[cruel1]

So I finally broke down and changed the thermostat hoping to get some heat in the car.

I started off by draining the radiator, to my surprise the coolant was green. I didn't thing our coolant was supposed to be green???????

Next issue I found was that the thermostat o-ring was on the block side of the thermostat and not on the housing side of it line my Haynes manual says. Which is right?

If the previous owner ran the green coolant in the car, what kind of damage could have been done to the cooling system?

I put Pentofrost NF coolant back in the car, which is supposed to be the same a G12+. So now I have purple coolant.

 

[gr8feelins]

I let my son use my 04 beetle convertible 1. 8 turbo, for about 6 months.
During that time, I learned he use regular oil at change, he had been putting in regular unleaded fuel, and he had run the car hot and the replaced the vw antifreeze with crap from the auto parts store.
I can tell you that when the two are mixed it causes a froth to build up and harden that will clog everything up quickly.
Do yourself a favor, drain it and replace it with what vw recommends before you have to replace the radiator like I am

Ron

 

[Turbo_Boss]

So I finally broke down and changed the thermostat hoping to get some heat in the car.

I started off by draining the radiator, to my surprise the coolant was green.

If the previous owner ran the green coolant in the car, what kind of damage could have been done to the cooling system?

Maybe the owner just replace completely the G12 Pink coolant and put the green one.

What happen if you mix the G12 with the green, the mix become a brown slodge that look like rust.

So if you dont have this brown stuff, I am pretty sure you are OK and dont have to worry. The best thing you have done is to flush the system and put the one designed for your engine.

Chears,

Isaac