Drinking coolant

S

sk93

Veteran
 Nottingham
Pretty sure I know where this is going to go, and don't like the idea of it...

My car was sat for about 8 months not doing anything. I had previously drained the coolant before it was "sidelined".
Now it's back on the road, and after filling the coolant, it seems to be drinking it.

I cant say an exact amount, but I'd estimate I've put in about 7 liters of water / coolant.. and after a couple of days, the reservoir seems empty and the dash light pops on.

can't say I've noticed any puddles under the car, and cant see any obvious leaks.
I haven't really noticed any moisture in the exhaust gas (apart from when cold and it's rained, but it clears in minutes).


Ideas?


also.. I think the Alternator isn't working properly, as I installed a new battery about a week ago, and now the batt light is on on the dash.




FFS. :x
 
Before panicking i would run the car into your favoured indy & have it checked over (expansion tank ,hoses etc)
Presume you've had a peep inside the oil for signs of water & in the water for signs of oil ?
No reason why your head gasket should suddenly let go just cause its been sidelined for a period of time
 
mr wilks said:
Before panicking i would run the car into your favoured indy & have it checked over (expansion tank ,hoses etc)
Presume you've had a peep inside the oil for signs of water & in the water for signs of oil ?
No reason why your head gasket should suddenly let go just cause its been sidelined for a period of time
Click to expand...

no mayo anywhere, and the water's pretty much running empty, so nowt to see there.

it's going in on thursday for a pre-mot, so I'm going to ask them to have a gander when it's flying and see...
but I'd like some stuff to check myself if I can - less money spent ;)
 
Machine monkey said:
The expansion tank is a known week area. The plastic get hot cold hot cold and brittle.

Hope this is the case :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

expansion tank being the filler on the side of the rad, or is it another tank somewhere I've not seen?
if so.. I've seen no ships
 
Def look at that expansion tank. Problem i it only leaks out as steam when hot so you may not even see it.

I'd not be panicking about the head gasket and similar just yet.

stop running it while low though or you will have big issues
 
My bet is the expansion tank. Go for a run and then have a look at the bottom tray under the engine. As stated it is when the system reaches full temp that the pressure then uses the expansion tank. Mine had a split and when replaced with a new one the dealer didn't seat it correctly first time and it leaked again :headbang: . If no mayo must be leaking. Might want to check that your radiator cap is still good ie rubber seals still good. I replaced mine off eBay. Money well spent.
 
Also check the carpets under/near the dash ....the heater matrix might be leaking if you cant see anything dripping under the car
 
Can you pressure test the cooling system without running? Had a Rover 220 GSi that also dumped coolant in a similar fashion, no leaking when cold only when hot under pressure.
 
To rule out the possibility of water entering your cylinders, you could check the appearance of your spark plugs.

You could use this ( http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/tech_support/spark_plugs/faqs/faqread.asp ) as a reference point, although it doesn't include the ''wet cylinder'' possibility.

You could also give the engine a thorough clean. Why? Because when coolant dries leaves white marks, an undeniable evidence that you have a leak somewhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom