Hey guys, I went to my dealer today and they told me my car needed a coolant flush. They wanted 190 bucks for the service so I went to a Firestone Car Service, but they were not sure if Audis use a special antifreeze. They called the dealer so they could give them advise, but the guy from the service department said that it has to be only antifreeze provided by them.

Is this true? I just want to make sure the Audi dealer is not saying that to make me bring my car there and no other place and charge me like 200 bucks!!! HELP!

Thanks!!

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In the UK two types of antifreeze longe life Eg 5 years .....RED in colour I use in the CAT Excavator and some fords
Or Second antifreeze is one to two years...Blue or Green in colour in all other Excavator...car and vans

IN some cases the WATER is Purified and NOT tap water

But as for the AUDI ?

Trev

 

Thanks for the reply Trev M. But
So this antifreeze, it can be bought in a regular auto store or do I have to bring my car to the dealer? Cuz what the dealer said it was that I had to use their antifreeze cuz no other antifreezes on the market worked on my audi. It is a 2002 A6 2.7T with 47000 miles on it. ??????

 

AT the end of the day antifreeze is antifreeze
some will mix and some do not mix with the antifreeze in the car
Or you can drain the water/antifreeze and refill with a antifreeze you are happy with
Or go to the dealer look at there antifreeze look at the spec if you can and then go to your regular auto store and get that spec of antifreeze for your car


Trev


ps. WHY do you need a coolant flush?

 

I went to the dealer so they could take a look to my car cuz it was leaking. They told me the differential seal needed to be replaced and they also told me my coolant was dirty. They advised that a coolant flush had to be done. They wanted me to charge me 180 bucks for the coolant flush and thats when I went to an auto care service. They were not sure tho if Audis need a special antifreeze or something so they called the dealer and thats when the dealer told them that it had to be antifreeze that only Audi dealers have. Thats when I was like that sounds like bull%#%$ so I wanted to know through here if that was true since people here know more about Audis than me. I just got mine last year so...

Thanks for the help Trev. I appreciate it man.

 

Sorry to say that I'm not going to give you the answer that you want. Yes, there is a special antifreeze, and yes, you should purchase it from the dealer. However, you may save some money and get it at a VW dealer instead of an Audi only dealer. However, there is nothing that would prevent you from purchasing the antifreeze from the parts counter and taking it to an independent mechanic at a less expensive shop rate.

It is actually very important to use the correct antifreeze in your vehicle. For instance, if you were to ever purchase a used Mercedes, and you see that it has yellow Prestone type antifreeze in it, then RUN, don't walk away from that car.

With the new Hybrid Organic Acit Technology (HOAT) type antifreezed used in German automobiles, a lot of research has gone into the chemistry. With aluminum engine blocks, it is very important to maintain the passive corrosion layer on the aluminum. That aluminum oxide layer is what actually protects the metal. You also should worry about what type of flushing agent the shop is going to use. Often these contain either citric or muratic acid, or a mix of both. When a flush is done well, it removes any fouling and scaling on the heat exchange surfaces that hinder heat transfer in both the motor and in the radiator. Done poorly they can etch the metal, ruin the nicely passivated metal surfaces, and thus shorten the lifespan of the radiator or the motor.

Also, flushing with tap water is perfectly fine, but the final coolant / antifreeze mixture should only contain the VAG approved antifreeze and distilled water. Any minerals in the water can and will cause the minerals to scale inside the motor again... and you just flushed to remove the scaling... at $1 per gallon at any grocery store, it really flabergasts me when people overlook this. Remember: distilled water, not drinking water.

Also, I also strongly recommend replacing the thermostat every time you change coolant.

 

This really isn't true for German cars in the USA. German cars all use HOAT type antifreeze (Hybrid Organic Acid Technology), and the only commercially available antifreeze outside of the dealer that I am aware of is Zerex G5.

For instance, put an Organic Acid Technology type antifreeze (Prestone extended life type) in a Mercedes, and what will result is problems with the water pump seals, problems with excess corrosion, and problems with the plastic parts, especially the neck, on the radiator. This is a well known, well documented issue in Mercedes circles.

Even though the Zerex is a suitable replacement, I still buy the Mercedes coolant for my 300E. So when I went to the Audi dealer, I didn't balk at the cost of the VAG coolant either...

 

Thanx for the advise GPZ. Now I know that I have to use G12 or G12+, that they can be mix too and that they can also be purchased online too at ECStuning.com. I am gonna change the thermostat too. Thanks to everyone for the replies!!!!! I appreciate it.

 

Can anyone help me and let me know where the drain plug is in the radiator in my 2004 a6? I went out and bought the G-12 antifreeze and going to flush and replace the fluid myself. Pics if anyone has them? The dealer i bought the car from saw it was low and put regular coolant in and its low again after a few days because it burns at a much lower temp and burned out. so you better buy the right coolant and mix the right amount.