Gordon and/or Cecilia Bonham wrote: > > I bought a 1990 Westie yesterday. During the heads inspection, which > checked out ok, the local VW dealer noticed that coolant was leaking out > of the expansion tank, apparently at the sensor port. > I need advice on refilling the cooling system after I remove and > check/replace the expansion tank. I remember from owning an 82 diesel > that refilling was a several step procedure and suspect that the 2.1 may > be the same. I have not had time to get a Bentley or a Hanes manual and > so far have been unable to find the information I need in the archives. > Thanks to those who gave me advice on thing to check for prior to > purchase. > Gordon Bonham The coolant sensor on my van recently started to leak. I replaced the entire sensor, about $8.00 from the dealer. There is a rubber O-ring on the sensor that appears to loose its ability to seal the unit. You can problably pick up the O-ring for pennies somewhere, if you are on a budget. I did not drain down the expansion tank when I replace the sensor. I worked quickly and I kept the rest of the system tightly capped, keeping most of the fluid in the tank. What minor amount leaked out was easily cleaned up. If you need to remove the tank then you would need to bleed the system which is covered in Bentley. In general, you have to remove the front grille, raise the front of the vehicle 8"+/- and loosen the bleed screw on the radiator. Run the engine until the coolant runs out of the bleed valve. Keep an eye on the tanks and fill them as required. It may take several hours to completely bleed the system. Good luck. John S |
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