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Hey all, I am about to pull the trigger on a used A4 with 29k miles (non-CPO, still under factory warranty) and I couldn't help but notice the coolant color is mixed. Maybe I am being a bit paranoid, but can anyone care to share their thoughts or under the hood pics of their A4 and see if this is normal or someone topped off the coolant with an off-brand one? I just don't want my warranty jeopardized. I have the picture attached.
Hey all, I am about to pull the trigger on a used A4 with 29k miles (non-CPO, still under factory warranty) and I couldn't help but notice the coolant color is mixed. Maybe I am being a bit paranoid, but can anyone care to share their thoughts or under the hood pics of their A4 and see if this is normal or someone topped off the coolant with an off-brand one? I just don't want my warranty jeopardized. I have the picture attached.
Coolant should be uniformly pink/purple in color throughout. I can't tell for sure from the photograph you posted, but it seems like there's a separation of liquids with different colors within the coolant reservoir. Usually there is at least some circulation such that anything poured in to top off eventually ends up mixed with the rest of the coolant, which makes this a little strange to me.
I run to the paranoid end of things, but if you think there are non-VAG and VAG coolants mixed I'd be somewhat leery of the car. There may be nasty precipitates of silicates that form over time and can clog smaller coolant passages in the block or heater cores in cars with mixed coolant types.
It's not unreasonable in my opinion to flush the coolant completely every 3 to 4 years. Although the fluid is supposed to be "lifetime" anyway, you will hear a range of thoughts about this.
I'm assuming the darkish stuff doesn't contain oil, which would be kind of distinctly unfortunate...
Last edited by bvariant; 06-03-2021 at 05:27 PM.
Reason: added reference to oil
If you are buying from Coventry Motor Car in CT, Brian is very good and so are his mechanics. Talk to him and ask him, in my experience he is honest and I would trust him.
If you are buying from Coventry Motor Car in CT, Brian is very good and so are his mechanics. Talk to him and ask him, in my experience he is honest and I would trust him.
06-03-2021, 04:10 PM
Mixed coolant color on a used A4
