Every H20 VW I have owned (6) specifies phosphate free coolant.  I have seen
some cars with a factory sticker on the resevoir specifying phophate free
coolant.  VW is not kidding.  The Bentley specifies this also.  Phosphate is
bad for any aluminum head motor.  If you have a GTi motor, then I would try
to find a Bentley manual for what ever chassis it came from (A2 or A3) so
you can properly take care of it.

Rich Blake

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Blackburn <blackburn@CODENET.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Date: Friday, May 31, 2002 9:56 AM
Subject: Re: NOW: Green Coolant?

>Hi Rich and all,
>
>I thought that the green (phospate included) coolants where bad for just
>water boxers, due to the material of the heads.  Your saying that all
>watercooled VW's are susceptible to the same corroded head syndrome if you
>don't use the blue stuff.  Just curious since I am getting a van this
>weekend with a Eurospec 8V GTI conversion in it instead of the water boxer.
>
>TIA,
>
>Mike
>Soon to own a 1990 Syncro Adventurewagen
>
>---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
>
>From: R Blake <blake@OAKHARBOR.NET>
>Reply-To: R Blake <blake@OAKHARBOR.NET>
>Date:          Fri, 31 May 2002 09:38:33 -0700
>
>Green coolant is bad for all H20 VWs.  Prestone does make phosphate free
>coolant but it is orange in color, it specifically says phosphate free on
>the label.  I use it in my H20 VWs because it is easy to find and cheap.  I
>also use nothing but distilled water (tap water will corrode your motor)
and
>some Redline water wetter.  I normally use only 25% coolant to water ratio.
>
>Rich Blake
>88 GTi16v
>88 Jetta8v
>01 NB 1.8t
>wish I had a westy
>>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
>Of R Blake
>Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 10:39 AM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: was To buy or not to buy: 87 Westy NOW: Green Coolant?
>
>
>Green coolant is bad for all H20 VWs.  Prestone does make phosphate free
>coolant but it is orange in color, it specifically says phosphate free on
>the label.  I use it in my H20 VWs because it is easy to find and cheap.  I
>also use nothing but distilled water (tap water will corrode your motor)
and
>some Redline water wetter.  I normally use only 25% coolant to water ratio.
>
>Rich Blake
>88 GTi16v
>88 Jetta8v
>01 NB 1.8t
>wish I had a westy
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ben McCafferty <ben@KBMC.NET>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Date: Friday, May 31, 2002 9:23 AM
>Subject: Re: was To buy or not to buy: 87 Westy NOW: Green Coolant?
>
>
>>Reportedly the orange juice from Havoline is safe as well.  I get the blue
>>stuff at the dealer in the US for $14.80 per gallon, so it must be a bit
>>higher in Canada.
>>I use the blue stuff, once every year or two.
>>bmc :)
>>"Faith will move mountains, but you'd better bring a shovel...."
>>
>>
>>> From: Stones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
>>> Reply-To: Stones <sstones@IDIRECT.COM>
>>> Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 11:44:25 -0400
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: was To buy or not to buy:  87 Westy NOW: Green Coolant?
>>>
>>> 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.
>>>
>>
>