What coolant do i need to put into my 01 VW Golf. The temperature gauge is almost in the red!?

Question 1
What coolant do i need to put into my 01 VW Golf. The temperature gauge is almost in the red!?...  Also where in the engine does it go?

Answers
1)   Any good coolant but do it now, make sure the coolant is between the two markers, if you already have coolant and it is already between the two markers or halfway you may need to get the thermostat changed. - Ken D

2)   What color is your coolant? If it has a green or greenish yellow tint, you need ethylene glycol. If it is reddish you need propylene glycol. follow the mixing instructions on the container with regard to the freeze protection you need. For ethylene glycol I use a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water. Some places sell premixed. Be sure what it is you are buying.
Fill the radiator. Do this when the engine is cold. Remove the cap (when cold) and fill the radiator to the top. Replace the cap and fill the overflow jug to the cold line.
The next question you need to ask is why was the level low. A vehicle should not use antifreeze since it is a closed loop system. you have a hose leak, a radiator leak, a bad water pump seal, a leaking thermostat housing gasket or a leak in the water jacket or head gasket. Pull the dipstick for the engine oil. If it is milky or emulsified you have a lot bigger problems that low coolant level, - Carl

3)   You can go to any parts store and get premixed Antifreeze and you put it in your radiator.That is at the front of your car behind the grill. Depends on what climate you are in to what kind you use. Just go to your local parts store and they can help you out and point you in the right direction. - DADDY

4)   water wil work can buy coolant at any parts store just ask them which one you need
you add to radiator and over flow jug

too radiator when motor is cold to over flow when hot easy to just stop any shop and ask where or how can even type into search box

how to add coolant
how to check coolant - kelly_f_1999

5)   Don't be tempted to put tap water in as there are aluminium parts in the engine and cooling system which will become corroded very quickly. In fact I always use distilled water and a good quality antifreeze in a 50-50 mix. - Gizzard Puke

6)   if your gauge is almost in the red, the first thing I would look at is to see if there is any coolant in your expansion container. (when liquids get hot they expand taking up more room so that extra coolant is stored in the expansion chamber to be sucked back into the engine when the engine is shut off for the night)

Now
"With the engine off "

The expansion container it has markings on it(hot and cold). When engine is hot and then when cold(like parking overnight while you sleep). If it is dry in there then chances are good that it is low in the engine. It should be at the cold mark on the expansion (or overflow) container(the lower mark). If there is none in there; you got to look deeper.
This is a check you do when you have the engine off for about an hour (preferably 2)....take off the rad cap. If it is dry in there you need coolant otherwise you will destroy the engine.(and a few bucks for coolant is far cheaper than several hundred for a motor job and the time taken to do it....so maybe more like a grand-
>old school mathematics at work<
If you are caught between a rock and a hard place...like in the middle of the forest....clean fresh water out of a stream can be added for temporary coolant(but I am doubting that because you do have electricity for your PC.

If it is the situation that there is disappearing coolant, you might want to do some inspecting first(as coolant does not evaporate) so that means it is leaking. Why add more if it is gonna go out the same hole?

So it is time to be a dick(detective).

You drive so you have "eyes to see". Just like a mechanic. You can look at the hoses, where they connect to, and you have fingers(just like a mechanic) so you can rub the finger under the hose at the connectoions and see if you get some wetness(obviously I am not suggesting doing this check after driving in from the rain) or actually looking at the underside of the hoses to see if there is any staining. (that should not be there). If the hose leaks near the end,it might just need half a turn with a screwdriver on the hose clamp. Done."That'll be $80"
If you look on the underside of the waterpump there is a small hole in the casting. That is suppose to be there, however there should be no staining around that hole. If it is greenish or reddish(same as the coolant color you are using) then the fault is in the waterpump. The seal is wearing out. It will need replacing very soon.(just so you make note of it). If none of those hoses leak or the water pump, it may be in the radiator or in the heater core which heats inside the car.
This is a little more involved and I think you would have mentioned it. Forget the radiator repair liquids. That is money burnt out of you pocket.

