G12 Coolant

The G12 coolant is a coolant standard of the car manufacturer VW. It was used at the factory in a number of VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat, among others, and is therefore also recommended for a coolant change. The G12 is part of a whole series of VW standards. As a successor to the G11 coolant, the G12 was developed as G12, G12+, G12++ and G12 evo, among others. In 2012, the G13 coolant followed as the successor to the G12++. Since 2018, the G12evo in turn replaced the VW G13 standard and has since been considered the latest standard of VW coolant.

When changing the G12 coolant, you can fall back on the original VW coolant, as well as many other alternatives. In the following, you will learn more about the coolant G12 standard and which alternatives you can also use for a change.

The development

The first coolant with the VW standard was the G11 coolant. It was based on the so-called Inorganic Acid Technology (IAT) and contained silicate as an inorganic acid for corrosion protection. The G12 coolant was the successor to the G11 coolant. The G12 coolant would use organic acids for corrosion protection for the first time.

The first G12 coolant was followed by the G12+,G12++, G13 and G12 EVO coolants. These were further improvements to the first G12 coolant and at the same time are miscible with their predecessors (with the exception of G11).

G12 as VW approval

It is common for VW coolants to be designated as G11, G12 or G13. Behind these designations, however, there are also official approvals. These approvals define the composition of these coolants, so that, for example, correspond to the standard of a G12 coolant.

A detailed list of these approvals can be found in the following table:

Label	VW approval	Used since
G11	TL-774 C	1994
G12	TL-774 D	1996
G12+	TL-774 F	2000
G12++	TL-774 G	2005
G13	TL-774 J	2012
G12 evo	TL-774 L	2018

Whether G12 from VW or another manufacturer (e.g. Ravenol, Liqui Moly or Glysantin), in order to be a G12+ (G12 Plus), for example, it would have to comply with TL-774 G approval. If a G12+ coolant does not have such a release, its use is not recommended by VW.

Alternatively, other coolant manufacturers still offer products with the G12 and G12+ standard. Since they sometimes have the VW approvals, they can also be used. However, it may be that these G12 coolants have a different color.

In the following, we will show you specifically which alternatives you can choose from:

VW	Glysantin	Ravenol
G11	G48	Protect C11
G12
G12+	G30	Protect C12+
G12++	G40	Protect C12++
G13		Protect C13
G12 evo	G65

Mixing G12 coolants

Are G12 coolants allowed to be mixed with each other? And may they also be mixed with other standards? In general, G12 coolants are miscible with each other. In this case, miscible means that there is no damage to the cooling system. You can find more on this topic in our article on mixing coolants.

If you want to refill the G12, you should definitely make sure that it is also miscible with the G12 coolant that is currently in the cooling system. Ideally, however, you should use the same G12 or G12+ (G12 Plus) when mixing. In the following table you will find the mixabilities:

Coolant	G12 Coolant
G11	Not mixable
G12	Mixable
G12+	Mixable
G12++	Mixable
G13	Mixable
G12 evo	Mixable

The original VW coolant as a ready mix.

Often people are looking for a “G12 ready mix”. In this case, the G12 coolant concentrate has been pre-mixed with distilled water in a fixed ratio. The big advantage is that the G12 ready mix can be filled directly into the cooling system, as long as it is the same one that is already used. The original VW G12evo as the latest G12 standard, they find exclusively as a so-called ready mix.

G12 coolant from Glysantin

The coolant manufacturer Glysantin is as well known in Germany as the original product from VW itself. Although Glysantin does not offer a VW G13 standard in its portfolio, it does offer products with the G12+, G12++ and G12evo standard. You can see which Glysantin coolant corresponds to the respective G12 coolant here:

• Glysantin G30 corresponds to the VW G12+
• Glysantin G40 corresponds to VW G12++
• Glysantin G65 corresponds to the VW G12evo

Accordingly, the red-violet or pink coolant is the latest alternative to the G12 coolant

G12 coolant from Ravenol

As with Glysantin, the German manufacturer Ravenol offers matching coolants to the G12 VW standard. However, the coolants from Ravenol have a different color. However, since the color of the coolant says nothing about the standard, this is unimportant, especially when refilling the cooling system.

Ravenol has based the description of its coolants on the designation of the VW standard. Accordingly, the following standards result:

• Ravenol OTC C12+ corresponds to VW G12+
• Ravenol LTC C12++ corresponds to VW G12++

An important advantage of the Ravenol G12 coolants is their availability in size and mixture. Ravenol offers the G12 coolants in 1.5L and 5L containers. In addition, as a concentrate or ready-mixed. Ravenol’s concentrates are again mixed in a 1:1 ratio with distilled or endionized water. However, the German manufacturer does not offer an alternative to the G12evo coolant.