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[TheBoy]

Actually, that doesn't sound like HG.

Can you confirm there is defo oil in heade tank?

Not until I drive over during the week ...  I'm going by what I'm being told ..  I'm really starting to think HBV and "dirty" coolant, and I know the car only does mostly short runs... 20 odd miles am / pm so the mayo/water on dipstick  could just be condensation.

Do HBV valves leak at constant rate? or is it dependant on coolant temp/temp selected on heater ?

Tends to be dependent on temp in my experience

So the no leaking when cold up to very large leak/coolant level warning when stopped after driving 30 miles to the shops makes sense then. I think I need to see this beast now but an HBV is fast becoming my guess. Methinks I'll print a few pages on "how to change an HBV" ....

Sorry, I meant dependent on temp setting in the car...

[ffcgary1]

Just goes to show that the grease monkey at the little garage did not want the job. HBV can dribble coolant one moment but almost dump the lot next. so chances are that it if fubard. A good flush and fresh red vx coolant will no dought return the motor to a happy v6.
 

[ians]

HBV leaks also seem to vary if you have AC on or off.   My Elite had a blown HBV when I bought it and I drove 30 miles home with AC off - didn't leak at all.

You said water on the dipstick.  Do you (he) mean mayo?  (I realise you haven't seen it yet).

[Entwood]

Update #2

Okies .. info I had was wrong .. his old omega !  This one is actually an 02  2.6 !!

I saw the car for about 10 minutes this morning (don't let my boss know about the slight "detour" !!)

Header tank has a VERY small amount of mayo in it, no more than a spoonful sitting on the top of the level sensor.

Oil filler cap totally clean - no mayo at all, dip stick also clear of water .. oil is fairly manky but it is due a service.

His SWMBO had the "Check coolant warning" then drove about 80 miles (!!) but says it never got above 100 degrees.

Started it up .. no odd noises, no pressure in header tank, a little bit of blowing from oil filler cap but nothing drastic, nothing odd from exhaust system, and no leaks from any area I could see. Picks the revs up freely, with no rattles at all other than the "ticking" on initial start which goes after about 1-2 minutes.

I only had a short time to spare so could do little more. Madcowman has now started a flushing regime and called me to say he got a load of cr*p out of it and it now runs cooler than it used to. He is going to flush a few more times and let me know what the level does when he runs it to fully hot. I've told him to watch the level very closely and to look at the back of the engine (HBV area) especially.

Plan is to see if the car is suitable for a 40 mile drive to get it to me. I intend, at the moment, to change the HBV and have a look at the oil cooler if I can. Unless of course things change in the meantime !!

Anything else anyone can think of

Regards

Entwood

[Kevin Wood]

His SWMBO had the "Check coolant warning" then drove about 80 miles (!!) but says it never got above 100 degrees.

I sometimes wonder why we have these warning devices on cars.  

I think if a warning is ignored for a mile or more the car should stop, refuse to start and, if the driver gets out, lock its' doors and refuse to let them back in until someone rectifies the problem.

 

Glad it sounds like he's probably got away with it without serious engine damage. Maybe just manky coolant, possibly HBV and possibly the beginnings of oil cooler issues?

Kevin

[ians]

His SWMBO had the "Check coolant warning" then drove about 80 miles (!!) but says it never got above 100 degrees.

I sometimes wonder why we have these warning devices on cars.  

.. what's the problem? the car was still going wasn't it..

The HBV is only about 25 quid on TC so given how common a failure they are, worth changing I would say.
Did the coolant look like it had antifreeze in it?  If he'd been running it on a weak mixture/pure water - especially if he has been topping up a lot with water for a while,  that would eventually see off the oil cooler.   (But aren't the oil coolers stainless on the later cars?)

[TheBoy]

Remember, low coolant can lead to artifically low coolant reading - so using the gauge as a guide to temp with low coolant is a bad idea.

I would keep a very close eye on coolant, sounds like the beginnings of cooler failure, which would be in line with the obvious poor servicing (going by the 'manky oil').

[Kevin Wood]

Remember, low coolant can lead to artifically low coolant reading - so using the gauge as a guide to temp with low coolant is a bad idea.

I would keep a very close eye on coolant, sounds like the beginnings of cooler failure, which would be in line with the obvious poor servicing (going by the 'manky oil').

Ironcially, this is exactly why you have a low coolant warning. Without one, if you suddenly lost all your coolant the gauge would never get a chance to read hot before it was high and dry.

.. so to ignore the low coolant warning based on the gauge reading....  

I think a "Pull over. You have 20 seconds to comply" warning would be much better.  

Kevin