Engine coolant -> Checking engine coolant level and topping off for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

Checking engine coolant level and topping off  
Fig. 168 Coolant expansion tank in the engine compartment.  
Fig. 169 Coolant expansion tank cap in the engine compartment.  
¤ Please first read and note the introductory information and  
heed the WARNINGS  
If the coolant level drops too low, the engine coolant lev-  
el/temperature warning light lights up.  
Preparations  
Park the vehicle on level ground.  
Always let the engine cool down  
Open the engine hood ž  
.
There is a « symbol on the cap of the engine coolant expansion  
tank fig. 169.  
Checking engine coolant level  
When the engine is cold, check the engine coolant level relative to  
the marking on the side of the expansion tank fig. 168.  
If the coolant level in the tank is below the minimum mark (“min”),  
add coolant. When the engine is warm, the engine coolant level may  
be slightly above the upper edge of the marked range.  
Adding engine coolant  
Always protect face, hands and arms from hot escaping coolant or  
steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.  
Carefully unscrew the cap ꢀ  
.
Add only new engine coolant according to Volkswagen specifica-  
tions (Engine coolant specifications) .  
The engine coolant level must be inside the marks on the side of  
the reservoir fig. 168. Do not fill above the top edge of the filling  
range! ꢀ  
Screw the lid tightly.  
Even in an emergency, do not use any other kind of coolant addi-  
tive if engine coolant meeting Volkswagen specifications (page 456,  
Engine coolant specifications) is unavailable! Instead, add distilled  
water only . As soon as possible, have the correct coolant ratio  
restored using engine coolant that meets Volkswagen specifications  
Engine coolant specifications.  
WARNING  
Hot steam and hot engine coolant can cause serious burns.  
Never open the hood if you see steam or coolant escaping  
from the engine compartment. Always wait until you no longer  
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine.  
Always let the engine cool down completely before carefully  
opening the hood. Hot components will burn skin on contact.  
When the engine has cooled down and you are ready to open  
the hood:  
– Apply the electronic parking brake and shift the transmis-  
sion into Park (P) (automatic) or Neutral (manual only).  
– Take the vehicle key out of the ignition.  
– On vehicles with Keyless Access, make sure that the re-  
mote control vehicle key is out of range of the vehicle and  
that the vehicle cannot be started by depressing the starter  
button  
– Always keep children and others away from the engine  
compartment and never leave them unsupervised.  
The engine coolant system is under pressure when the en-  
gine is hot. Never unscrew the coolant expansion tank cap  
when the engine is hot. Hot coolant can spray out and cause  
severe burns and other serious injuries.  
– Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counterclock-  
wise direction while applying light downward pressure on the  
top of the cap.  
– Always protect your face, hands, and arms from hot escap-  
ing coolant or steam by covering the cap with a large, thick  
rag.  
Never spill fluids on the engine or exhaust system when re-  
filling. Spilling fluids onto hot parts of the engine or exhaust  
system can cause a fire. Under some conditions, the ethylene  
glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.  
NOTICE  
Use distilled water only when adding coolant! All other types  
of water contain chemical compounds that can cause extensive  
corrosion damage to the engine. This can even lead to engine  
failure. If you have added non-distilled water, take the vehicle  
immediately to an authorized Volkswagen dealer or an author-  
ized Volkswagen Service Facility to have the coolant system  
drained, flushed, and refilled completely with the proper coolant.  
Refill engine coolant only up to the top edge of the marked fill  
range fig. 168. Excess engine coolant may be forced out of the  
engine cooling system when it gets hot and cause damage.  
In the case of significant engine coolant loss, refill engine  
coolant only when the engine is completely cooled down. Signif-  
icant engine coolant loss is a sign of leaks in the cooling sys-  
tem. Have the engine cooling system checked immediately by an  
authorized Volkswagen dealer or an authorized Volkswagen Ser-  
vice Facility. Otherwise the engine may be damaged!  
When changing or topping off operating fluids, make sure that  
you pour the fluids into the correct reservoirs. Serious malfunc-  
tions and engine damage can result if you pour operating fluids  
into the wrong reservoir.