OK, so you all know how the stealership and many people here preach about using Audi Antifreeze Part no. G 012 A8FA4 Aluminum Compatible Ethylene Glycol (AKA the pink stuff) and how there are horror stories about what happens to seals, hoses and rads if you don't use it. Wellllllll, I have a small coolant leak and was at the stealership buying the pink stuff when I ran into the mechanic that sold me my first VW 15 years ago. He has since opened his own shop and only works on German cars. Ironically enough he was also there to get some seals to fixacoolant leak on his wife's car.It was a nice surprise to have met him at the time that I did. After catching up on old times and exchanging pleasantries, I asked him what he thought of the pink stuff versus the green stuff (AKA Prestone 2). He got pretty passionate about the subject stating very boldly in front the parts guy that the pink stuff is KILLING seals and hoses and whatnot whereas he never saw these problems (i.e. replacing a rad that has only been in the car for 5 years) with the green stuff. I asked him if I should go ahead and buy the pink stuff and he said, "Might as well seeing as how you're low on coolant but let me put it to you this way.... Today I'm replacing some seals to fix the coolant leak and I WON'T be putting the pink stuff back in the carfrom here on in."

I'm not saying his word is the end all and be all of Audi repair but what do y'all think of this encounter? I trust him quite allot as he is very honest so I really have no reason to doubt what he says. My thinking is that if he's going to do this on his wife's car then would it not make sense to do this on mine? Any thoughts?

 

My uncle has owned a shop in ND for 20-30 years and does a lot with VW and other imports. He told me to save my $ and just buy universal anti-freeze which is what he uses in all the cars thatcall for the pink.(with no problems)

 

interesting. and i just bought a liter of the pink stuff[:@]. did he say why he thought the pink stuff was killing the seals?

 

He could not explain why it was killing the seals or how it is doing it ("I'm not a chemist"). He just said that he never thad those problems with the green stuff. Now a good question here is.... Does it change things if the car is a Turbo? That, I forgot to ask him.

 

My car came with the green stuff (bought it used) and have only put green stuff back in, and I have never had any leaking or overheating problems.

 

The green stuff leaks just as much.

 

When my mechanic did the timing belt job at 84K mi., he replaced the G-12
with global yellow antifreeze. I now have 123K mi. with no problems.

 

Great..... You have anything to back that up?

 

I've got the green stuff in my 12v. No issues there either...