300 tdi coolant freeze

Hi all.

It's been a while, finished my Africa trip and imported my 300tdi 110 into Canada.

For some reason it didn't occur to me to change the coolant until this morning, and I went out to find it frozen. There was coolant (frozen) that had expanded out of the upper rad hose and some under the engine on the ground. I didn't start it, so I have hopes it might generally be OK, and I'm on hold with the auto club now to wait for a tow into the garage to warm it up and drain it.

Has anybody here dealt with a frozen 300tdi? What got damaged?

- Andrew

freezing general usually means split hoses and pushed out core plugs

or the worst case cracked block

I feel for you!

I bought mine in July and yesterday I checked the coolant for the first time to find that it was just water! I couldn't get any antifreeze yesterday and it froze last night. It was luckily ok but I've lost engines before now due to freezing. Hopefully it'll just be a blown hose.

I had my 300Tdi Discovery freeze one morning, drove about 2 miles and it was only the fact that the heater wasn't working that I decided to drive home. Steam out of the bonnet and I was pretty worried that I had knackered it, but it was OK. Nothing damaged.

Kinda off topic.

How often should the antifreeze/coolant be changed?

No worries about freezing here.

natas said:

Kinda off topic.

How often should the antifreeze/coolant be changed?

No worries about freezing here.

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2 years for the blue glycol based stuff. 5 years for the pink OAT based stuff. I prefer to use blue and give the system a good flush every 2 years.

My hands are numb.... I've just come in from filling mine (300Tdi), I bought 5 litres to make 10 litres of coolant but only 5 litres went in (had to empty via bottom hose and fill via expansion container. Heater on full). Ran up to working temp and now cooling down but water level not dropped.

Did you remove bleeding caps on thermostat housing and rad and fill until overflowing?

Kwakerman said:

Did you remove bleeding caps on thermostat housing and rad and fill until overflowing?

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No the previous owner had butchered them completely so I couldn't undo them at all. Will have to destroy them to remove them but will have to order some first.

cowasaki said:

No the previous owner had butchered them completely so I couldn't undo them at all. Will have to destroy them to remove them but will have to order some first.

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you can use 2 x 1/2 caps from a plumbers merchants i lost my rad one but its a 1/2 inch bsp thread same as a 15mm cap end

if you was not so far away you could have 2 off the van

THEengineer said:

you can use 2 x 1/2 caps from a plumbers merchants i lost my rad one but its a 1/2 inch bsp thread same as a 15mm cap end

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Thanks brilliant thanks.

oh and sorry for hijacking the thread

THEengineer said:

if you was not so far away you could have 2 off the van

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Thanks, there is a plumbers merchant 100 yards away so now that I have the size I can get them tomorrow. I'm on nights and will be using the other car tonight so I can top it up tomorrow after getting the new caps.

sp00k said:

2 years for the blue glycol based stuff. 5 years for the pink OAT based stuff. I prefer to use blue and give the system a good flush every 2 years.

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You ought to use what the handbook says.

The blue stuff uses silicate corrosion inhibitors which protect the iron in the block and any other places there is iron (steel).

The old stuff used to lay down a layer which protected the metals where as the OAT stuff just protects the metal, however the OAT can attack certain gaskets and sealants. I would use OAT if I thought it was safe enough but there a a fair few known issues with using the wrong stuff.

cowasaki said:

Thanks, there is a plumbers merchant 100 yards away so now that I have the size I can get them tomorrow. I'm on nights and will be using the other car tonight so I can top it up tomorrow after getting the new caps.

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put a bit of ptfe on them ,job done

i used this stuff in my 300tdi when i changed the rad though it was in 1l bottles from wilkos used 3 of them

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Comma-Xst...78925564?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM

THEengineer said:

i used this stuff in my 300tdi when i changed the rad though it was in 1l bottles from wilkos used 3 of them

Comma Xstream Green Antifreeze Extralife G48 5 Litre | eBay

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Yes, that's the good old fashioned silicate/glycol stuff.

cowasaki said:

No the previous owner had butchered them completely so I couldn't undo them at all. Will have to destroy them to remove them but will have to order some first.

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Get them out and coolant brimmed before you cook the engine!

I was certain that 'Red Ant-Freeze' was recommended and not blue!!

Landyfox said:

I was certain that 'Red Ant-Freeze' was recommended and not blue!!

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Red is actually pink and is the new fangled OAT (organic acid technology) antifreeze.