Share your model & mileage below — it helps others spot patterns. Have you had this issue?

My 2019 golf r had one, just replaced the expansion tank, wasn’t gonna risk splitting the bag on the prongs trying to extract it.

Be careful not to burst the bag with the pliers 😮😮😮

You are dodging a lethal bullet by removing the silica bag and or replacing the tank in cases where the bag cannot be removed. Fortunately my 2021 VW Passat 206TSI R-Line does not have the problematic coolant expansion tank fitted with the silica bag. Great video👍

Wet oil pump belt time bomb too

One was in my 2016 Audi RS 3. Took it out after 3 years, still intact and binned it.

new tank is about £10. easier than trying not to pierce bag with pliers.

Shining a small bright torch through the wall of the coolant tank will indicate whether there is a bag inside. I've heard of several horror stories but only known one from someone who I used to work with. Their mk7 was never the same again after a bag split incident, even a new matrix didn't get it sorted, but I expect that was coolant bleeding. The mk7 is very hard to bleed properly. It ideally needs to be vacuum filled and then there is a two stage bleeding process, which requires a diagnostic dongle.
I think you were brave using the pliers with the tank in situ. I'd have sucked out the coolant and removed the tank to fish about but you do you.
I do wonder if the bags stopped being used when the coolant typed changed from G13 to G12 evo. I don't know for sure.
I did the timing belt on my '16 GTD earlier in the year and VW said G12 evo is the universal (if pricey) coolant. Getting all the old coolant out is not simple as the system has multiple pumps, loops, valves etc.

I took mine out in the first few weeks of owing, sometimes the tanks are double skinned so you can't get to the bag, so i replaced the tank bag frer, still flushed and topped back up with G13, sometimes its casting sand that can block your matrix so i good flush got rid of anything left, coolant and tank been clean ever since, don't mix G13 with others or it will end up a brown sludge ! Golf GT TDI MK7

Got a 2012 VW Touareg 3.0TDI  specifically for towing, which it does very well.  No sign of any silica bag in its coolant expansion tank, thankfully. I changed the coolant myself last year (using G12++, as specified), and all seems well so far.

Had 12 years and 99,000 miles on my 2015 GTI before I just recently flushed my coolant and replaced the bulb with a non-silica one.  Still on my original water pump too (knock on wood).  Once I learned about the silica bag, I wanted to get it out of there.  Also replaced the plastic coolant flange on the back of my cylinder head with an aluminum one, although the plastic one was in surprisingly good shape for the mileage/age and location with all the heat from the turbo.

Interesting info.

My 2019 seat Leon fr had the silica bag

Fished mine out today with a piece of welding rod and sharp nose pliers taking care not to puncture the bag, it is held in place with 2 thin plastic posts inside the vessel, easy to do just need to be a little patient and not just drag it out, a gentle press on the sides to help it out of the hole, looked in pretty good order but all those pellets would likely cause issues somewhere in the system if the bag failed.  Didn't have a clue this bag was added, many thanks for posting and sharing this important info ....      2019 VW  T-ROC 2.0 TDI

Great and informative video. I’ve got a 2016 Polo GTI and didn’t even know about the silica bag in the coolant tank. After a few months of owning it, I suddenly had no heat in the cabin. Ended up costing me about £1,100 to fix, plus a new water pump because that was leaking too

It's there for a reason, "Planned obsolescence"....................

I've owned my golf gtd 16 plate for just about a year now and I had no idea about this. Thank you for pointing this out, I will check and remove the bag asap!

I would never have known this . Thank you so much. I got mine out on 66 gtd 105 000 miles

I've got a 65 plate Golf R. 39,000 miles. Owned it since new. Just checked and it has the bag. Will be removing asap.

Mine burst on 2017 gtd and totally shafted the car coolant system,heater matrix etc,even after it was repaired the heater never performed correctly,it was the first job I did on my next gtd,100% remove if your vehicle as one!