Cooling Problem

[cambrian]

I am having to top up my cooling system often and have had pressure test carried out and checked for leaks which shows no loss of pressure, but when running the engine with expansion cap off water appears to be running from the small pipe connecting to the top of the expansion tank, I thought this pipe was the overflow am I wrong in my assumption? Can anyone tell me where this pipe connects to and is it normal for this to happen.

P.S. This problem has caused me many sleepless nights and would appreciate any help to solve it. Incidently I returned home yesterday on the back of an AA recovery truck because after travelling approx. 50 miles my temperature gauge went of the scale.

The vehicle is a Galaxy 1.9 Tdi Ghia 2000 W Reg.

Thanks for any help. :)

[Guest j_mchattie]

Might be a head gasket crack that only opens up when the engine is hot.

 

Which would explain the no-loss of pressure when cold, and the excessive heating when running.

 

Is there an exhaust smell in your expansion tank?

Is there oil in the water/ water in the oil (creamy-white foam under the oil filler cap)

 

I thought the return pipe always passed a small amount of water.

[cambrian]

Thanks for your reply. Head gasket is a possibility, but there is no water in the oil and no apparent smell of exhaust fumes in the header tank.

Have checked for steam from exhaust no sign of any.

Do you know if any test to confirm head gasket problem as I would immagine this is a very expensive job.

Ken.

[Masked Marauder]

Tis feels almost identical to a similar problem another user had that turned out to be the water pump. http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...61&hl=waterpump

[cambrian]

Thanks for all the assistance.

Ihave changed the thermostat and the filler cap but my problem differs slightly in as much as I'm losing water.

If as suggested by previous post it is the water pump and it's not leaking where would the water be going to?

Ken

[Guest j_mchattie]

Run the car untill it is hot ('normal' temp). Is there much steam from the exhaust?

More than the other cars?

 

If you drive really easy (low engine pressure), does the temperature rise as quickly as if you drive it hard? Obviously it would rise anyway, but only to the normal temperature - does it go into the red any quicker if you drive it hard (higher pressures)?

 

My mondeo 1.8 4 cylinder headgasket was

[cambrian]

I have just run the engine on the drive up to normal temperature and there is no sign of steam from the exhaust or unusual smell from the header tank. Failing everthing else I may have to reluctantly take it to Ford and sell the house to pay the bill.

This needless to say is the last option.

Ken

P.S. Has anyone tried a leak sealant and did it prove successful?

[Guest j_mchattie]

I spoke to Ford about engine fault finding - they said the only way they could find a definite fault would be to take the entire engine apart - costing

[Guest j_mchattie]

On re-reading your reply.....

 

Just ideling the engine will not force any hot gases through a cracked head gasket - it takes engine load to produce the pressures required. I bet if you left it ideling on your drive all day long, the temp would be fine and the coolent would not go down.

 

But if you then drove it, the pressure would push past the leaky gasket and heat the water up untill its too hot.

[johnb80]

An easy way to check for head gasket is to get a garage to put the exhaust analyser proble over the neck of the expansion bottle. If there's any exhaust gas there you will get the usual readings HC, CO etc this would then point to head gasket.

Other possible causes water pump, thermostat, blocked rad (does all the rad get warm?), pressure cap.

 

Regards - John

[Guest j_mchattie]

JOHN,

 

Coolant is being lost - with no leaks

 

Thermo is new, as is the exp. cap.

[cambrian]

Thanks for all contributors to this thread I will certainly try out all the suggestions as I have been qouted

[Masked Marauder]

I think what is happening is the overheat is causing water to blow out through the cap. It will do this even if the cap is new.

 

Do you have any residue round the cap/battery area?

[johnb80]

JOHN,

 

Coolant is being lost - with no leaks

 

Thermo is new, as is the exp. cap.

Get a garage to put the exhaust gas analyser over the neck of the expansion bottle, that will confirm head gasket if exhaust gasses are present.

They shouldn't charge much for that it's literally cap off, probe over the neck to sniff the vapours and watch the meter.

 

Regards - John

[cambrian]

Further to my last I have spoken to a garage who have agreed to carry out tests to trace the problem. The test they do is put some kind of dye into the cooling system which changes colour if there is a problem with the head. But after describing the symptoms he doubts if its the head thats the problem, so it will be interesting to see what he finds.

Will report back when I know more.

Ken.

[Masked Marauder]

I doubt it is the head too tbh. But I have been wrong in the past!

[Guest j_mchattie]

I very much hope that its not too, its an expensive job.

 

Best of luck

[Guest n51w03]

Hi, first posting for me - complete newbie to Galaxy ownership.

 

Several problems with mine, to be expected on a car with 103000 miles on the clock - most I can live with.

 

Had a look back through several postings, and yep - can check most of those boxes - water flooding onto the front passenger side, unfamiliar purring noise from the engine, absolutely crawls up a gradient, etc, etc, don't have the problem with the aircon though... touching wood as we speak.

 

But..... I do have this problem also with losing water from the coolant system. Takes about a couple of cups of water a day to top up. Little red light above the temperature guage blinks at me.

 

On a long run (motorway driving) coolant temperature stays in the safety zone, but as soon as I go down to idling speed the temp shoots up to the red. Then have to stop and fill the bottle up.

 

Again, complete novice with servicing engines and must be honest I could be told anything by a garage - but I did diagnose a mis-firing and the local garage found that the previous owner had put the leads on incorrectly. Seems fine now.

 

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Apart from this, I am starting to get to like my Gal - quite a difference to my other car - a left hand drive Smart car.

[johnb80]

I would get a new rad cap to start with, if it's not holding the pressure in the system this is exactly what happens.

 

Regards - John

[Guest RS Oddsworth]

would the water not be leaking out of the expantion tank over flow pipe?

because when the pressure biulds up it rises in the expantion tank there for pushing some water out of the overflow pipe.

could be wrong.

 

cheers jay

[Masked Marauder]

There is no overflow pipe as such, it just blows out the cap. Normally that leaves a residue though. so it is easy to spot.

[johnb80]

Just shows how many times I've opened the bonnet on my Gal ;)

 

Regards - JB

[steve67car]

just read this and if no signs of leaks and on ilde its fine the water pump may have lost its impellers and the loss is the stationary water vapourising? worth a look but i also thought the vr6 engine had an electric pump so that also could have siezed :lol:

[Guest n51w03]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for the advice.

 

I've just filled up the coolant again, and took it for a short trip around town, surely enough the temp went into the red.

 

Stopped and opened the bonnet, noticed that the fan cooling the radiator aren't working - I suspect this is why it stays cool on motorway runs and then heats up in town.

 

Could be a bugger of a job finding out why it isn't working though I suspect.

[Masked Marauder]

Well if the fans are not working then the next logical sterp is to feel the radaitor and see if it is very hot.

 

If it is cold/warm then suspect the thermostat or pump

 

If it is very hot then suspect the fan switch/wiring/fuse/motor.

 

Do you have manual aircon? If so switch it on and the fans should work.