You will need a rad mechanic or VW repair shop to take a look for you(as only they can do repairs)unless you swap out the unit at a salvage yard(which you can do yourself)

If you are hot somewhere and you just want to get going
(I know about the leaks and all but I got to go) Get the green stuff. I don't know about you, but for me, tap water is free(premixed is half water so you are putting out good coin for water). It must be "radiator antifreeze" (not windshield washer antifreeze) When in doubt, ask the store clerk.
Certainly you can run on pure green antifreeze
(antifreeze is coolant(green) and coolant is coolant(summertime use only). The color of the stuff means something
(red meaning it never gets that cold outside that it goes below the freezing point of water(32F or 0C) because the red stuff has no antifreeze in it so it will freeze as well. They may refer to it as "summer coolant"(which I find to be a "sales ploy" for the green stuff is both a coolant and an antifreeze with a lubricant. So it does everything.
IMO the red is colored water with maybe some lubricant in it.(the lubricant is for the waterpump seals).
Considering your antifreeze lasts 2 years(and longer) why would I want to flush it out at the end of summer because I have to for the winter, when I could leave the other stuff in year after year? I would rather drink beer than do this work and spend this money.
When I mix the green for the lowest temperature-that is also the highest temperature as a coolant).Now while I said you could make it pure antifreeze, pure will not provide you with the lowest temperature or the highest temperature protection. A 60/40% does. (So 50/50 is close enough).
And yes Billy, city tap water can be used (unless that water comes out of an alkaline, highly mineralized well...and even at a portion(40%) you will not notice the difference to the longevity of the parts that make up the motor or cooling system. If you can drink it, and wash in it, it is good enough for the car.

Distilled water is not, I repeat, not a necessity or a requirement. Manufacturers are just covering their a$$. But - Lam Sanders


___________________________________________________

Question 2
What is an overall better car. a Subaru Impreza 97 or a 99 VW Golf?...  impreza is "L" awd and golf is a wolfsburg edition, both automatic trans, both have 160k miles and both are in perfect working conditions, passed smog, same price, great inside. id also like to know which one is quicker.
which one would u rather have?

Answers
1)   The Subaru is probably quicker. But then again both engines well maintained will go 250K plus, I would look at the brake pedal on each, the one with less wear, means the driver was easier on it.

Personally, I would VW. - Briano

2)   99 is a bad year for all VW's. I drive a 2002. Id say going with the impreza unless the golf is in great condition. - anthonyparra69

3)   I'd take the Sooby for sure. VW Golf's arent great unless you get the GTI model. Plus the 97 Impreza were also very easy on the eye. Nicely shaped. Unlike the 01 model, bug eyed thing. - ohaii_troyy!

4)   Are you looking for a race car(then neither of these will do. What color do you like? You know you are gonna trade it in in 2 years or sooner. The quicker cars tend to get rolled, smashed and crashed sooner. So resale value really goes down on them. - Lam Sanders

5)   Owning both a Subaru, which has the German/VW engine done over in Japanese tech. As well as many VWs, the Subaru will be the better of the 2 cars if it's been taken care of.
Before you buy, take the one you want to a shop and have them do a test of the engine, also get the under-side looked over for rust.
The VWs that are not air cooled I stay away from, having had a Jetta.
Living in the Sierras of Nevada it gets cold and slick, here is where the Subaru works it's magic. AWD, so it all depends on you in the end.What do you want ? - DR DEAL


___________________________________________________

Question 3
I bought a 2009 VW Jetta and my dealer said I shouldn't over rev or push the engine for a while. Why?...  How do you break in a new car engine besides driving it?

Answers
1)   oh, you drive it to break it in... you just don't drive the hell out of it.
don't put your foot to the floor and let it go all the way to the redline. The engine is new and the rings need time to seat. This is also why you don't use a synthetic oil for your first oil change. the synthetic wont let the rings seat properly. - G6er

2)   make alot of turns and just floor it! - dah-veed

3)   Do the opposite of what the dealer is telling you. Drive it normal to hard. Basically you want any repairs done within the warranty period. The sooner the problem happens the better for those long trips and not getting stranded. - Kenny J

4)   The only way to break in a new car is to drive it. All the parts in the engine and transmission need to rub against each other to smooth themselves. Your owners manual should have recommendations on this. Follow the manual and the dealer's recommendations.

Typically you drive the car easy and at moderate speed for the first 2000 miles or so. Then you have an oil change to flush out all the metal shavings that have been worn off. Then the engine will run smoother and you can push it more. - Singles L

5)   Ok there are two ways to answer this question. The old school way of breaking the engine is to keep low Rpms for the first 500 mi or so then drive it spirited for a bit then back to the low rpms for another 500 mi or so, this was done to ensure proper oil circulation and setting of seals in a fresh engine. However with new oil circulation technology, and modern engine materials, in modern engines the need for a "break-in" period is almost non existant. This is not to say that you shouldn't take it easy on a new car, don't drive it like you are in the Indy 500, but don't be afraid of punching it every once in a while. - ninety9elimin8r


___________________________________________________

Question 4
how can i sup up my 1970 vw beetle ?...  i have a 1970 vw beetle an i wanna sup up the engine a little what can i do 2 my engine ?
my beetle has a 1554cc engine but someone looked at my engine an told me it could be an engine from a vw bus an it could be 1654cc ?
idk if its true or not ?

