Print

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

[markomega25]

Hi,

lots of stuff on here about replacing oil cooler and the just posted guide under the maintencnae section by "Jamesv6cdx" and parts by "ilovemyelite" are very useful, and come at the right time for me.

One question though, how long can i leave it before repair or could there be a catastrophic failure heading my way soon?

I have had a slight coolant loss for sometime (2.5 Elite 2000reg 95k miles).  The leak is nothing major, just the coolant level going down from max to just under the line in about 200 miles. Checked the expansion bottle today and there is definitly oil in it. No emulsion in the engine oil, although the oil level has dropped from max to halfway in about 500 miles!

Also when I was doing my wishbones earlier this year I had the front of the car jacked up in my garage for a few weeks - some coolant, and oil had eventually dripped out at the back of the gearbox onto garage floor. At first I thought this was the HBV, but oil in the expansion bottle now signifies oil cooler failure.

If i remember correctly from other posts on here, coolant leak could also be via a connecting pipe at the rear of the engine.

So my questions are: can I run the car as is for about 300-400 miles or should I stop now and fix it?

What is the worst I can expect if i drove it and the oil cooler leak got worse?

Is an oil cooler from ebay the stainless ones? or should i go to VX?

Should I replace the HBV and thermostat as a matter of course when doing the job?

Thanks.

[ffcgary1]

You should do the oil cooler asap mate as the oil will attack the coolant hoses and they will fail big time, the major thing that this causes is the endless flushing of the system with a flushing detergent to break down the oil and flush with clean water. Remember that the system must be clear of oil and needs to be refilled with a min 50%  red anti freeze mix
 

[markomega25]

Thanks Sir ffcgary1,

So it looks like i will be doing this job next weekend then if i can get the parts in time (I dont use the car in the week). Are Autovaux ok for parts for this job?

A real pain as I might have needed the car to go to Skegness (320 mile round trip) weekend after next for the Moteorcycle News bi-annual bikers meet. I will go by bike if i can but the car was a backup if the weather was foul and my friend who is a london bike courier and is coming woth me didn't want to take coals to newcastle!!

Ho Hum!

[feeutfo]

dont drive it or run the engine with a failed oil cooler you will pump oil and sludge all round the cooling system, bugger the rubber pipes and seals, block the matrix and possibly over pressureise and blow a coolant pipe off.

Change the stat as well.

Dont matter where you get it. Must be stainless.

[markomega25]

Thanks Chrisgixer,

Ok so my meega is on ice again until i can clear my garage (again) to free up space to get it in and do the repair, including thermostat.

Should I go the whole hog and replace the HBV as well? Seems to me might as well, as it is reported as a week link? Anyhows on the bright side it gives me a chance to clean the breathers out as well and check the cam covers for leaks i suppose.

Anyone know how much all that lot is going to cost?

[feeutfo]

Thanks Chrisgixer,

Ok so my meega is on ice again until i can clear my garage (again) to free up space to get it in and do the repair, including thermostat.

Should I go the whole hog and replace the HBV as well? Seems to me might as well, as it is reported as a week link? Anyhows on the bright side it gives me a chance to clean the breathers out as well and check the cam covers for leaks i suppose.

Anyone know how much all that lot is going to cost?

May as well do hbv, 35 iirc. First thing to do is join autobahnstormers pay £20 and get yourself a trade club card. Its should be back to you by next weekend with luck and will give you about 25% off vx retail trade club items. Also get(blag) a halfords trade club card.
As you say, re leak, best to diagnose that at same time. Hbv and cooler plate, got to be favourites. Plus stat housing, coolant bridge, in v. Coolant con pipe at back of block, core plugs on back of head(stop leak is all you can do with them, unless you want to change the head.) and also water pump gaskit at front. Hth.