Copper dust in expansion tank

S

Stupidunderpants

Member
Hi everyone,

I took the zed out for a 50mile trip today to visit family, while showing my brother the engine I noticed copper dust from the expansion cap, I guessed it was some kind of rad weld, so when I got back home I thought I would have a closer inspection, after having the bonnet open straight after pulling up the drive the cap was hissing, temperature was fine on both journeys, level of coolant is fine, no milky texture in the oil or coolant and no white smoke or loss of power so I don't think it is the head gasket, and the rad looks fine aswell, I have ordered a new cap but I am guessing there is a hidden problem that someone has tried to cover up. Any thoughts
 
Could just be a pin hole in the radiator, I’m not sure if the impeller or bearing in the water pump contains any copper parts that could be wearing out, I would get a new cap and flush the cooling system and refill with some premixed stuff from the motor spares. 🤪
 
Sounds like kalimex/k-seal rad or head gasket stop leak stuff.

Found it in my 147JTD after a supposed repair for a HG failure. Pity I was all the way in Germany when I realised I’d paid for a bodge job.
 
There are no copper parts in the cooling system perhaps maybe a housing from a sensor or so. At least nothing that can give off dust.
Are you sure you dont have red/pink coolant and that it's just dried in residue?
You probably either need a new cap or maybe a new expansion tank (do a thorough check on that, it's a known weak point)

If you have any leak stop stuff in your coolant, immediately flush the complete system, and replace the faulty part, because that stuff is garbage.
 
It's possible, I have a new cap coming tommorow, the colour is difficult to tell against the black, when I dip into the tank the coolant is clear it is only the dry residue which is like a dust.
 
It has a blue tinge to it but tbh it should be a much deeper colour in my opinion. I am going to call my mechanic tommorow to come and have a look at it.
 
That's definitely not right.

First step is to do a flush and refill with proper coolant mix...then hope you don't start using coolant :|
 
So the cap arrived, took it out for a bit of a burn round the county lanes DTC off, when I got back looked under the bonnet, no hissing from the cap today but I think I have a crack in the expansion tank, as there is water on the skid tray and around the bottle and there is dried white residue and under the air filter nothing anywhere else pipes rad engine etc.... I think the previous owner must have thought it was the rad and just stuck Weld rubbish in it which is going to do nothing on plastic obvs. So going to get it off full flush and replace with the good stuff.
 
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