Which coolant should I use for my Audi?

Seeking Advice
1

Hey folks, I’ve got a 2015 Audi S3 and I took it to a shop that used G13 coolant. Now I need more and found some OEM G13 coolant online, but it says it’s only compatible with the 2008-2013 Audi A3s with the 2.0T engine, which is what I have too. Will this still work for my S3? Dumb question, I know…

2

G13 supersedes everything. They have handy infographics in service bulletins about coolant compatibility, but it keeps changing.

G13 or glysantin G40 will be just fine. Many brands use glysantin names, so G40 is a good thing to look for.

3

What about G12 Evo? I heard that’s backwards compatible too?

4

Kari said:
What about G12 Evo? I heard that’s backwards compatible too?

Yeah, G12 Evo is compatible with most pink/violet coolants. It’s different from G13 since it’s based on glycol instead of glycerin, but it’s supposed to be better for hybrid systems.

5

So, should I just use G13 or G12 Evo if I can’t find G12? I just want to make sure I don’t mess anything up.

6

Cory said:
So, should I just use G13 or G12 Evo if I can’t find G12? I just want to make sure I don’t mess anything up.

Exactly! G13 (G40) and G12 Evo (G60?) are fine to use. Just try to do a complete exchange instead of topping off if you can.

7

@Arin
What do you mean by ‘complete exchange’? Like drain the old stuff?

8

Jordy said:
@Arin
What do you mean by ‘complete exchange’? Like drain the old stuff?

Yep, drain the old coolant entirely and then fill it with the new stuff. Mixing can be tricky.

9

Thanks for the info! I was worried about mixing different coolants. I’ll stick to G13 or G12 Evo.

10

Yeah, G13 is pretty standard now. Just make sure you check for any leaks after switching it out. Better safe than sorry!