What type of antifreeze or glycol should be run in 1.9 L IDI?

[vwnybs]

Hello I have a 95 VW jetta 1.9L IDI   what type of antifreeze should i be using? Do i need to buy vw antifreeze or will any brand work as long as it is compatible with a diesel engine?

[Vincent Waldon]

The most important question is:  what colour is the stuff in the engine now?

This is important because there are combinations that will work and combinations that will gel.

[RadoTD]

^^ What Vince said.

If you're just topping it up, match the colour that's in there.

If you're going to completely flush it and start from nothing, spend the extra few bucks and get VW's G11 coolant. It's about $20 for more than enough from the stealership, so it's not that bad... independent tests have been done and it is better

The generic green stuff does work though

[cervelorod]

Not to be an ass, but use something that is pet friendly.  Whilst building some parts for my IDI on Saturday at a friends, my beagle found some ethylene glycol, and I spent 12 hours caring for him, before we had to put him down.  Sad and totally preventable...

Rod
1990 Jetta IDI - soon to be TD, with SVO.

[Vincent Waldon]

That's not being an ass... that's a great call-out if you have pets or young kids... sorry for your loss. 

[R.O.R-2.0]

Not to be an ass, but use something that is pet friendly.  Whilst building some parts for my IDI on Saturday at a friends, my beagle found some ethylene glycol, and I spent 12 hours caring for him, before we had to put him down.  Sad and totally preventable...

Rod
1990 Jetta IDI - soon to be TD, with SVO.

i just accept the fact that i have kids and pets running around.. i have an antifreeze drain bucket that is about impossible to have kids or pets get into..

just remember that kids and animals think anti-freeze tastes good.. dont leave it laying around where they can easily get it.

a couple weeks ago, my buddies dog got into a bucket of antifreeze.. they took him to the vet, and the vets administered alcohol.. they got the dog absolutely hammered to fix the antifreeze poisoning.. the week after that he ate a bottle of brake fluid..

[maxfax]

But Kevin, antifreeze does taste good!!   

 Well at least it used to..  Anyone else notice that most popular brands are now adding something that makes it extremely bitter..  It kinda tastes like brake fluid now..  Usually its labeled "Contains Bitterant" or "Bitterguard"  Why it took so long to do this I don't know...

[theman53]

I had a stray cat that took up residence in my house before I was married. I could not get rid of it or even within 10 feet without it going NUTS. After trying to throw blanket on it to get it out and then it peeling 3 layer of skin off of me. I put out a dish with a little bit a bacon grease and a quart of antifreeze. That thing licked the bowl dry. It ran around for several weeks. I had to dispose of it in other ways. I was very dissapointed in antifreeze as a poison.

[maxfax]

That's horrible, and I'm not laughing hysterically..

The one antifreeze that hasn't been brought up is good ole Dex Cool..  I'd avoid using that stuff in anything..  Allegedly it was reformulated back in '03/'04 to fix it's issues (even though according to GM there was nothing ever wrong with it  )  Nasty stuff!!  Haven;t had enough time to see if it really is fixed... Typically it's the orange crap...

[theman53]

I tried to be nice, but in the end I was not. Sorry if it offends any, but it sucked. The thing would eat my food out of the pantry and then laugh like bugs bunny while saying I was #1 while it went #2 on my floors.

[maxfax]

OKay, I admit, I was lying..  I'm still laughing hysterically...

[R.O.R-2.0]

OKay, I admit, I was lying..  I'm still laughing hysterically...

i like animals, i really do..

but that story about made me crap my pants from laughing..

 

[vwnybs]

Its pink

[Vincent Waldon]

Pink in a VW is usually G12/G12+/G12++ which is the factory-recommended antifreeze for late-model VW's including diesels, and a very good life-time coolant.

The G12 family are *not* backwards compatible with most other coolants, including the standard green stuff, and will gel and gum up the works if mixed.

It's not all that expensive from the dealer, but Napa and other FRAPs also carry it under the "Pentosin" brand.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Pink in a VW is usually G12/G12+/G12++ which is the factory-recommended antifreeze for late-model VW's including diesels, and a very good life-time coolant.

The G12 family are *not* backwards compatible with most other coolants, including the standard green stuff, and will gel and gum up the works if mixed.

It's not all that expensive from the dealer, but Napa and other FRAPs also carry it under the "Pentosin" brand.

how on earth did i get green G12 then? i got a gallon of it when i bought my 89 4runner.. it didnt gum up or gel on me either..