Coolant bubbling/leaking, im fed up now

[NickVR6 0]

Im at the end of my tether with coolant leaks, somebody please tell me whats going on or as much as i luv my new vr its going in the garden as a water feature!

 

Loosing small amounts when hot through the header tank valve.

 

Lossing nearly a litre a night when it all cools down!

 

Bubbling noise from one extremely hot pipe that goes from the bulk head into the back of the head--my main worry. You can here this in the car, and the pipe is vibrating like a kettle when you touch it as is the small pipe that t's off this into the injection manifold? what does that do, warm it up or keep it cool? could there be a blockage somewhere??

 

I've just had a second stat and housing fitted and the rad and aux pump are 6 moths old.

 

???????????????????????? ! :evil:

[Tekara 0]

The pipe you are talking about leads into the cabin heater matrix.

What temp is your gauge reading ? Im guessing if its dumping that amount of water it must really be hot.

 

Just spotted your another local :D , im near Andover

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Can you see where the leak is coming from in the morning? I.e. where's the puddle?

 

It kind of sounds like an air lock in the heater matrix possibly.

[Andy Brookes 0]

have you tried changing the cap on the expansion tank?? Check the oring and see if its ok. If this cap leaks it allowed the system to boil as you describe. Around fiver from VW

[NickVR6 0]

The big leak is from the thermostat housing my garage fitted last weekend, as it was seeping slightly, now its much worse. Its in there now overnight to check the exact leakage point and i told them to fit a new presure cap and "investigate" the bubbling pipe. I suggested a matrix air prob but they said the heater wouldnt work? It allways works VERY VERY HOT/WELL!!

 

Im most worried about this strange pipe. Can you confirm what those two small diametre ones to the injection do for my own knowledge?

Is that cooling or warm up related? One ts into the pipe in question

[NickVR6 0]

Tekara, hey buddy wheres you situated then?? It would be great to find another local VR, only seen one other but not on here and they dont flash or wave!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The two small hose feed the throttle body to prevent icing in the winter and as the throttle sits right above the exhaust manifold, it also absorbs the heat soak from the throttle at the same time.

 

The first pipe (nearest the engine) has a ball bearing non return valve in it.

 

If the stat housing is leaking, they didn't fit it properly. If water is leaking out of it, you can guarantee air is getting in too, so could be causing an air lock. Not 100% sure, pure guesswork!

[NickVR6 0]

cheers Kev, i was wondering if that would let air in. Its running everso slightly warmer on the water temp after they fitted it too, mid 90s instead of bang on 90. Garage are noramly fab, and let me pay over a couple of months which helps! Im sure they will fix that, but still unsure it will cure the pipe rumbling! Just want it 100% as i know the cooling takes a pounding on these, then i will fit an oil cooler.

 

Dont think after owning a golf vr and the wife having the vento vr i will ever come to terms with oil temps of over 110 when they both ran/run in the low 90s! I guess its down to the "shoehorned" vr in the raddo. Rocks though!

 

PS: got my 8x17s sat here as discussed, still deliberating 205 or 215!

This water things put the tyres back another month though aaarrrhh!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You'll get it sorted mate, VRs are fickle beasts when it comes to cooling. The coolant refill needs to go in via the rad top hose to prevent air locks, it's how VW fill their engines. Doing it that way drives air from the bottom of the block up and out through the expansion tank.

 

8x17s....you'll need 205s fella. 215s will rub on the rear arches slightly over bumps.

[NickVR6 0]

dont want that stretched look though!!!!! or will they look ok?? sorry off subject i know!!

[dr_mat 0]

Make sure you very carefully check that hose that goes from the bulkhead to the back of the cylinder head, right down by the join to the cylinder head, for cracks and splits. That's usually the first hose that goes on a VR due to engine movement, and that would explain why you're losing water and would explain why air is getting into that part of the system, too.

[NickVR6 0]

cheers Dr Mat, I will. I did notice that the end that attaches to the head was white and crusty looking round the very end?

[dr_mat 0]

Uh oh....

£40+VAT, iirc...

But better than the problems you're currently experiencing..

[NickVR6 0]

exsqueeze me!?? how much, its about 12 inch long peice of rubber !?

I can here a ripping sound.

