UPDATE Technical Bulletin
September 16, 2013
UPDATE – 01A3 Coolant Flush (NVLW) – U.S. ONLY
NOTE:
• Perform this UPDATE on all applicable vehicles within NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY.
• It is MANDATORY to perform UPDATES on all applicable vehicles in dealer inventory PRIOR TO
RETAIL SALE.
• Inform customers that this UPDATE will be available free of charge as long as their vehicle is within
the Warranty parameters outlined in this UPDATE.
NOTE:
Required DMS Wording//Text: (line item, customer concern description on repair order):
UPDATE 01A3 – Coolant Flush (NVLW)

Model(s)

Year

Passat

2014

Engine Code
1.8T
(CPRA, CPKA)

Trans. Code
All

REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

1

September 16, 2013

Original publication

Condition
This update has been proactively released to ensure proper coolant quality and performance of the
engine cooling system.
This UPDATE is in effect until removed.
Vehicle must meet all of the following criteria:
•

Procedure is valid only for vehicles that show the 01A3 code in ElsaWeb, Campaign/Action
Information screen on the day of repair.

•

If the vehicle is sold it must be within the NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY.

•

Procedure must be performed within the allotted time frame stated in this UPDATE.

•

Procedure must be performed on applicable vehicles in dealer inventory prior to sale.

Page 1 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin
Technical Background
During the hot testing at the engine production facility, certain 1.8T engines may have been
contaminated with poor quality coolant. Residual poor quality coolant may have been transferred to
the engine cooling system during vehicle production.

Production Solution
Coolant quality correction at engine facility.

Service
NOTE:
• ElsaWeb is the only valid inquiry/verification source. Check ElsaWeb on the day this vehicle UPDATE
will be performed to verify vehicle eligibility for the UPDATE. Status must show “open”. Attach an
ElsaWeb printout showing the “open” status to the repair order.
• If this UPDATE appears to have already been performed but the code still shows open in ElsaWeb,
contact Warranty before proceeding further. Another dealer may have recently performed this
UPDATE but not yet entered a claim for it in the system.
• ElsaWeb may also show additional open action(s); if so, inform your customer - this work can be done
while the vehicle is in for this UPDATE.
• Contact the Warranty Helpline if you have any questions.

Identify Criteria and Check for Open
Status

Tip: On the date of repair, print this
screen and keep a copy with
the repair order.
•

Enter the VIN in ElsaWeb and proceed
to the “Campaign/Action” screen.

⇐ Ensure that the Status is “Open”
.
⇐ Note all Applicable Criteria ID for use in determining the correct
work to be done and associated parts.

Page 2 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin

•
•

Open the hood.
Remove the engine cover.

⇐ Remove the air filter housing and
intake tube .
Tip: It is only necessary to remove
the first section of plastic duct
work. Only the driver side of
the engine area needs to be
accessed during this repair.

Page 3 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin
Cooling System Flush Preparation
•

Remove the fill cap from the
cooling system reservoir.
• Raise the vehicle on an
appropriate hoist.
• Remove the plastic underbody
shield.
• Remove the lower charge air
cooler hose between the charge
air cooler itself, and the throttle
body connection.
• Position a coolant drain pan under
the vehicle.
⇐ Remove the thermostat housing
and thermostat .
• Allow the cooling system to drain.
Tip: It is not necessary to remove
the lower radiator hose from
the thermostat housing. The
housing can remain attached
to the hose during the flush
procedure.

•

Lower the vehicle to allow access
to the top side of the engine
compartment.
⇐ Disconnect the upper radiator hose
from the engine .

Page 4 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin

⇐ Disconnect the heater core hose
from the “Y” connection near the
driver side cooling fan .

Radiator Flush
⇐ Using a hose and running water,
flush the radiator by adding water
to the disconnected end of the
upper radiator hose .
• Flush the radiator until only clean,
clear water is coming out of the
lower radiator hose.

Page 5 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin
Heater Core Flush
⇐ Using a hose and running water,
flush the heater core by adding
water to the heater core hose
where shown .
• The water, coolant, and any
remaining contamination will flow
out of both the open thermostat
housing, as well as the male end
of the “Y” connection.
• Flush the heater core until only
clean, clear water is coming out of
both the thermostat housing and
the “Y” connection.
Tip: It will be necessary to use
water pressure to flush the
heater core. Use a shop towel
to seal the fresh water hose to
the heater hose during the
flush procedure.

