Odd coolant loss issue

**Polyal** · 15-08-2010, 01:07 PM

OK I will take it to the garage tuesday but I was interested in your thoughts before doing so. Basically I seem to be loosing around half the top coolant tank (clear plastic one) every time I let the car sit over night after a long drive.

Thing is though, while its driving it stable, ill go for a long drive and the level is the same. Temp sits on "O" and doesn't budge and its running just fine.

But eveytime I come home and then drive it the next day there is a small puddle under the car. My guess is that there is something that must expand when the car heats up, or that the pressure increases so the leak stops.

But when it cools down (overnight) then a crack or something opens as the part constricts and then water comes out.

Its not effecting the performance at all, but I bit disconcerning putting ~1L in a day.

Definitely not a HG issue as there is no rough running, no steam out the exhaust etc and the "leak" seems to be towards the front.

Any ideas?

KR1STO · 15-08-2010, 01:11 PM

Faulty cap...?
Where's the water leaking from...?
front of the header tank or front of the engine..?
Could be leaking through the water pump...
mine was only dripping slightly from it..
There's a hole at the bottom of the water pump that when it starts to leak through there it knida means its on its way out...

**Polyal** · 15-08-2010, 01:30 PM

Hmm I haven't played with the car, unfortunately some issues arised after getting the car repaired through insurance from a minor bump to the front.

Cap, dont know, should be stock, how do they fail, the seal?

Not 100% sure where its from as it happens when I am not watching, wet trail over the front of the block IIRC but I looked nearly a month ago.

Ill have to check the pump, but who knows, its due for a general service so I was just going to let them deal with it but thought id check here to see if anyone else had something similar.

rag top · 15-08-2010, 01:39 PM

could be the heater pipe 'o' ring near the thermostat, but would leave tell tale signs of it leaking around it.

ratter · 15-08-2010, 01:55 PM

Have seen waterpumps that may only leak at certain temps, get under the car and see if you can see at evidence of coolant coming from the bleed hole.

KR1STO · 15-08-2010, 01:58 PM

that's the hole i was talking about.. the bleed hole..!
Also, caps can deteriorate over time and not hold their full pressure, although it sounds most likely water pump mate...

mik · 15-08-2010, 02:13 PM

lots of nooks and crannys you can`t see, a cooling system pressure test they can pump a bit more pressure in and usually show the fault, can also test the cap.

**Polyal** · 15-08-2010, 03:04 PM

hmm ill check the pump, cheers guys.

Funny thing is when I found out that the company that fixed my car under the claim had stuffed something I went back and got it pressure tested, found nothing and all was fine according to them.

And thats the problem, whenever I take it to someone it shows no sign of leak/fault, and so I go home ****ed off because in the morning I know ill have a puddle waiting for me.

**Jastel** · 15-08-2010, 06:10 PM

Most of my AU's would sit halfway between Max and Min, if I filled it to max it would spit it out, so long as it is not too low

Start with the cap, cheapest first, they do fail, then look at water pump

ratter · 15-08-2010, 07:16 PM

A cap or too high coolant level would loose water while the car is warm at operating temp and not leave water under the car overnight.
it will be cheaper to diagnose it correctly and only replace what is necessary rather than just chucking parts at it one at a time.

**Polyal** · 15-08-2010, 07:18 PM

Ratter Im spewing you are in Frankston as I am after someone to look over my Emer kit (due for its first service) and give the car a general service.

ratter · 15-08-2010, 07:27 PM

I'm sure there are plenty of good shops close to you to look after the car for you, but we are more than happy to help if you ever need it.
If you contact the AAFRB, they could put you onto a good LPG shop in your area.

Your coolant problem, maybe you would be wise to leave the car with a shop overnight so they can pressure test the system at different temps to locate your leak

V8falcons · 15-08-2010, 08:50 PM

welsh plugs???

AMB · 15-08-2010, 11:01 PM

I'd put money on the heater pipe o-ring at the back of the water pump. The o-ring seals when pressurised, but once it cools right down, starts a small drip. If you had green coolant in there you would see the tell-tale salt building up around the leak, but sounds like its probably running on near straight water by now. Fix it and get proper coolant in there, before it rusts out and you blow a head gasket or something. Can happen pritty quickly.

burnz · 16-08-2010, 12:02 AM

top plastic header on the radiator had split on mine, weeped when switched off hot.
didn't leek when cold, or when running at temp only after when switched off..

**Jastel** · 16-08-2010, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratter

A cap or too high coolant level would loose water while the car is warm at operating temp and not leave water under the car overnight.
it will be cheaper to diagnose it correctly and only replace what is necessary rather than just chucking parts at it one at a time.

Going to disagree with you on that one....

When car is running you dont even need a radiator cap on as there is minimal pressure. Not advising you drive without one but.

When car is hot and then is stopped, as in coming home from work and leaving it overnight, the heat soak increases the pressure, this is when it WILL leak from wherever is weakest.

