Over time, the coolant expansion tank tends to turn yellow, become brittle and form micro fractures and sometimes leak. When the car warms up, both the heat and pressure of the coolant starts to attack the weakest point of the tank, eventually causing it to fail and the car starts leaking coolant. The good news is that the replacement tank is relatively inexpensive and can be changed in less than an hour.
Take a look around the coolant tank. In some instances, you can instantly see it has been leaking. In others, you may only see a faint trace of coolant weeping/staining the crack or seam. It's important to tackle this problem as soon as possible.
You do not need to drain all the coolant from the vehicle just drain enough so that it is below the coolant reservoir. If the coolant in the car is new there is no reason to replace it as long as you drain it into a clean container. Coolant is expensive and not to great for the environment so if the coolant in your car is good, try and save it to reuse. If your coolant is old this is also a good time to perform a flush and install new coolant. Please see our article on coolant flush for additional assistance.
Project Time: 1 hour
Tab: $20 to $80
Tools: Pliers, T25 Torx, Philips screwdrivers
Parts Required: New expansion tank, coolant
Performance Gain: A major cooling system leak fixed.
Complementary Modification: Flush cooling system
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Applicable Models:
2006 Volkswagen GTI Base Hatchback 2.0L L4
2007 Volkswagen GTI Base Hatchback 2.0L L4
2008 Volkswagen GTI Base Hatchback 2.0L L4
2009 Volkswagen GTI Base Hatchback 2.0L L4
2008 Volkswagen R32 Base Hatchback 3.2L V6