Hi I have a 2000 jetta VR6 and I am going to have to change the radiator and what is the best way to do it?! I also have been getting told that I have to put in volkswagon coolant in my car all the time. Is that true. Or can I put any type of coolant I want in my jetta?

I am new at working on volkswagons and if you can help me out that would be awesome!

 

first, drain the radiator itself which with all the hoses hooked up, it will also slowly drain the system. there will be what looks like a wingnut, except it is a bolt, and it is plastic. it can be found toward the bottom of the radiator. that is the drain for the radiator. make sure to catch the coolant, because it is toxic and animals are attracted to the smell of it. once you get that drain opened up, open the cap to the coolant reservoir and the top of the radiator. give it about 10-15 min to drain. now disconnect the hoses from the radiator. there should be 4 of them, 2 bigger ones for the engine, and 2 smaller ones for the climate controls. those will probably leak out a little so be prepared to have something on the ground. last, there should be 2 bolts holding down clip like pieces keeping the radiator in place. take out both of those bolts, and set them aside for later. the old radiator should be able to lift straight up and out. watch out, because it sits in rubber isolator feet that are not actually attached to anything, and you will need them for the new radiator. put the rubber feet into the front support, and put the new radiator straight down into them. put clips on and bolt down. reattach hoses. i suggest doing a system flush at this point, which is best done with a small bottle of stuff you can get at any autoparts store. pour it in, fill with water, run car until it heats up properly, drain it, then fill with actual fluid. including the flushing, changing radiator should take about 2 hours total for a rookie.

as for using volkswagen specific coolant, i dont know about that. often times, it is listed in the manual or even on the coolant reservoir that it is supposed to use a particular fluid.