Coolant/water leak - Happened to ne1?

[gee118]

I've done the 'search' but can't find anyone that had the same problem as my legnum. In april I got a clutch change done, when they were doing it they rang and said my coolant looked like ditch water - so they charged me 45 euro to flush it out nay I have problems in the future.
3 months down the line and I have a big problem. The car started losing water and over heating!

Upon bringing her to a different garage the mechanic spotted a leaking pipe which goes into an aluminium block on the passenger side of the engine (slightly forward and down from the MAF). It's ring is all rusty (giggidy) and the coolant of course is ditch water again.

The leak is pretty substantial and develops a reasonable puddle even after only 20 minutes of standing (while pressurised)

Has anyone had this issue before or know what pipe that is? If it's perrished badly (and from the coulour of the leaking water, it is) I need a new one.

I'll try & get a pic if I can get a good angle.

[martin_y]

Those spring band clamps do lose their tension over time, and if they are disturbed.

[elnevio]

Removed due to idiocy! :embarasse

[AlanDITD]

Is that not just one of the coolant pipes? The waterpump would sit below that so should be easy enough to rule it out!

[eyeballprawn]

Water pump is on the right hand side of the engine, this sounds like it's on the left side? Are you talking about the rubber pipe, or a hard pipe? If it's a rubber pipe then it's an easy fix. If it's a hard pipe then it could be that the thermostat housing is corroded. I have seen this before, and it's a fairly simple fix but you will need to source a genuine replacement part.

[gee118]

Yes, it's a metal pipe, probably rusted internally that goes into the passenger side of the engine (facing the engine from the front --> on the right, sitting in the car --> on the left)
I'll go out now and take a picture if I can.

[edit] Pics:

Turns out I couldn't get a decent shot, I can just about make out the rusty coloured pipe going in but it didn't come out well in the pics...

I don't seem to have access to upload pics anymore so here's a link:
http://eoin.smithfield.su/legnum%20leak%20July%202010/

[elnevio]

Yes - I was thinking the wrong way round! /pan

Post edited accordingly... sorry for the confusion

[gee118]

So can anyone, despite the badness of the pics, tell what the problem is most likely to be?
It's a coolant pipe ok, perhaps the thermostat housing, but getting access to this looks like a bit of a hassle.

[elnevio]

It's not so bad once you've taken the air snorkel and intercooler pipe off.

Not sure what the problem could be there - thermostat housing gasket perhaps?

Hopefully someone else can pop up their thoughts.

[Wodjno]

From the pics it looks like thermostat housing. As Nev says, could be the gasket. If the Thermostat isn't opening once up to temp then this may have built up pressure and with lack of Antifreeze the corrosion has lead to a leak.
It's only 5 mins to take the pipe and snorkel off above it. The water shouldn't be brown like that. Summats definitely gone rusty. Most people only think that Antifreeze is needed in the winter. It's also a Summer coolant and a corosion inhibitor.
Maybe worth changing the thermostat at the same time as changing whatever has leaked.

Cheers

Wodj

[mike74]

The thermostat is housed on the right hand side of the assembly you've photographed there (looks like a domed cover facing right). Its not too bad a job to change it, as said before you've got to remove the airbox, intercooler pipe & another hose that sits over the top/right of the thermostat to gain proper access to it. I found that I only had to remove one end of the lower hose (you'll see this once the airbox & intercooler pipe are off) to be able to get to the back-most bolt for the thermostat. Other than that its only 2 bolts that hold the housing to the block. Removing all this, replacing the stat & refitting should take less than an hour so would probably be as well pulling it all off & having a proper look. You'll need to bleed the stat's housing before putting all this back together again though as I found I couldn't really get to the bleed bolt easily while everything was there. Good luck mate :)

[Wodjno]

Don't know whether you can view this: http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/uploaded/3/1176028173.pdf

As your not a Fully Fledged Member /Hmmm

If you can it's a PDF Breakdown of the Housing and Thermostat assembly. (All in the Fully Fledged Members Section /yes )

Cheers

Wodj

[gee118]

yes, my fully fedgedness ran out, due to lack of funds.
I'll rejoin now because you guys are so helpful.

