Coolant leak ?

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27-08-2013, 03:34 PM
valleyforge1

Coolant leak ?

Hello everybody not been on here for a while as nothing as been wrong with the car and as I need the old girl for my photography run abouts its a case of its not broke, dont mess with it. she as just got though the MOT but needed a bit of work doing this time but the old girl still hangs on in there. I am really busy with college so dont have time to spit. I hope everyone old and new in the club is well and the meeting are as good as they used to be and you are all having a good summer. Now to business.

Not sure what the hell I have here. Just come back from a run to Manchester and everything was fine till I got to a set of light 1 mile from home and saw steam coming from the bonnet. The temperture gauge was fine. got home and there was no dripping or leaking, thought I had boiled it dry, but temperture gauge was still nornal. I have left it for a few hours to cool off and when I checked the rad it was needing about just short of a litre to top it up and I have refilled the plastic overflow tank. I have run it again and built pressure up, the fans kicked in to cool it down and no leak. I am just off to check if it is leaking now and ill report back. Cheers
27-08-2013, 04:05 PM
Davezj

is there a crack in the radiator on the top at the front, to the left of the rad cap?

I thought so!

worth a guess it is the most common place for the rad to crack.
28-08-2013, 01:10 PM
mike74

If no cracks or burst hoses are evident, I'd change the radiator cap first. Chances are is letting fluid through & pumping out of the expansion bottle....
28-08-2013, 08:16 PM
elnevio

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike74

If no cracks or burst hoses are evident, I'd change the radiator cap first. Chances are is letting fluid through & pumping out of the expansion bottle....

:iagree:

Cheapest place for a decent cap is surprisingly Halfords. I have got one off the shelf for a fiver before.
30-08-2013, 10:36 AM
valleyforge1

Cheers guys for getting back to me on this. Ive just been running it local over the last few days. Each time I bring the car back to the front door I have let it cool down. The expansion bottle emties each time and I have had to put the same amount of water into the radiator to top it up which as been 450 ml and than the other 550 in the expantion tank. Each time its the same result. Iam beginning to think it is not a leak but as you guys say the rad cap being under to much pressure and must be worn.
30-08-2013, 11:15 AM
Adam.Findlay

Quote:

Originally Posted by valleyforge1

Cheers guys for getting back to me on this. Ive just been running it local over the last few days. Each time I bring the car back to the front door I have let it cool down. The expansion bottle emties each time and I have had to put the same amount of water into the radiator to top it up which as been 450 ml and than the other 550 in the expantion tank. Each time its the same result. Iam beginning to think it is not a leak but as you guys say the rad cap being under to much pressure and must be worn.

Rad cap.
I had the same issue.
scared me for a bit as There were no leaks, nor could I see any steam when engine was up to temp, thought it was head gasket. turned out rad cap rubber seal was split and blowing all pressure through overflow.

As Mike said, get a new cap for a 5'er to see if its the issue. if not your only 5 bucks down