Where did my coolant go? Update...

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon May 15, 2006 7:44 pm

Been on hols for 2 weeks, got back yesterday, went to look at gearbox oil leak, seems much the same as before, but then I noticed I had no coolant in the tank...

Grabbed a bottle of water thinking it was just a bit low, but no, took 2.5 litres (Water and coolant 50/50) to get back to the min mark! (After bleeding, so 0.5 litre on the floor)

Cant see a leak but it's been raining all day. Nadgers.

If I'd known it was that low I'd have fitted the PRRT!

Topped up, bled (I cant find the front bleed point, I don't seem to have one!) ran for 1/2 hour or so, watching temp and level like a hawk and went for a 1/2 hr spin. Hasn't lost a drop.

Any ideas for the likely suspects? I'm thinking maybe inlet manifold, but would that loose water static? Got quite alot of steam on start up and a little bit of a cough but figured 2 weeks static would do that.

Cheers
Rich

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon May 15, 2006 7:53 pm

Cheers Paul....

I'm hoping that as it was static it's just a leak and it doesn't have and of the other symptoms (runs to find some wood to touch)

Rich

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Mon May 15, 2006 8:35 pm

Rich
I have had both hose on the rad come slack. Or rather I don't think they had been fitted properly. It was a while ago but I think I managed to get at them by taking the front wheels off and removing the wheel liner.
Stewart

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:34 pm

Think the front bleed is accesed from the OS wheel arch liner, not visible but reachable.

I think I might have a spare expansion tank cap if you want test that out too.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:40 pm

Got a brand new tank cap (Landrover) less than 3 weeks ago. I'll have another look for the front bleed point. I'll check the hoses too.

Cheers
Rich

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Tue May 16, 2006 8:26 am

IIRC when I first got my car and had a HGF the following year my garage at the time had pressure testing kit and also kit that sampled the coolant for hydrocarbons to tell if a HGF was immanent.

Anyone got any of the above ?

Post by **Shug** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:58 am

Does seem facking weird... Check the hose clips at the rad end, maybe something really weird like summit contracting when cold and letting a leak occur. Not just the fronts, either - check the undertray for water witness marks (the coolant should have left something) arond where the pipes come out of the chassis.

If it was HGF and the engine hadn't pissed out the water to the engine bay, you'd surely have had a major steam cloud (and probably hydraulic-ed it)

Post by **Shug** » Tue May 16, 2006 1:27 pm

Sanjoy wrote:Think the front bleed is accesed from the OS wheel arch liner, not visible but reachable.

I think I might have a spare expansion tank cap if you want test that out too.

NS wheelarch liner. On mine, anyway.

robin · Post by **robin** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:21 pm

In the wheel arch liner there is an access grommet (same as the type used behind the headlights) that allows you access to the bleed nipple and also that allows you to access the jubilee clip that holds pipe to rad, IIRC.

What age is your car? Prior to '99 there was a problem with one of the chassis rivets touching the coolant pipe in the driver's side chassis rail - it gradually eats through the pipe and makes it leak (either a little or a lot depending on how it breaks). You may find that you've filled the chassis rail with coolant - the chassis rail is plugged with two foam blocks at the engine end (these locate the coolant pipe in the center of the rail x-section). If you have a slow leak these will sponge up the fluid and allow it to evaporate over time and you'll be none the wiser.

To fix requires removal of front clam, hole sawing a tennis-ball sized hole in front crash structure, removal of pipe, purchase of new "bent" pipe (or repair of old straight pipe, plus bend it). Amusingly refit is "reverse" procedure. Good luck with that

My money *is* on HGF though, and trust me, that's a better option!

Remove all four spark plugs - if one is shiny and clean, that's your answer.

Robin

Post by **Shug** » Tue May 16, 2006 4:17 pm

robin wrote: My money *is* on HGF though, and trust me, that's a better option!

Remove all four spark plugs - if one is shiny and clean, that's your answer.

Robin

I'd have though 0.5l of water in the bores would have hydraulic-ed it?

Although, I readily admit that it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong...

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue May 16, 2006 4:54 pm

97 R reg, so I'll check the plugs and the chassis rail.

Bollocks.

Cheers
Rich

Post by **Shug** » Tue May 16, 2006 5:03 pm

If you wanna hand Rich, you know where to holla

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue May 16, 2006 5:59 pm

Bit of residual oil.
Look ok to me. No inlet manifold leak then.

NEXT!

Going to jack up and have a look see.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:28 pm

Where am I looking for this foam? I have had a quick look without jacking up and all I can see is where the coolant pipe dissapears through a hole in the chassis rail.

Any thoughts?

Level looks the same, and I found the front bleed point.

No evidence of a leak anywhere I can see.

Do I have to resort to Radweld? (Or an egg) Or is that a really bad idea....

robin · Post by **robin** » Wed May 17, 2006 8:28 am

Unless you are totally stranded I think radweld is to be avoided.

To find the foam I am talking about, jack up & remove undertray.

See where the pipe goes into the chassis rail.

Now run your hand backwards along the bottom side of the rail until you reach the large cutout at the end. Now stick your hand into this and reach forward to reach the coolant pipe on the inside of the rail. The foam is a little further forwards ...

*BUT* watch out - the same rivets that cut the pipe further up are present here too and the chassis has not had the edges filed off after cutting - you will shred your hands and the scope for deep (life threatening) cuts is high!

Cheers,
Robin