Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Steve Brookman]

Hello all.
I have a '99 2.5GLS Automatic petrol estate. I've owned it for over 7 years. I had the rocker box gaskets replaced about five years ago. Recently it has started to lose water-from where I don't know. It has also started leaking oil-again I cannot find where from though I do suspect the rocker box gaskets. The water loss has increased even after adding Radweld. Also petrol consumption has greatly increased.

The car has done 100,000 miles. Is it time to scrap the car and find a new one? The cam belt is due for replacement and I am loath to spend over £200 to ind that the engine is u.s.

Many thanks

Steve Brookman

[TheBoy]

Need to locate the leaks.  100k is nothing for these engines.


As an aside, only ever use bodge fluids like radweld as a last resort - they can do more damage than good.

[MutantCav]

Is the engine overheating at all?? Does the engine revv higher than normal or run rough hence the heavy fuel consumption??

[Steve Brookman]

Hello,
Thanks for the replies.

The engine does not get any hotter than usual although I think the performance is not as good as it used to be.


Thanks

Steve B

[The Doctor]

Some symptoms reminisent of a failed head gasket but thats not common on these V6.

Can you cast your mind back to the order that these problems appeared and how long between them?

[Darth Loo-knee]

Five years ago you had your Cam Covers done , but have you changed your oil regular, and have you had your breathers done since, or were they done at all, if not, maybe they are leaking again.
Water leak, have a look at the HBV, Reservoir and cap first.... do you get a puddle under the car? can you see where abouts the leak is?
If you have an Air Leak the MPG will drop, can you hear a hissing under the bonnet?

[Steve Brookman]

thanks again.

I had a major leak about 4 years ago from the heater valve. I noticed the leak before much water was lost.
Just over a year ago the water level dropped to the bottom of the expansion tank. I re-filled and put in some radweld. No further problems until a couple of months ago when the water level really dropped. On this occasion although the engine did not overheat, I had to re-fill with quite a few litres. again things seemed to settle down for a while with just a little water added every couple of weeks. Last week, however, I had to add about 1 liter in a week.

The car has smelt of oil slightly for a couple of years. This has got worse recently.  I have never had to top the oil up until last week. It took one litre. The oil was replaced mid-December so it has lost a litre since then.

There also seems ahot/burning smell after using the car which is different to the oil smell.

Many thanks

Steve Brookman

[Darth Loo-knee]

Pull up a spark plug lead and look down into the well where the spark plug is, look if you can see oil...  
As for your water loss, you should be able to see where its coming from, unless it is leaking at the coolant bridge or oil cooler plate, in which case the water will evaporate.

[Entwood]

I'm sorry to give a negative view ... hopefully an expert will pass by and correct my opinions ...  

1. Radweld should be avoided at all costs, it can do more harm than good by blocking internal pathways, and it disguises real problems that return to haunt you.

2. By the sounds of it you have only topped up with plain water, and quite a bit over time. This will do nothing but damage to much of the coolant system as the 50/50 antifreeze mixture does not just protect against frost, it is a major corrosion inhibitor as well.

My opinion ??  spend an afternoon with the engine running and some coloured paper towel wiping EVERY part you can reach, where the towel changes colour as it gets wet may well help trace the leak. Once found/fixed flush the system thouroughly and fill with a 50/50 mixture.

3. Oil may well be cam cover gaskets if the breathers have not been cleaned.

Read the guide and clean them .. couple of hours work and if I can do it anyone can. Then do the cam cover gaskets. I did both breathers and gaskets in 2 days

4 Poor fuel consumption, to check for air leaks with spray can of carb cleaner, ( you 'll have some from 3   ) spray around the engine whilst it is running, when the note changes you are probably close to where the leak is.

HTH  ... good luck