Not your normal oil problem please help

**GTI6R** · 03-04-2014, 08:15 PM

Hi guys I've notice a little bit of oil under my car red in colour.. Upon further inspection I can't seem to find the source of the oil only the once I get my hand to the bottom of the radiator I can feel and oily feel to it. Any one have any idea where this oil is coming from red In colour. Is there a transmission cooler between the radiator? Help
Calling vw tomorrow

**Umai Naa!!** · 03-04-2014, 08:56 PM

Red?

Won't be transmission oil. That's gold in colour.

Put some white sheets of paper down where you think the leak might be, and leave the car to sit overnight.

**GTI6R** · 03-04-2014, 10:26 PM

I think I might have found the problem. I think one of the intercooler hoses might have been a bit loose.. A few little oil marks around there but under boost who knows how much it might have been spitting out. I've tightened it up just must wait and see.

**nomadx38** · 04-04-2014, 07:42 AM

It could be 2 things. One could be the power steering fluid, or it could be the G13 radiator coolant.

If its on the left side it could be the power steering fluid as the electric pump and reservoir are just behind the foglight. Could be leaking or overfilled.

If it's on the right side it could be that they topped up the coolant at a service (or PD) and spilt some which will run down to the front.

Both the G13 concentrate and power steering are red in colour and quite thick like oil.

Just a few other places to look

**GTI6R** · 04-04-2014, 08:24 AM

Is the water pump meant to stay on after you turn the car off? My car has always kind of made a squeaking sound from the water pump ( I thought vw changed it under warranty ) and is never on after I turn the car off. If I come back to my car 5 mins after turning it off the temp of the coolant is around 92c on my ultra gauge is this normal ?

**nomadx38** · 04-04-2014, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by GTI6R

Is the water pump meant to stay on after you turn the car off? My car has always kind of made a squeaking sound from the water pump ( I thought vw changed it under warranty ) and is never on after I turn the car off. If I come back to my car 5 mins after turning it off the temp of the coolant is around 92c on my ultra gauge is this normal ?

Depends on the conditions. If you have a lot of start stop traffic and heat up the engine just before tuning it off the fan will continue to go for about 2mins. I think there may be a electric auxiliary pump that supplies some coolant around.

Usually the hissing sound you hear after turing of the car is the DSG mechatronics releasing pressure off the solenoids. Sounds like hiss...hiss...hiss.

My water pump used to have a squeak when it was new 0-20,000km but now at 70,000 there is nothing. It would be when you let it warm up it would sound like eep eep eep.

92 degrees is normal especially if your cabin temperature setting is set to cold as the heat exchanger is bypassed and the engine coolant is heated up quicker. Also I tend to find that the UltraGauge can exaggerate what the temperature is. Because it directly reads what the sensor is putting out the temperatures can spike quickly (after a restart I have had it hit 130deg) but it's not representative of what the actual engine is running at as normal gauges have a slow moving needle and the data averaged out.

**buzuki** · 04-04-2014, 04:55 PM

It will be coolant, really need to get it pressure tested and on a hoist.

The power steering is not red.

**nomadx38** · 04-04-2014, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by buzuki

It will be coolant, really need to get it pressure tested and on a hoist.

The power steering is not red.

Not exactly sure about the Polos power steering fluid as I haven't looked myself (but you have jogged my memory about reading somewhere in the workshop manuals about it using a common type of oil) but any other car has red power steering fluid.

I guess in this case it would be radiator coolant. Was it thick and sticky like oil when you touched it or thinner like water?