Coolant Loss

[dipsomaniac]

as regulars will know i have been losing coolant now since i have had the car 3 years ago. matrix is currently still bypassed and i have replaced the following:

 

water pump

expansion cap

thermostat housing + gaskets and o'rings

hose cylinder to matrix to throttle housing

 

head gasket test has been done and appears ok. no other signs of coolant mixing with oil. there are no obvious signs of an external leak so am suspecting a pin hole leak somewhere at the back of the engine which is evaporating immediately due to the heat from the manifold.

 

has anyone got any images of the coolant system, particularly the hoses at the back of the engine. any other ideas welcome.

[raymac]

possiblly core plug? :lol:

[Dave-G]

If it's any help I had an issue like this - and kept getting a whiff of hot water and occasionally the windscreen misted up.

 

It turned out to be a small convoluted hose from the lower part of the expansion bottle to the engine block that had chaffed on a bracket below the fuel filter. After carefully looking with a very bright torch I noticed a small drip onto the gearbox housing. I couldn't see the damaged part but you can feel it all the way down - strangely it was worn through where there is an extra piece of hose over it... for that very reason :)

[dipsomaniac]

core plug raymac. can you expand?

 

i am sure that i have a similar problem with a hose dave-g as i get that whiff of hot water when i get out of the drivers side but just can't see anything. i need to get hold of some ramps and have a good look with the undertray removed.

[Dave-G]

Get a decent torch in there then mate and study every warm hose by feel if you can't see it all. You'd be surprised how much you can't see - even in bright daylight. Also study the radiator area.

[raymac]

core plug raymac. can you expand?

 

i am sure that i have a similar problem with a hose dave-g as i get that whiff of hot water when i get out of the drivers side but just can't see anything. i need to get hold of some ramps and have a good look with the undertray removed.

 

Core plugs are fitted into the engine block and are designed to pop out if the the water in the engine freezes (if not enough anti-freeze in engine)so as not to damage the block, my first car a mk3 cortina had a problem with water loss and couldn't find the foojer for ages and only noticed it by luck, a core plug was leaking through a very small pin hole but was going onto the exhaust manifold so was evaporating without a trace , these plugs are situated around various parts of the engine and iirc there are some fitted behind the flywheel,hope it's the hose and not a core plug, hope this helps you :D