Alde top up fluid

[Banus]

So the pink Alde heating fluid is exactly on the 'MIN' mark on my reseviour, so I could do with topping it up to 1cm above this mark to avoid getting air into the system.
Its really anoying that I only need half a cupful to achieve this but can only find the G13 fluid in 1 litre bottles with P&P is about £15. I've been on the Alde website who sell 200ml bottles of the fluid, perfect I thought, just the amount I need, but you have to buy a pack of 15 bottles!!
Has anyone managed to source a 200ml bottle, and if so where from?

 

[RogerL]

Mannol G13 is just £6.99 incl delivery on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/MANNOL-Rea...1?keywords=g13+coolant&qid=1699806145&sr=8-11 and you can use to top the car up as well.

Not sure why some G13 is pink and some green, though.

 

[Banus]

Brilliant and I take it the colour is irrelevant?

 

[otherclive]

This may give some guidance on Alde fluid and the compatibility of different coloured fluids.

Alde heating fluid (GS13) - Advice from Alde - what is Antifreeze and how can it be replac

Alde heating fluid (GS13) - Advice from Alde - what is Antifreeze and how can it be replac

www.leisureshopdirect.com

 

[JTQ]

The colour is very relevant; genuine fluid to VW G13 TL 774-J as approved by Alde has to be Magenta, its part of that specification. If it is green it can't be to the right specification.

There are products out there that choose to use the characters "G13" that are not actually what is approved for use, that is, VW TL-774-J, choosing to use those characters sell it, at least to those who don't understand antifreezes and importantly the corrosion inhibiting additives used in them. There is very great significance in the suffix "J".

If you only need to top up by a cm, simply use deionised water, the trace of dilution potentially is way less of a risk than mixing in the wrong stuff. Here a concentration of 40 parts in 100 is ample for frost protection, whereas most fillings will be the easy done equal parts product and water, 50/50. Given a cup full going into some 12 odd litres will not alter much, but the very critical corrosion inhibitors can be easily upset by pollution with indtroduction of the wrong products.

 

[Buckman]

I doubt very much if you need topping up if it is on the minimum mark when cold. If on min when the system is on and heating, simply add a cup full of distilled water. I would be more concerned about why it has dropped down to the minimum.

How old is the fluid in the system because the blue needs changing after 2 years and the pink 5 years.

 

[Banus]

Its the Alde Magenta and was changed just prior to me collecting the van in August. It's always been around the MIN mark but above it when running. I'll pop down to Ridgeway and check when cold and run it on gas (no EHU) to see what the levels are then.
I just get jittery when I see ANY levels hovering around the MIN mark and like to see them half way between MIN & MAX but I do understand 1cm above MIN is the correct level. I'm sure Dan (on site) would sort me out half a cup of Magenta if required as I'm a good customer.
ps - absolutely no leaks anywhere on the system as I've followed the pipework around the whole van and inspected all the bleed valves and joints.

 

[Buckman]

Its the Alde Magenta and was changed just prior to me collecting the van in August. It's always been around the MIN mark but above it when running. I'll pop down to Ridgeway and check when cold and run it on gas (no EHU) to see what the levels are then.
I just get jittery when I see ANY levels hovering around the MIN mark and like to see them half way between MIN & MAX but I do understand 1cm above MIN is the correct level. I'm sure Dan (on site) would sort me out half a cup of Magenta if required as I'm a good customer.
ps - absolutely no leaks anywhere on the system as I've followed the pipework around the whole van and inspected all the bleed valves and joints.

We are also at the same storage. There is a new guy doing the servicing, but he is difficult to catch as most times we have been past the workshop, it is closed. I think he travels up from Gloucester?

It should be fine on minimum as ours is always at that level when cold. It will rise up the 1cm above the Min mark when it is warm.

 

[JTQ]

With the fluid volume most of us will have the thermal expansion from a temperature below 10 up to the 80 C the system fluid can reach will be a bit more than a quarter of a litre, a big mug full.

That in the small header we have will significantly change the level on the occasions it gets really hot space heating the van.
Filling much more than that typical cm over the minimum when totally cold, risks it throwing fluid out over the overflow and carried up the vent tube; effectively it sorts out the fluid level it runs at, provided we keep that cold level down. Overfill above what it can cope with and it will get rid of the excess!

 

[Buckman]

With the fluid volume most of us will have the thermal expansion from a temperature below 10 up to the 80 C the system fluid can reach will be a bit more than a quarter of a litre, a big mug full.

That in the small header we have will significantly change the level on the occasions it gets really hot space heating the van.
Filling much more than that typical cm over the minimum when totally cold, risks it throwing fluid out over the overflow and carried up the vent tube; effectively it sorts out the fluid level it runs at, provided we keep that cold level down. Overfill above what it can cope with and it will get rid of the excess!

Yep which is one of the reasons why I do not bother it is on the Min or just slightly above the Min mark. Unfortunately got that T shirt and it was very difficult to drain off the extra fluid.

 

[Banus]

We are also at the same storage. There is a new guy doing the servicing, but he is difficult to catch as most times we have been past the workshop, it is closed. I think he travels up from Gloucester?

It should be fine on minimum as ours is always at that level when cold. It will rise up the 1cm above the Min mark when it is warm.

Yes, Dan comes up from Gloucester. Prior to him being based at RW he was mobile and is still honouring some of those bookings which is why his roller shutter is always closed.
He also has loads of work on the RW store site and works on vans in their location without having to take them to his unit. Whilst doing this work he obviously closes his roller shutter for security so although it looks like he's off site he's probably working on the RW store.
Re the fluid levels. Mine sounds spot on compared to others so will monitor but will leave well alone.