2001 Volkswagen Golf Coolant Level Runs Out Quickly

BOLTS32

MEMBER
2001 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
1.4L
V6
2WD
MANUAL
115,000 MILES

Hi all,
I've not had this vehicle long and the first I noticed of the coolant running low was from the warning light.
I checked the coolant level and it was low. I topped it up and kept my eye on it. It doesn't run out really fast but the fluid level seems to drop faster than other cars I've had.
I've checked the hoses running from the coolant bottle to the radiator and there are no obvious signs of leaking.
Any help would be amazing.
Cheers guys.
Lance.

6 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,873 POSTS

If there are no obvious signs of leakage under the car, a leaking cylinder head gasket is a good suspect. The best way to prove that is to add a small bottle of dark purple dye to the coolant, then check a day later with a black light. The dye will show up as a bright yellow stain that you can follow back to the source. If the head gasket is leaking, you'll find the dye inside the tail pipe. Auto parts stores will have the dye, and those that rent or borrow tools should have a black light.

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Wednesday, September 9th, 2015 AT 5:48 PM

BOLTS32

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4 POSTS

Thank you for your reply.
I've looked under the car and there are no signs of leakage anywhere. I checked the reservoir which is now just over half full, I filled it up about a month ago. If it is a leaking head gasket is that a major problem or something I can fix myself?
Cheers,
Lance.

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Thursday, September 10th, 2015 AT 4:08 AM

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
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Head gaskets are a major job and usually fairly expensive. You'll want to leave that to an engine specialist because of the need for special tools, special testing and inspection procedures, and critical assembly procedures. There's a real lot of things that can go wrong if proper procedures aren't followed.

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Thursday, September 10th, 2015 AT 9:12 PM

BOLTS32

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Well let's hope it's not the head gasket then! As soon as I have done the thing with dye I will get back to you.
Cheers.

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Friday, September 11th, 2015 AT 10:01 AM

BOLTS32

MEMBER
4 POSTS

So I added the chemical to the coolant and used a UV torch to find the leak. After loads of searching I found a small amount of tge luminous fluid at the front of the car. Please excuse my lack of knowledge so I'll try to explain best I can. If you were to pear into the engine from the front of the car you can see the fluid on the bottom left at the front of the engine compartment. It appears to be just under the radiator. That's the only place I could see it. There was only a small amount of luminous fluid.