Please, get the car scanned; post any and all trouble codes, we will do our best to help (most auto parts stores, will do this for free). There are a number of possibilities; on the stalling issue: (e.g. crank/speed sensor, dirty throttle body/clean/adapt, fuel pump failing, low fuel pressure, worse when hot, cracked coil packs, bad plug wires, plugs, etc.). Before throwing a bunch of parts at the issue; scan for codes, that way you can intelligently troubleshoot the problem.
The red flashing light; means it is low on coolant. "smoke in the compartment"; can you elaborate? Possibly, the heater core leaking/steaming? A pressure test of the cooling system; maybe in order, to diagnose all coolant leaks at this point. You could have a auto repair shop; do this for you or invest in a coolant pressure testing tool kit, from a place like harbor freight:
Radiator Pressure Tester Kit
Pittsburgh Automotive - Item#69258
Radiator Pressure Tester Kit (google for a extra 20% off coupon)
The exhaust issues; you could take it to a muffler shop and have them diagnose, fix whatever has failed or fix it yourself (put it on jack stands and inspect,diagnose the problem, replace parts that have failed). The flex pipe is a common failure; you can usually have a new one welded into place, for a reasonable price without having to replace, the whole exhaust system or cat.
As a baseline, from which we can help you; you need to post any and all trouble codes, the car is presently throwing. This will help; figure out what steps are needed to diagnose/troubleshoot the car, what steps you need to take next, to do this process.
You might want to purchase a cheap vw scanner, so you can scan for trouble codes and fix things yourself, not have to take it to a shop/auto parts store for code checking; look on amazon for vag 405 or vs450. Either one; is less the $50 and amazon can get it to you overnight, if you need it that quick.
At the age/mileage of a car like this; there are going to be a wide range of repairs that are going to be need to be done, to keep it on the road, running reliably and quite a bit of maintenance will be required on almost 16 year old car . Just break it down and do a "triage" evaluation, to figure out what is the most important and go from there. Make a list and we will do our best to help! I think the cooling leaks, should be fixed first (don't want to destroy the engine by overheating it); then, figure out the drivability issues (get the car scanned for codes) and then go from there... lets get this car, back on the road and running right!
The red flashing light; means it is low on coolant. "smoke in the compartment"; can you elaborate? Possibly, the heater core leaking/steaming? A pressure test of the cooling system; maybe in order, to diagnose all coolant leaks at this point. You could have a auto repair shop; do this for you or invest in a coolant pressure testing tool kit, from a place like harbor freight:
Radiator Pressure Tester Kit
Pittsburgh Automotive - Item#69258
Radiator Pressure Tester Kit (google for a extra 20% off coupon)
The exhaust issues; you could take it to a muffler shop and have them diagnose, fix whatever has failed or fix it yourself (put it on jack stands and inspect,diagnose the problem, replace parts that have failed). The flex pipe is a common failure; you can usually have a new one welded into place, for a reasonable price without having to replace, the whole exhaust system or cat.
As a baseline, from which we can help you; you need to post any and all trouble codes, the car is presently throwing. This will help; figure out what steps are needed to diagnose/troubleshoot the car, what steps you need to take next, to do this process.
You might want to purchase a cheap vw scanner, so you can scan for trouble codes and fix things yourself, not have to take it to a shop/auto parts store for code checking; look on amazon for vag 405 or vs450. Either one; is less the $50 and amazon can get it to you overnight, if you need it that quick.
At the age/mileage of a car like this; there are going to be a wide range of repairs that are going to be need to be done, to keep it on the road, running reliably and quite a bit of maintenance will be required on almost 16 year old car . Just break it down and do a "triage" evaluation, to figure out what is the most important and go from there. Make a list and we will do our best to help! I think the cooling leaks, should be fixed first (don't want to destroy the engine by overheating it); then, figure out the drivability issues (get the car scanned for codes) and then go from there... lets get this car, back on the road and running right!