Check your car after a drive, engine running the radiator hoses will be firm but squeezable, turn engine off and wait 15 minutes, they will be rock hard, when engine is cold in the morning they will be soft.

**Polyal** · 16-08-2010, 09:03 PM

Well I will have to wait until wednesday to find out as thats the soonest I could get it looked at. I will be dropping the car off at 5PM so it can sit in their garage for the night so they can see for themselves what happens.

I mentioned the pump and they kind of agreed it could be that, but who knows. Atleast this time it will fail and ill have proof..LOL

4ford · 17-08-2010, 01:58 PM

My AUII Fairmont6 has experienced a couple of minor coolant leaks...

1/ one side of the radiator tank split, a very minor leak that was hard to find because of the diffuculty of actually seeing the leak, I had to replace the radiator.

2/ minor leak from the rear of the water pump, I got hold of the little modified part to fit to the end of that metal pipe which comes out the back of the pump (from Ford) and fitted that with no further problems there.

3/ another minor leak from the metal pipe coming out of the casting just below the thermostat housing, the fix was simply replacing the rubber seal.
That one was easiest to find, it was dripping initially on the aircon compressor mounting bracket!

Thats all the coolant problems I've had over just on 9 years (Aug01 car) and 174K, I think I'm do'in pretty well!

Cheers, 4ford

**Polyal** · 19-08-2010, 03:19 PM

OK well a little update incase it helps someone else later on, got a call this morning and the water pump was replaced. Ill ask what bit exactly failed when I picked it up but I just replaced it with a new one...so there that issue fixed.

10 points to ratter he guessed it first.

ratter · 19-08-2010, 08:25 PM

is that rep points

glad you got it sorted out, there were many valid issues pointed out but as mentioned testing correctly to diagnose is normally the cheapest way to do things

**Polyal** · 19-08-2010, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratter

is that rep points

glad you got it sorted out, there were many valid issues pointed out but as mentioned testing correctly to diagnose is normally the cheapest way to do things

I dont know how many points you get, but rep added. My issue was finding someone to diagnose it properly. I also managed to leave the car in their garage over night so they could see what happens as everytime I just took it somewhere it wouldn't replicate the problem.

Thanks again.

AMB · 19-08-2010, 09:21 PM

Sorry to be cynical Polyal, but i just can't accept that as a diagnosis, even if they tell you it was leaking from the front seal. Yeh, they replaced the water pump, but who knows whether they needed to or not. Might have just needed a new o-ring at the back, but better for them to replace the whole pump and charge you $200 or whatever. Now if they can show you the old pump, and you can see the tell-tale rust marks coming out the little hole in the front, then it is confirmed.

cowls5 · 19-08-2010, 09:51 PM

Yeah - I had the same problem - V8 - if you look down the front of the engine behind the thermostat housing, onto the front timing cover, you will probably see one of the little nooks and cranny's with coolant in it. Only way I fixed it was to take off the frfont timing cover, and replace the gasket. Not a quick and easy job, but worth the effort.
PS You will probably have to cut the front bits off the sump gasket and replace them.

**Silver Ghia** · 19-08-2010, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMB

Sorry to be cynical Polyal, but i just can't accept that as a diagnosis, even if they tell you it was leaking from the front seal. Yeh, they replaced the water pump, but who knows whether they needed to or not. Might have just needed a new o-ring at the back, but better for them to replace the whole pump and charge you $200 or whatever. Now if they can show you the old pump, and you can see the tell-tale rust marks coming out the little hole in the front, then it is confirmed.

Just saw this thread now, agree with you AMB. Thought to myself as I read through the thread - o-ring..o-ring..o-ring..

**Polyal** · 19-08-2010, 11:43 PM

AMB, you might be very well right but I am incredibly time poor at the moment; it might have been a quick fix but whether I would have sorted it would be another matter.

If it was just a weekend car or something then yeah id have time to look at it, but I just needed it fixed asap.

Appreciate your POV though. Ill see if they kept it, I did feel a bit funny when they called and said it "was leaking at the bottom", but I was so over the issue I just wanted it done.

AMB · 21-08-2010, 01:03 PM

Hi there Polyal. Don't really care if I was right or wrong. Just needed evidence that it actually was leaking from the shaft seal. If the pump was original one, probably well worth replacing it sooner rather than later anyway.

LaurieS · 22-08-2010, 06:38 PM

having mine replaced right now, the spigot that comes in to the back of pump only leaks when car, I6 , is cold . hope this helps, Laurie.

AMB · 23-08-2010, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaurieS

having mine replaced right now, the spigot that comes in to the back of pump only leaks when car, I6 , is cold . hope this helps, Laurie.

By spigot i think you refer to the heater pipe that comes in the back. that's been my experience too, leaks when cold. Also soemtimes happens when you replace the 0-ring on it, it dribbles for a day or 2 when cold, until the pressure finally causes the oring to seal/seat properly.

LaurieS · 24-08-2010, 04:40 PM

Yes the heater pipe. mine was found to be ok it was the water pump that had coroded, so new water pump and all is fixed. Laurie.