Be wary at the dealer--there are different types/colors of Autobahn brand,
and I've had them try to sell me the wrong stuff more than once.
bmc  :)
"Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...."

> From: Brent Christensen <sbsyncro@HOTMAIL.COM>
> Reply-To: Brent Christensen <sbsyncro@HOTMAIL.COM>
> Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 09:55:39 -0700
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: was To buy or not to buy: 87 Westy NOW: Green Coolant?
>
> You can also just ask for "Autobahn" coolant.  It is spec'd for all aluminum
> engined VW and Audi cars, AFAIK.  Any VW dealer should carry it.  (Even my
> mechanic stocks it).  IIRC it is about $15 a gallon or something like that.
> (not pre-mixed)
>
> I also firmly believe (based on personal observations of mine and other
> people's WBX's) that there are three critical things to prolonging the life
> of your heads:
>
> 1. Proper coolant
> 2. Maintain engine ground straps
> 3. Change coolant regularly (I do it every Spring)
>
> My original motor had 168,000 before needing to have the heads done
> (actually the entire engine was replaced).  It was always serviced (by the
> PO) at the original dealership where it was purchased, and the coolant was
> changed annually (with Autobahn).
>
> Most of the other Vanagon owners who report high mileage without head leaks
> follow a similar program.  (Perhaps this is faulty cause and effect
> reasoning, but I believe it is common sense maintenance at any rate)
>
> Brent Christensen
> '89 GL Syncro Westy
> Santa Barbara, CA
>
>
>
>> From: Stones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
>> Reply-To: Stones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: was To buy or not to buy:  87 Westy NOW: Green Coolant?
>> Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 11:44:25 -0400
>>
>> At 11:14 AM 5/31/02 -0400, Eric wrote:
>>> OK, this whole proper coolant for Vanagon issue seems somewhat baffling
>>> to
>>> me.  Someone in a recent posting offering advice on whether to buy a
>>> Westy
>>> said they were concerned about the green coolant.  My coolant is green
>>> straight out of the container.  It is Prestone brand.  It says safe for
>>> all
>>> aluminum parts on the label, but it doesn't say phosphate free.  So is
>>> Prestone safe?  If not, what brands are safe?  What do phosphates damage
>>> in
>>> the engine?
>>
>> The "blue goo", the coolant specifically designed to prevent head
>> gasket-itis (PN: G 011V8BA1,   Mat No. G 011 V8B JB) is almost a green
>> color.
>> At it's price I don't know if it's worth it, about $20-$25 for 1.5L, but I
>> haven't had head-gasket-itis in 7 years accumulating about 200,000 km. The
>> dealership morons tell me that that part number doesn't exist until I speak
>> really slowly reading it off of the clearly VW bottle, then they say that
>> it's never been available in North America which makes me wonder which
>> continent I drove to to buy it.
>> Now I know this is going to bring the spammers out of the woodwork to flame
>> me for paying too much for coolant, I know I did, but it has lasted a
>> while, you needn't educate me on shopping.
>> Basically, I suppose I'm just saying it doesn't matter what color they make
>> it, what matters is whether it will help to pit your aluminum heads and
>> de-grade your gasket. Phosphates can certainly cause problems with the
>> gaskets of aluminum headed engines.
>
>
>
>
>
>
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