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Landcruiser **
Age: 69 Zodiac: Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Norfolk Coast
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:37 Post subject: VW Golf 2002 1600cc - Coolant Loss. |
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Hi,
Have a real odd problem with the wife's car.
Its suddenly started loosing coolant but I cant see where it is coming from - or going to!
Had a recent water pump & thermostat so its not that.
Did a recent 70Mile trip and steam was coming from an empty header bottle. Waited for it to cool and filled it up - approx. 2 litres. 10 miles later the header was empty again.
Funny thing is the temp gauge does not show it is overheating.
Called out the RAC who could not find a leak. It's been in the garage for a day who could not find a leak and they even did a pressure test to make sure it was not the head gasket.
Two days later and a max of 12 miles the header was empty!
This is driving me insane and the wife (bless her) wont drive it till it is sorted.
Any advice/help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance. |
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:37 Post subject: Google Ads keep the POCUK free to join! |
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nick-dudley LifeTime Member
Age: 52 Zodiac: Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 2237 Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:16 Post subject: |
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Pressure testing the system and not finding a leak to me would indicate that maybe your coolant cap is at fault?
Usual faults on these are usually water pumps, and thermostat seals and housings. Seems like you have those covered.
Try a new cap (genuine is best on these) and see where you go from there. |
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Landcruiser **
Age: 69 Zodiac: Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Norfolk Coast
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 13:08 Post subject: |
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Thanks nick-dudley |
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hutchy ********
Age: 51 Zodiac: Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 5010 Location: somewhere on earth
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 13:31 Post subject: |
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maybe the head has a crack or porous part and the coolant is escaping through the exhaust system,i know this happens on the newer 16v diesel golfs,they have had 3 revisions on the head....and thats what is happening on the first 2 heads like the range rover p38 losing coolant though the exhaust hence no leaks or puddles just empty header tanks
holts do a stuff you can add to the cooling system it,s nothing like that k seal *beep* but it deals with minor cracks and porous heads and blocks,i used some a few months back on a guys car unitl he could afford a new head,when i changed the head you couldn,t even tell where this stuff had been and also the heater matrix and rad which k seal normally blocks up were unmarked by this stuff |
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Landcruiser **
Age: 69 Zodiac: Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Norfolk Coast
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 16:09 Post subject: |
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Wife on the phone after my last post - a tiny bit upset - she had to take the dog to the vets - 8 mile round trip - steam pouring from under the bonnet as she pulled into the drive.
I topped up the header this morning before I left for work.
I just cant wait to get home - lol. |
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nick-dudley LifeTime Member
Age: 52 Zodiac: Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 2237 Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 16:12 Post subject: |
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Landcruiser wrote: |
Wife on the phone after my last post - a tiny bit upset - she had to take the dog to the vets - 8 mile round trip - steam pouring from under the bonnet as she pulled into the drive.
I topped up the header this morning before I left for work.
I just cant wait to get home - lol. |
Leave it running when she gets home, at least you may find it now, follow the steam |
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Landcruiser **
Age: 69 Zodiac: Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Norfolk Coast
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 16:24 Post subject: |
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She is home - and I wont be there for another hour - but the steam will be coming from the header tank overflow - same as previous occasions. |
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nick-dudley LifeTime Member
Age: 52 Zodiac: Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 2237 Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 17:21 Post subject: |
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Landcruiser wrote: |
She is home - and I wont be there for another hour - but the steam will be coming from the header tank overflow - same as previous occasions. |
If that's the case, that's your water loss - caused by one of 3 problems. Either the cap is no good on the expansion bottle, the expansion bottle has a small crack, which again is quite common, or you have excess pressure in your water system, which may be down to the start of head gasket failure or other such issue like internally cracked head or block. To diagnose more accurately rather than a water system pressure test. Better to have it sniff tested for exhaust gases. |
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hutchy ********
Age: 51 Zodiac: Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 5010 Location: somewhere on earth
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 20:26 Post subject: |
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if it,s that bad i reckon the head gasket and head has gone,have a quick smell of the expasion tank when it,s settled sometimes you can smell the exhaust gas if not then like nick said get a sniff test done on it |
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Landcruiser **
Age: 69 Zodiac: Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 103 Location: Norfolk Coast
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:51 Post subject: |
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When I arrived home there was a big pool of coolant in front of the offside wheel.
Problem is I dont know if it was after I topped up header in the morning or if it came out after the trip to the vets.
Its booked into the garage again. |
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Johnny Alpha LifeTime Member
Age: 53 Zodiac: Joined: 15 Mar 2013 Posts: 380 Location: Wales, The Hills
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Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 19:20 Post subject: |
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Long story very short. In a galaxy long ago and far away... and all that. Spanner monkey had silicone sealed the top hose union to the head with a tiny wee pin hole in the bottom, or very near the bottom, of the sealing ring. Result - the moisture that was getting into the rad was cooling and being returned to the engine, the 'super-heated' coolant that wasn't was cooking off into the expansion tank and the tiny bit of steam vapour emerging from the leak was emerging between the electronic fan and the hot block - 'poof' vanished/ing.
At least - that's my best theory - never really got to the bottom of it, had a bigger (new engine) type problem.... |
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