Driving my car home on a 20 mile journey, not really taking things easy. When I got home I noticed the temp gauge was on max. Looked under car and the radiator was leaking water badly, dumped a lot of water on my drive. Thought the problem was that the rad had corroded causing the leak and the overheating problem. Bought a second hand rad fitted and thought I was good to go.

 

Problem now is it looses about a litre of water when driving 1-2 miles. No leaks from under car. Oil looks fine (no mayo). No excessive water steam from exhaust, only from a cold start. Looking at the water with the rad cap removed it looks like there are loads of little air bubbles and some sediment that looks like lime scale flakes.

 

So im thinking obviously head gasket failure, but where can all this water be going??

Will it be the head gasket?

 

Thanks

Paul

Air lock thats why you need to keep topping it up common prob or out exhaust if head gasket gone, dont always show up as mayo depends where gasket blown, but is performance shit?

I have topped it up loads, put about 5 litres in to top it up, after putting about 4 litres in when fitting the new rad.

 

Performance seems ok. :confused:

 

Thanks

Paul

Either,

Air lock or you still got a leak,could be a plenum hose as these are tiny.

A pin-hole in em' is very hard to find! :o -check tubby coolant hoses too :D

Could get a test kit to check the water

 

http://www.arrowheadradiator.com/head_gasket_or_combustion_leak_test.htm

I have topped it up loads, put about 5 litres in to top it up, after putting about 4 litres in when fitting the new rad.

 

Performance seems ok. :confused:

 

Thanks

Paul

 

cooling system holds about 10 litres in all, i still say air lock especially if starting isnt a problem and performance is ok

id go for air lock as well, when you fill it up from empty its suprising how much more you have to put in over the next drives, if it aint that and you say its loosing a hell of alot of water then i would think you would be able to see something. does the car overheat now with the new rad on???

id go for air lock as well, when you fill it up from empty its suprising how much more you have to put in over the next drives, if it aint that and you say its loosing a hell of alot of water then i would think you would be able to see something. does the car overheat now with the new rad on???

 

No althought i have not used it enough to let it overheat for the fear of more damage.

 

I think i will take it out over the next couple of days adding water to see if it is still using water or if it is actually an airlock.

 

Thanks

Paul

i hope its an airlock paul, bloody hope its not anything else as you havnt had the car that long!!

 

tbh it does sound like an airlock so keep adding and let it run with the rad cap off to force the air out :)

 

keep me informed on how its going ;)

 

Mike

i hope its an airlock paul, bloody hope its not anything else as you havnt had the car that long!!

 

tbh it does sound like an airlock so keep adding and let it run with the rad cap off to force the air out :)

 

keep me informed on how its going ;)

 

Mike

 

No its not the car you sold me its my other one. The one you give me a rad for :D .

 

Thanks for the concern tho.

 

If it is a headgasket then i will still have my purple one to play about in while i rip the engine out of the other one :wack:

 

Thanks

Paul

Added a further 4 litres and still water is going somewhere. Just left it ticking over and loads of smoke from exhaust (must be steam). So im guessing definite head gasket failure. If water is kept topped up it doesn’t overheat and it has not lost any power!!

 

Thanks

Paul