what parts can i buy 4 it ?

how much do the parts run?

how many more CC do i get ?

i'v looked at some parts but idk whats good an whats not ?

i was look at a dual 40mm carb kit bt idk how many cc i would get out of it

Answers
1)   www.hubcapcafe.com www.thesamba.com www.gemvw.com
There are many sites out there that are more than willing to get you to part with your money.The question is which one?
How much can you afford? Enjoy the car the way it is until you have the cash for the way you want to make it. - Hey You

2)   If you really want more power but it all depends on what your wallet is feeling up to is to find a porshe motor and put in.You would have to find one somewhere around the same years as your bug is.If you can find a pancake 6 cylinder with six carbs.It has one carb per cylinder that would give you all the power you need.But the other thing you would need to change is the flywheel on it and put your flywheel onto it so it will bolt up to it.And almost all other parts will bolt up.But the thing to do is make your bug into a baja bug without the back end body parts on it.And one other thingf I would really do is get a hold of a different transmission so you will have a strong transmission to hgandle the power output. - dangerII

3)   You get no more cc's out of anything. cc's refer to engine size and that stays the same. The serial number on the engine casing will give you a reference to which you can bring to your vw dealership and they can tell you what engine is in there.
That someone said it "could" Personally , I would expect the 1554 (it is still referred to as the 1600cc engine) If you want a more powerful engine go buy a more powerful car like a V8 chev or ford. You are wasting your money otherwise to get a "couple" of horsepower out of the same motor.
You want a race car, go out and buy a race car. - Lam Sanders

4)   Buy a V8? The guy wants to soup up his VW a bit- a V8 or Porsche engine's not quite the answer.
Start with a good header exhaust, add a Per Lux Ignitor electronic ignition module and ensure your timing and valves are properly adjusted. You may gain a few HP's and get some cool sounds out of your engine. You can add a set of Kadron 40 mm dual carbs for a bit more power and perhaps an 09 distributor for its advance curve. You can also add a set of high-lift rockers. These are "bolt-on" improvements.

Eventually, If you're gonna "crack the case" and you've got more money to spend, a good counterweighed crankshaft and a mild cam do wonders for the engine's performance. While you're in there, add full-flow oiling for durability and if you can have the heads ported and get a 3 angle valve job, go for it. Add a new set of pistons and cylinders, but don't go for the 88's- they don't cool well. Keep 'em at stock displacement- 87's, I think.
Keep the compression low, too.
With these engine improvements, you'd do well to add at least a front disc brake kit.

These little improvements won't give you a V8 or Porsche but you'll have a sweet-running 1600 and a dependable every day car if you keep your foot out of it and maintain it well. - tennisballeddie


___________________________________________________

Question 5
white smoke coming out of my 02 jetta?...  Today I was driving my Jetta and it struggled to shift gears. I look behind me and saw a lot of white smoke coming out of the back. Once I got to my parents I still was smoking and could only go 20 miles per hour, lucky i was only a block away. I try to go home with the car still the same but it ran fine. However, when I stop at a red light white smoke would come out. I did have the ac on but I turn it off once I saw it was still smoking. I made it home but still worry cause I don't have money to fix it. Can anyone help???

Answers
1)   white smoke is not good.. check your oil level first... then go to a mech - astro420

2)   does the white smoke occur only when you just started your vehicle? if yes, that's just probably moisture in your exhaust system.

Gray smoke - that's what you shouldn't want to see. - Kc

3)   White smoke if it is sweet smeeling means that you have a cracked head or a blown head gasket. Excessive pressures can build up and cause hoses to burst.

Blueish-gray is that you are burning oil in the engine.

Check all your fluids and your oil if the oil is milky then you are leaking a/f into it if the a/f has oil in it same thing. The usual places are the oil cooler or a cracked head or bad head gasket.

Blueish-gray is a bad valve or ring.

Either way it isn't good.
If your a/f is low then you know it is a head gasket, that could of been presided by a bad t-stat or water pump failure. If the a/f is low enough you won't get a temp reading.... - Briano

4)   What your saying is that basically, your engine has bad rings. white smoke is from the blow by during compression. All running the A/C does is put more strain on the engine.
While all the other answer have some modicum of fact, the reality is white smoke= bad rings=expensive job to repair.
All the other this and that's are from people that are new at repairing cars, when you've been at it for over 40 yrs you get the feeling from what people have to reply about there experiences.
Best bet is go to the local VW shop and get it checked, you'll end up going in circles from this question. - DR DEAL


___________________________________________________