[Nick Mann]

The thermostat housing doesn't have a seperate gasket - the thermostat itself has a rubber ridge around the edge that seals the two parts of the pipework around it.

It isn't a difficult job to remove the thermostat - just takes time to remove everything that is in the way of the bolts. The bottom bolt especially is a git to get at.

[gee118]

Shouldn't I be wary removing the intercooler pipe? Are there potential leaks I should be aware of?
thx

[KHK]

try to remove as many parts as possible on left side engine ,
u need lots of space for your hand and a small wrench
the back nut, a small and tricky one,
might cause u trouble
as almost no space for your hand and tool
there i broke my thermostat housing

good luck

[mike74]

Just make sure that all the pipes you remove are pushed on as far as they can & do the clamps up nice n tight, making sure they go on straight :)
If the pipes are being tw@ts to go back on, spray a little WD40 on the inside of them & they should slide on pretty easily.

[pitslayer]

Could also be the metal pipe which iirc joins the thermostat to the engine block, sits between the middle of the engine and is a complete arse to get at, as you have to remove just about everything on that side to get at it, the hardest part is that bottom bolt on the thermostat housing, that is a real git to get back in and keep the gasket there aswell.

I found a small pin hole by chance on mine, removed everything took about an hour to get to it, took the pipe out, just a pull off IIRC has two rubber rings on to seal it, replaced the rubber O rings and reassembled. If you can't find anything wrong with the thermostat, definitely worth checking this pipe, mine produced a similar puddle on the floor, but it really is a pain to get to.

[gee118]

This thing is, I don't mind taking it apart to get at it, but sourcing the replacement pipe would then leave me without a motor for that amount of time.

pitslayer, where did you get your replacement parts?

[apeman69]

If you haven't been putting antifreeze in then it could be worthwhile checking the radiator while you're at it to see if it's got a build-up of crap inside or on the verge of becoming blocked from accumulated crud, as your water is a dodgy colour again.
Three months after a flush would make me wonder if they did flush it properly, or at all, assuming you've ben putting antifreeze in.

[Wodjno]

This thing is, I don't mind taking it apart to get at it, but sourcing the replacement pipe would then leave me without a motor for that amount of time.

pitslayer, where did you get your replacement parts?

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/uploaded/3/1176028173.pdf



Which pipe is it that u need. Can u point it out in the link above .. I have all the pipes off and engine at the min /yes

[gee118]

I was wondering the same thing.
Especially now, after a week or so of refilling water after every journey, the water isn't brown anymore but crystal clear.
They probably never did a decent flush at all.


If you haven't been putting antifreeze in then it could be worthwhile checking the radiator while you're at it to see if it's got a build-up of crap inside or on the verge of becoming blocked from accumulated crud, as your water is a dodgy colour again.
Three months after a flush would make me wonder if they did flush it properly, or at all, assuming you've ben putting antifreeze in.

[gee118]

Thanks, I will take it apart the weekend and find out which one it is exactly. There's some water going into the passenger footwell as well!:uhoh2:


http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/uploaded/3/1176028173.pdf



Which pipe is it that u need. Can u point it out in the link above .. I have all the pipes off and engine at the min /yes

[pitslayer]

Passenger footwell....Heater matrix,could be leaking, that will probably be fun to replace, providing it is coolant and not just rain water.

As for replacement part, at 10:30pm at night a day before I had to use the vehicle I didn't replace but fixed, cleaned the pipe out with a wire brush, spot welded the little holes that were appearing, then wrapped some sheet metal around the area and welded that on wont be leaking again, and replaced the O rings, on the diagram provided by Wodj I believe the pipe was no 15 on page 26, water inlet pipe assembly.



Probably worth checking all rubber hoses out whilst you are working there, and then replacing if needs be

[gee118]

Don't know whether you can view this: http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/uploaded/3/1176028173.pdf

As your not a Fully Fledged Member /Hmmm

If you can it's a PDF Breakdown of the Housing and Thermostat assembly. (All in the Fully Fledged Members Section /yes )

Cheers

Wodj


Took me a while to find this link again. I was searching the members area like a fool. Can anyone show me where these files are linked from?? i looked in the resource library, the member's info, and searched the member's forum and articles to no avail...

[Atik]

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5507

Ther are all listed there... :)

[gee118]

Thanks Atik