I am new to this website but to give you a little background... My stepfather bought a 90 TT when I was 10 years old. Brand new!! He has babied this car for the past 19 years and gave it to me about 4 months ago. The car is in great condition and pretty much all work was done at the dealership. My first problem with this car is an antifreeze leak. Before the car was given to me...the radiator and hoses were replaced. This coolant leak is stemming from the rear of the engine between the engine and the firewall. I figured that this is a weird spot for antifreeze to leak but it isn't a bad leak. I can loose about about 1/2 a quart while the car cools down. I am not experiencing any overheating...Yet!! I took it to the dealership and they want $1K to take the tranny out to determine where the leak is coming from? Has anyone had any experience with this??? I really don't want to put $1k into a 19 year old car but I don't want to get rid of it.

 

I had a similar leak soon after I purchased my 1996 TT. It was dropping from the rear of the motor just ahead of the firewall. It didn't leak on warm days but when left outside on a cold day, it would leak. The dealer shouldn't be charging you that much for checking it out. In my case, it turned out to be a loose hose clamp on the top of the motor. The fluid was just looking for the path of least resistance. Check all the coolant hoses you can access. If the car was that well maintained, it could be an easy a problem like mine. I posted that here somewhere!

These motors vibrate a lot and things can get loose. The other day, one of my water pump screws was making its way out! Go figure. Glad I caught it before mahem.

 

My leak was a corroded coolant line between the firewall and the engine, not a rubber hose. Had to pull the engine to get to it.

 

Where exactly is the leak in the rear? the middle of the engine? heater core hoses and related hoses that stem of that tree that go to turbos and under the plenum.