 

Next job is the heater controls, how much are they about £200 ?

[dr_mat 0]

Not a bad price for a 12 inch long piece of rubber that provides so much enjoyment, don't you think? And don't forget, it's a 12 inch long piece of rubber with a joint in it. There's where the extra £30 goes.

 

And haha, you think you're joking. Yes, the heater control box is around £200 + VAT. :roll:

[theRuler 0]

whats up with your heater controls?

[GIXXERUK 0]

Next job is the heater controls, how much are they about £200 ?

 

there are always some on ebay mate, andi recently sold some on there

[dr_mat 0]

For £120..

[Roger Blassberg 0]

A top hose is the best part of £100. This was the first bit I had to buy when I got my VR - I should have seen the warning signs then.

 

Compared to the later costs though, it was a drop in the ocean.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[NickVR6 0]

Back on line now (been banned at work!!)

Thanks for the comments guys. Heater controls all work acept 2 settings for face and face/low. rest is fine, but occasionally one ring will light up but the rest never does. I can live with it until this water is sorted.

 

Just got the car back from the garage. 2nd new stat housing and stat fitted free of charge. Temp sender in rad replaced and presure cap.

 

All leaks now sorted, presure caps is still leaking and the pipe is still boiling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

They reckon the only thing left is the main water pump, and think the electric pump is keeping things down and saving the day. I cant belive this.

 

Yes the pipe to the head does have a small white mark round it but other wise is mint and intact. Somebody save me from insanity AND A £200 BILL FOR A WATER PUMP THAT MAY NOT BE THE PROBLEM......AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

[NickVR6 0]

Termostat & Housing: Replaced (Again) Nolonger leaking

Presure Cap: Replaced with VAG blue jobbie

Aux Pump: Taken off and checked all ok, pump nicely.

Coolant: Flushed twice and bled from 3 diff places 3 times.

Sensor on rad: Replaced and sealed properly.

Heater: Works great all the time, no wet carpets

Hose to head/h-matrix: Slight white mark round the head and very slight perishing starting but does not appear to be leaking anywhere other than the tiny white ring round the head end.

Constant 70mph = constant 92 water temp/106/108 oil temp MFA, BUT......

 

ORIGINAL PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS

 

Leaking from header tank outlet

Pipe from head to heater matrix still bubbling/gurgling and or boiling?

Now the cars cold I swear by squeezing every pipe there is under the bonnet they are all half full of air and water! and it doesnt feel or sound like theres any water in that head/matrix hose to me at all now its cool.

 

GARAGE SAYS: Must be the main pump gone, only reason your cars not overheating is because the electric pump is taking care of it!?

 

I would think if the mechanical pump was shot the car would overheat?

 

Been quoted £180 to do the pump, and if thats not the problem they said it has to be my head gasket.

 

Nothing seems to be making any sense. If its the pump hows air getting in?? If theres an air lock why does my heater work.

 

Can anyone give me a fairly sure answer with all the above?? SHould i go for the pump? I'm desperate, feels like im never going to have a clear cure for this!! :( :( :( :( :cry:

[Funkster 0]

'lo,

 

Your car is behaving almost exactly like mine, but I haven't seen you post anything about the top hose. There's a restrictor where the bleed hose (that goes to the top of the header tank) is teed onto the main bit of the top hose. On mine this had broken up, and at one point became completely blocked - this caused coolant to be blown out of the header tank and for it to overheat loads even when driving at 50mph in freezing ambients.

 

When I cleared out this blockage it got better, but now I have a relatively stable 90° on the gauge whereas a couple of months ago it used to be stable at 80 all the time no matter what (apart from in traffic, of course).

 

Might be worth blowing the little hose through with an air line and putting it back together... it's free after all! I removed the restrictor from mine completely in an effort to resolve the 90° temps, although it didn't help.

 

fwiw.

--

Olly

[NickVR6 0]

Olly, cheers my friend, another trick to try. Spose truth be know its worth doing everything, it may well be a combination of things. I have def got a lot of air in the system somehow though.

 

Ive part 2'd this thread with a new post if you want the latest long winded version!!

[Supercharged 2]

Ive part 2'd this thread with a new post if you want the latest long winded version!!

 

Locking this one then...