Engine Block Flush

•

Pour about one gallon of clean
water into the cooling system
reservoir.
• Reinstall the fill cap onto the
cooling system reservoir.
• Reattach the upper radiator hose
to the engine.
⇐ Remove the upper radiator hose
from the radiator (clamped
connection) as shown .

WARNING: The fill cap MUST be
reinstalled onto the cooling system
reservoir prior to flushing the
engine block.

Page 6 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin

⇐ Using a hose and running water,
flush the engine block by adding
water to the upper radiator hose
where shown .
• The water, coolant, and any
remaining contamination will flow
out of the open thermostat
housing.
• Flush the engine block until only
clean, clear water is coming out of
the thermostat housing.
Tip: It will be necessary to use
water pressure to flush the
engine block. Use a shop
towel to seal the fresh water
hose to the upper radiator
hose during the flush
procedure.
Cleaning and Reassembly
•

Use compressed air to blow out
the radiator, heater core, and
engine block in the same order
as the flush procedure was
performed.

WARNING: Remove as much
water as possible from the cooling
system to ensure a proper coolant
mixture in the system when
complete.

•
•
•
•
•

Reinstall all cooling system
components and hoses.
Reinstall the lower charge air
cooler hose.
Reinstall the underbody shield.
Reinstall the air filter housing and
intake tube.
Reinstall the engine cover.
Page 7 of 11

© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin
Cooling System Refill
•

•
•
•

Refill the cooling system using the
VAS 6096 Coolant System Charge
Kit and VAG 1274/8 adapter.
Refer to ElsaWeb Repair
ManualEngine19 Cooling
System for instructions on filling.
When the system is full remove the
tool and fitting from the coolant
reservoir.
Install the fill cap onto the coolant
reservoir.
Start the vehicle, let it idle, allow it
to reach operating temp, and
monitor the coolant level to verify
the system was properly filled.

Work Complete

Warranty
Claim Entry
Procedure

Enter your claim immediately upon completion of the UPDATE. Claims will only be paid
for vehicles that show this UPDATE code open in ElsaWeb on the day of repair. To
help ensure prompt and proper payment, attach the screen print to the repair order.

Claim Help

U.S. dealers - Contact the Warranty Helpline toll-free at 1-866-306-8447 for help with
claim entry.

Required Customer Ensure customers are aware of all work performed on the vehicle by recording the
Notification
information on the repair order.
Attach a copy of the Vehicle UPDATE Fact Sheet to the customer’s copy of the repair
order and take the time to explain this UPDATE to your customer.

Page 8 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin
SAGA Code 01A3 Claim Entry Procedure
Check ElsaWeb to confirm that this UPDATE code is open on the day of repair.
Service No.: 01A3
Damage Code: 0099
Parts Manufacturer/Vendor Code: WWO
Claim Type
Sold vehicle = 7 10
Unsold vehicle = 7 90
Accounting Instructions
Criteria I.D. 01
Flush engine cooling system. No further work required.
Repair operation:

1938 17 99

160 TU

Quantity

Part Number

Part Description

1

G 013A8J1G

G13 Coolant

There is NO reimbursement for wash or loaner vehicle!
If vehicle is not eligible for repair under this UPDATE (i.e.: totaled status) OR if customer refused
repairs.
Fax the Repair Order to VWoA at (248) 754-5093 and provide VIN, applicable Service Number, Customer
Information, Dealer Number and Date

Page 9 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin

Required Parts and Tools
Part Description

Part No:

Quantity

G13 Coolant

G 013A8J1G

1

Tool Description

Tool No:

Coolant System Charge Kit

VAS 6096

Cooling System Tester - Adapter

VAG 1274/8

Additional Information
All part and service references provided in this Technical Bulletin are subject to change and/or
removal. Always check with your Parts Dept. and Repair Manuals for the latest information.

Page 10 of 11
© 2013 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other
sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

UPDATE Technical Bulletin
UPDATE FACT SHEET – UPDATE Code 01A3
Dear Volkswagen Customer,
Today we performed UPDATE code 01A3 on your vehicle. This UPDATE flushes and fills
your engine cooling system with current high quality G13 coolant, ensuring that the coolant in
your vehicle meets Volkswagen quality standards. This UPDATE was performed for you free
of charge.
Volkswagen periodically makes updates like this available in order to ensure our customer’s
continued satisfaction with the quality of their Volkswagen vehicles.
We at Volkswagen are committed to providing our customers with reliable, quality products
that are a pleasure to drive and own. If you should ever have any questions or vehicle
concerns, your authorized Volkswagen dealer will be pleased to assist you.
Thank you for driving a Volkswagen!