I'm replacing my thermostat and the kit on ECS has what appears to be G13.
Audi B5 A4 Quattro 1.8T Engine Cooling ES#2581800 Cooling System Refresh Kit - Level 1 - 8D0959481BKT-2

1) Is g13 ok for my car
2) Do I need to flush my coolant system of g12 before adding the G13?
3) Can I still find G12 and should I use it if I can.

Thanks!

 

I'm pretty sure Audi only sells G13 now. When I bought coolant earlier this summer, that's what they sold me and told me it's fine to add to the existing coolant.

I found that buying the G13 coolant at Audi was cheaper than buying the G12 from the local NAPA. I think Audi charged me 25 for a gallon of unmixed, and Napa wanted $30 for 1 liter of unmixed G12.

 

There appears to be quite some confusion on the coolant to be used in VAG systems. The original B5 specification called for G012, which is still available from aftermarket suppliers such as Ravenol and Pentosin for about 20$US per litre. The Pentosin 'Pentofrost SF' is without silicates, which is for VAG engines built from mid-1996 through 2005 MY and is purple/violet in colour.

If you choose to use the G13 coolant, it is always wise to flush the system if it has already been drained to replace a component such as the thermostat or water pump.

 

I've always gone with hepu g12, available at pretty much any parts store specializing in european cars, costs no more than $25 for 4 litres unmixed. If you absolutely have to use G13 for whatever reason it's fully backwards-compatible so mix all you want, it'll probably turn a weird colour thought because g12 is pink and g13 is purple.

 

Alright thanks guys.

Hey wait! ECS sells G12++ from Pentosin. Can I use ++, +, or just regular G12?

Maybe I can ask them to sub the G12++ (if that ++ will work) into that thermo kit and charge me the $6 difference.
Just make things more kosher

 

G12++ works too, but honestly you'd be better off buying the coolant locally and save a bunch on shipping, you'd also be able to buy a gallon for the price of 2 1L bottles so you'll have a bunch left over for when you inevitably spring a leak later on. Also, in my experience ECS kits don't save you any money over buying the parts separately, and sometimes they're actually more expensive.

EDIT: Took a quick look at that kit and all I have to say is stay the hell away. It's all aftermarket parts, which is a no-no with cooling system stuff. I could walk into my local dealership right now and piece together the same kit for the same price, and everything is more expensive up in Canada. I don't know if it's just my local dealer being selling parts at less of a markup than others, but from my experience OEM cooling system parts are priced very reasonably, I've actually bought OEM parts direct from a dealer for cheaper than aftermarket.

 

Shipping wasn't as bad as I thought it would be especially because I was getting a couple other items but I'll look into getting the coolant locally

 

+1 on using only genuine Audi parts for the critical items of the cooling system since they are very involved from a labour standpoint to install.

Pentosin++ is designed for Audi systems from 2006 onwards and contains silicates, which can cause clogging in the earlier systems. Pentosin 'Pentofrost SF' is for systems from mid-1996 through 2005 MY and is without silicates.

 

How big of an issue is this? I mistakenly put some non-SF Pentosin in my AHA a couple years ago. Now I have the first heater core issues I've had in an Audi and wonder if that's the reason.

 

Some members of this forum will take exception to this, but the reason for manufacturer specifications is to avoid issues like corroded aluminium castings or blocked heater and radiator cores. The factory has a reason for recommending certain coolants and lubricants based on the composition of the components involved. If the systems prior to 2005 did not require silicates, it is probably wise to not add them since they can form solids and be the source of so many issues I read about on this forum.

When someone at a parts house says their coolant is 'compatible with all other types and brands' and can be readily mixed, walk away quickly...