Engine coolant question

[paddyg 0]

Where can you tell if the coolant is low? I've read that if the engine is leaking coolant then it's a sign that a blown head gasket is only up the road? how is it possible to tell if the engine is using too much coolant other than asking the owner? Hope to go looking at a corrado this weekend!

 

Cheers for any help.

[dr_mat 0]

Oil in water and water in oil are your main signs. Excessive water coming out of the exhaust pipe when the engine is fully warmed through is also a clue. "Mayo" under the oil filler cap, that sort of thing. (But bear in mind "mayo" forms all winter unless the car does long-ish journeys, don't write the car off based on this evidence alone...)

[paddyg 0]

whats Mayo? Is it fair to say its white and jelly-like? like mayonaisse or something???

 

cheers

[Henny 0]

mayo = mayonaisse... ;) I normally describe it as kinda cappachino looking... kinda brown and frothy looking... that's the sign you have water in your oil...

 

If you look into the engine bay, there's a bottle in the rear right corner (looking in from the front of the car). That's the expansion tank where the coolant is topped up from. There's a MIN / MAX marker on the side of that and you should be able to see your coolant between those two markers (you may need to rock the car to see the level sloshing about and make out where it is.)

 

If you have a water leak, it DOES NOT always mean that you are going to blow a head gasket. (In fact, it IS possible to blow a head gasket without loosing ANY coolant! :| ) A coolant leak can be from anywhere on the coolant system, from one of the rubber pipes or plastic flanges through to a dodgy radiator or waterpump. It is a good idea to get it sorted ASAP though so that you don't over heat the engine which may well cause the head gasket to blow... :|

 

Waterleaks tend to leave a "snail trail" around the points where the leaks are (the antifreeze makes a coloured mark where it's leaked and evaporated off) so they're normally pretty easy to locate if they're big enough to be a major problem... ;)

 

Which engine has the Corrado you are going to look at got in it? Let us know and I'm sure some people will put up some pics of the common leak points so you can have a good look when you go to view it... 8)

[Ford 0]

on average how often do people top up their coolant levels then? I recently had to top mine up and this thread has got me worried!

[paddyg 0]

Its a 1.8 16v engine, and some pics would be great if any one could oblige?

thanks

[Henny 0]

Ford, I used to top mine up daily - but I had a BIG hole in the radiator! :oops: :lol: I normally check it weekly now, but it's not changed level at all for 2 weeks, and I fully don't expect it to change at all until I get another leak... 8) In a perfectly healthy engine, you shouldn't have to top the water up at all... How much did you have to top it up? A little bit of leakage isn't anything to be mega worried about and will probably be something simple like a tiny water leak on one of the 10 year old+ plastic flanges or rubber hose joints... Have a good look around the engine for "snail trails" to make sure there's nothing obvious... If you're worried, just keep a close eye on it until you work out what's going on...

 

paddyg, a 1.8 16V engine? Right, hang on a mo... ;)

[Henny 0]

Right... here's a quick piccy... 8) this is a golf's engine, so will be very slightly different to a Corrado, but it'll give you a good start on where to look... 8)

• 1 - Front plastic water flange + oil cooler pipes - Look for leaks, splits and snail trails[/*:m:ec10e]
  
• 2 - Side plastic water flange - Look for the same as above[/*:m:ec10e]
  
• 3 - Top hose + radiator top adaptor - again, leaks, splits and trails[/*:m:ec10e]
  
• 4 - Expansion tank, pipes, and cap - again, leaks and splits, but take the cap off and have a look at the rubber seal to check it's not kinked, rotten or cracked.[/*:m:ec10e]
  
• 5 - Pressure release valves (these are the ones that were fitted as a recall to stop the heater matrix exploding...) - Look for snail trails again, it's possible that the heater matrix could be leaking, so check the passenger footwell isn't damp and doesn't smell of antifreeze... [/*:m:ec10e]
  
• 6 - metal waterpipe - These corrode (especially on this corner) and leak. - Look for snail trials and rust.[/*:m:ec10e]
  
• 7 - (not shown) Radiator - this'll be fairly obvious if it's got a hole in it as it will leak quite quickly, especially when warmed up. - Snail trails will give this one away pretty quickly[/*:m:ec10e]
  
• 8 - (not shown) Radiator fan switch - It's a big brass nut looking thing down by the battery. These sometimes leak if over or under tightened...[/*:m:ec10e]

 

Hope this helps... 8)

[Ford 0]

Many thanks Henny, it was the first time I had to top it up and it was quite far below the min line on the expansion tank. I will watch it closely and see if the level drops again. I hope as you say its just a knackered rubber hose joint! I may have it checked over as there are a few little jobs I want to get done anyway.

[paddyg 0]

Cheers for all the info Henny, you're a fountain of knowledge!!!

Would I be right in saying a smokey exhaust is another sign of the engine using a lot of oil?

[Henny 0]

paddyg, It could be, or it could be running rich... what does the smoke look like, smell like and feel like?

• Puff of Blue smoke after revving hard = burning oil from head on over-run[/*:m:c2abd]
  
• Constant Blue smoke while revving hard = burning oil from piston rings[/*:m:c2abd]
  
• White smoke with no smell = cold engine - Normal[/*:m:c2abd]
  
• White smoke with funny chemical smell and possible greasy feel to it = Coolant - possible head gasket problems[/*:m:c2abd]
  
• Black smoke while revving hard = over fuelling[/*:m:c2abd]
  
• Black smoke after revving hard = slight overfuel on over-run - relatively normal[/*:m:c2abd]

Any other colour smoke and someone's been playing silly buggers! ;) :lol:

 

Note: this list is NOT definitive, but should give you a good idea what's going on... 8)

[dr_mat 0]

Any other colour smoke and someone's been playing silly buggers! ;) :lol:

 

I think that's the RARE "Red Arrows" exhaust add-on you're talking about there, Henny..

Red White and Blue, at the flick of a switch..

[paddyg 0]

Thanks very much for all the info guys... should come in very handy...

cheers

[Henny 0]

A mate of mine at Uni used to delight in turning peoples exhaust emissions funny colours... He also used to be able to turn peoples pee pretty much any colour you liked too... He was a very talented (and often bored) Chemistry student and was a bit weird like that... :lol:

 

I've always wondered what would happen if you went in for an MOT with your car giving out BRIGHT ORANGE smoke from the exhaust... :lol: :twisted:

[ZippyVR6 0]

Bumpity bump.

 

I am having a coolant problem. My matrix went a couple of weeks ago and now I have a slowly falling coolant problem. over a hundred or so miles the level drops from full to almost empty header tank. Only allerted to this by the coolant level light coming on.

 

I had a new secondry water pump about 11k ago when it went spectacularly, but it looks like it has gone again. This time though it seems to be pissing very slowly. See pic for calcium marks on the hoses and (i think) secondary pump.

 

 

Does this sound right? or have I got a larger problem on my hands?

[Supercharged 2]

Looks like it's spraying out...

 

I'm thinking you may have overtighten'd the jubilee's and the plastic is cracked or the hose could just be leaking if the clip is not fully over the elbow and sitting on it...

 

Did you notice how the new pump differs from the old style? - it looks like the bottom flange is replacable on the newer ones - maybe you can get them from bosch?