31 ·
So I'm picking up the car today. In the end, they said the EGR cooler wasn't leaking they just replaced some valve, I think he called it a diverter valve. I'm going to double check with them but I have this feeling that this valve was already replaced once shortly after I got the car. That means it lasted less than three years. More like two.

They also gave me an estimate for the oil leaks, for which I'm going to start a new thread. In a nutshell, they are quoting just under $5000 including tax.
 
#32 ·
What exactly did they say is leaking
 
#35 ·
Find another dealer. Yes, over time a car will lose fractions of coolant, but it should never be a jarring moment in time where one minute you're at level and the next moment you're low.
 
#37 ·
Make sure warranty doesn't cover it, first.
 
#44 ·
Well, VW Canada told me it's not covered. That's it. No reasons other than saying it's not covered under the emissions warranty. I'm still waiting for my SM to get back to me. Last update was it's with the warranty administrator.

In the meantime, my search found an interesting post over on TDIClub claiming that any warranty dispute has to be settled in the consumer's favor. I created an account there and posted asking for a reference. If anyone here knows anything about this please let me know. At this point, I still haven't read the actual lawsuit settlement document. I recall going through it at the time but now I need to locate it again.
 
#46 ·
Yes, it does explicitly state that
 
#48 ·
Thanks for that, I'm not familiar with this part of the mechanics and didn't think about that cooler using the same system. I wonder then if previous work by the dealer would cause this. On my 35 year old Supra I had my mechanic change all the inaccessible coolant hoses when I had my head gasket replaced and I had to go back three times to tighten things up after I found puddles under the car. These connections lasted 30 years and the mechanic wasn't able to secure them properly causing a leak within a week. If it wasn't for German engineering, I would only drive Japanese cars :).

I like your idea of having it done under warranty as part of the EGR issue. It's definitely worth a try. I was going to wait until my next oil change but now I will get them to look at the EGR code and mention the leak.
Did you get it fixed ?
 
#49 ·
It started about a year ago when I topped up 1l and the warning light came on again about 6 months and 20,000kms later, then 4 months, 2 and the latest was 2 weeks and 500kms later.

Perfect time for Christmas and a 1000km round trip. I do notice some drops under the car more in the middle/front. My engine bay is pretty dusty and I don't see any obvious signs of leaks.

I have had no issues other than the emission related EGR/solenoid warranty items. My 2010 Treg went 200,000kms until a bit of coolant loss just before I traded it in. This one has 146,000kms currently. I also have a new EGR code in the engine which I haven't taken to the dealer to fix under warranty yet.

I have seen a YouTuber in New York City who had a leak and I believe it was a straightforward fix for him but it did cost over $1000 IIRC and it was a crack.

I searched and only found one person with a similar issue 8 months ago but no follow-ups.

P.S. I'm in Toronto and the weather has cooled off to around 0 degrees C. As things tend to shrink in the cold and it has been getting worse the last few months I suspect(hope) it's a simple leak.

Since this is not something I'm likely to work on myself I will try to get an appointment next week but any ideas are welcome before I do. Thanks
Did you fix the problem ? Did you chanhe the erg cooler ?
 
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