Coolant Tank Cap HELP, Going Europe tomorrow! HELP!

[EJ Taylor 22]

For starts any info or help would be so appreciated as im driving to MIVW in Holland tomorrow at 5am

 

i had to take the rad out to sort out the elbow that was leaking (sunday), drove it since and its been fine, after picking it up from the zorst specialist (last night) which btw sounds epic, me and the Hard Knocks owner went for a blast, ive been driving it hard the last week as my theory is if somethings going to go i want it to go now, and i always take her up to bouncing and never normally an issue, however after our little 10minute blap to oxford car audio from his, when i got there the rado was ****ting coolant out of the pressure valve on top of the coolant tank, now, checked the electric water pump it working, heater matrix fine and all pipes are circulating, however when i try take the lid off the second i turn the lid to release pressure coolant just poors out the valve, and its sat right to the brim? does this sound like a air lock? had the head pressure tested skimmed and new gasket by stealth about 4 years ago (done about 5k since then) and when i changed the oil its clean and plugs are fine and coolant is clean and running perfect? and back to the air lock subject my mechanic raised concern when i said the tank cap never "clicked" into place, i thought this was just a corrado thing? am i wrong? also reporting there to always be a slight residue of coolant around the vavle, this then raised his concern to the coolant tank lid, maybe its f ucked, that would explain the air lock, and the constant residue ive had for years? any feed back or where i can get a new lid TODAY, or we also thought, could re retro fit a different lid? or whole tank set up? say a mk4 one?

 

ANY HELP would be amazing, im really stuck

[GlosterOx 0]

Is it the original black lid or a replacement blue lid - Check the seal on the bottom in case it has distorted/perished?

 

Ian.

[g0ldf1ng3r 14]

good point Ian

 

if its an old black lid change it to a more modern blue - stealer should stock i would have thought EJ

 

FYI i have never felt either my old black cap or current blue cap 'click' into place - they just screw up tight

 

the main difference seems to be that the old black caps were a bugger to unscrew when the car was cold, i always used to have to take it for a short run before unscrewing the cap. this doesn't seem to happen with the blue one

[EJ Taylor 22]

Is it the original black lid or a replacement blue lid - Check the seal on the bottom in case it has distorted/perished?

 

Ian.

 

good point Ian

 

if its an old black lid change it to a more modern blue - stealer should stock i would have thought EJ

 

FYI i have never felt either my old black cap or current blue cap 'click' into place - they just screw up tight

 

the main difference seems to be that the old black caps were a bugger to unscrew when the car was cold, i always used to have to take it for a short run before unscrewing the cap. this doesn't seem to happen with the blue one

 

its a blue one, i bought a new tank when i did the charger a few years back, the thing is i now worry/ cant remember if i got a new cap or used one at my mates workshop, the guy before me had retrofitted a mk4 tank and cap, after ringing around searching for a Rado t and c im now starting to think this may be my only option? anyone know of any issues with this?

 

Thats helpful with the cap though knowing yours doesnt click aswell thanks man!

[g0ldf1ng3r 14]

its a blue one, i bought a new tank when i did the charger a few years back, the thing is i now worry/ cant remember if i got a new cap or used one at my mates workshop, the guy before me had retrofitted a mk4 tank and cap, after ringing around searching for a Rado t and c im now starting to think this may be my only option? anyone know of any issues with this?

 

Thats helpful with the cap though knowing yours doesnt click aswell thanks man!

 

i cant recall the details of when i changed my expansion tank, i do know i got it from VW though.

 

ive a feeling it is possible to use the golf mk4 tank, im pretty sure they are the same.

 

have you tried a stealer yet m8?

[EJ Taylor 22]

i cant recall the details of when i changed my expansion tank, i do know i got it from VW though.

 

ive a feeling it is possible to use the golf mk4 tank, im pretty sure they are the same.

 

have you tried a stealer yet m8?

 

Whats a stealer? ha

[EJ Taylor 22]

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?42898-MK4-expansion-tank-upgrade/page7

 

Seems like its and easy job, just have to make a temp connection with some spade connectors as the plugs a different shape.

[g0ldf1ng3r 14]

Whats a stealer? ha

 

ha ha sorry EJ - stealer as in a VW dealer ;) lol

[EJ Taylor 22]

ha ha sorry EJ - stealer as in a VW dealer ;) lol

 

oooooooooooh, yer none in stock, tracked one down in telford though, i think im guna do the mk4 conversion

[g0ldf1ng3r 14]

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?42898-MK4-expansion-tank-upgrade/page7

 

Seems like its and easy job, just have to make a temp connection with some spade connectors as the plugs a different shape.

 

cool, well found

 

ring VW first m8

[Jim 2]

Sounds like an airlock to me - I had the same thing when I swapped my aux water pump the other day. Let it warm up with the lid off, and the level kept rising even after the thermostat had opened.

 

So I stuck the lid on and the level got quite high. As soon as I stopped the car, it proceeded to puke coolant out the overflow pipe (which I'd never seen before).

 

I gingerly opened the lid on the expansion tank and squeezed the top and bottom radiator pipes a few times and the level came down... so put the ignition on (to make the aux water pump start working) with the expansion tank lid still off and kept doing it and the level kept dropping. Chucked in a bit more coolant and put the lid on and it seems quite happy now from what I can tell.

 

So might be worth just going through the 'burping' process and see if it fixes it for you?

 

*edit*

 

And the standard Corrado expansion tank lid doesn't click into place. It just tightens up until you can't tighten it no more. That's a MK4 expansion tank thing.

[EJ Taylor 22]

Sounds like an airlock to me - I had the same thing when I swapped my aux water pump the other day. Let it warm up with the lid off, and the level kept rising even after the thermostat had opened.

 

So I stuck the lid on and the level got quite high. As soon as I stopped the car, it proceeded to puke coolant out the overflow pipe (which I'd never seen before).

 

I gingerly opened the lid on the expansion tank and squeezed the top and bottom radiator pipes a few times and the level came down... so put the ignition on (to make the aux water pump start working) with the expansion tank lid still off and kept doing it and the level kept dropping. Chucked in a bit more coolant and put the lid on and it seems quite happy now from what I can tell.

 

So might be worth just going through the 'burping' process and see if it fixes it for you?

 

*edit*

 

And the standard Corrado expansion tank lid doesn't click into place. It just tightens up until you can't tighten it no more. That's a MK4 expansion tank thing.

 

Awesome, i might buy a mk4 tank and cap anyway to take with me? as ill be spending tonight trying to sort this out and if it keeps happening ill need something there and then, is it common or herd of for the corrado cap valves to just go?

[Dox 23]

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?42898-MK4-expansion-tank-upgrade/page7

 

Seems like its and easy job, just have to make a temp connection with some spade connectors as the plugs a different shape.

 

The dealer will sell you a plug to fit the tank too

[EJ Taylor 22]

The dealer will sell you a plug to fit the tank too

 

sweet! thanks man!

 

Also thanks for the advice jim!