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[JezInBrum]

Morning all. My car has been using small amouns of coolant for some time now. Suspected the obvious HBV but have never seen or found traces of water anywhere under the car or when i have felt around the HBV. More recently however it has started to lose alot more. I has this initially looked at in April,and the garage diagnosed an oil cooler, as the middle of the V was full of water. I had that replaced but the car has still lost coolant. I was beginning to suspect a head issue but no coolant in oil, only the slight mayo under the oil filler cap as is common with all that do low mileage.
On monday after parking my car i noticed a trail of drips. I had a quick look about & could not see anything obvious. This mornining however i went out to check the levels. I started the car and only by chance glanced under it and saw a stream of red liquid. Ehrn i looked under the car it was dripping down quite badly from the rear of the engine on the passenger side. i looked dowm from above and it was running off the engine number plate. I felt about again, HBV is still dry as are adjoining hoses.
Now befor i have to rip the thing apart are ther eany more likely suspects. I have attached a couple of pics which may help. I have recently bought an HBV and all 3 that go on it. I have also ordered one header tank to Throttle inlet hose and the one that comes off the other side and goes under the cable tray to the rear of the engine. Are there any otghers hidden under there?
Advse gratefully sought.
Jez
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm109/jezinbrum/29062008123.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm109/jezinbrum/29062008122-1.jpg

[sneakypenguin]

I'm in the same situation as you mate, got a coolant leak but no idea idea where. I've got a suspicion that it may be the coolant bridge as I replanced the hbv not long ago. hth

[Ghost]

Better to take the pleunum off and have a good look about, I had a burst hose between hbv and coolant bridge, with the pleunum fitted you could not see it.   

[JezInBrum]

Thankfully I have all the hoses so may as well do the lot at once. LEast with the amount of coolant now coming out it should be easier to spot. Just hope the hose I need is'nt the one on 10 order from Germany.

[dbug]

Morning all. My car has been using small amouns of coolant for some time now. Suspected the obvious HBV but have never seen or found traces of water anywhere under the car or when i have felt around the HBV. More recently however it has started to lose alot more. I has this initially looked at in April,and the garage diagnosed an oil cooler, as the middle of the V was full of water. I had that replaced but the car has still lost coolant. I was beginning to suspect a head issue but no coolant in oil, only the slight mayo under the oil filler cap as is common with all that do low mileage.
On monday after parking my car i noticed a trail of drips. I had a quick look about & could not see anything obvious. This mornining however i went out to check the levels. I started the car and only by chance glanced under it and saw a stream of red liquid. Ehrn i looked under the car it was dripping down quite badly from the rear of the engine on the passenger side. i looked dowm from above and it was running off the engine number plate. I felt about again, HBV is still dry as are adjoining hoses.
Now befor i have to rip the thing apart are ther eany more likely suspects. I have attached a couple of pics which may help. I have recently bought an HBV and all 3 that go on it. I have also ordered one header tank to Throttle inlet hose and the one that comes off the other side and goes under the cable tray to the rear of the engine. Are there any otghers hidden under there?
Advse gratefully sought.
Jez
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm109/jezinbrum/29062008123.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm109/jezinbrum/29062008122-1.jpg

I'd be more worried about the missing gearbox and cats 

Seriously though I'd whip the plenum and inlet manifolding off and check the coolant bridge and oil cooler cover for leaks.

[Elite Pete]

In the V there is the thermostat, oil cooler cover plate and coolant bridge and just below the coolant bridge (silver pipe in the pics) coolant transfer pipe all of which could be leaking. I would make one of the caps in the link to test the system

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1225142864

[JezInBrum]

I bought a spare cap & got a valve so shall try that. Should not take much pressure judging by the leak lol.
Will update Sunday once I have stripped it

[JezInBrum]

Well, have stripped the wipers, plenum, inlet & even gone mad by removing teh DIS pack. No obvious signs as of yet. The DIS pack has no signs of water going over it as well. One thing to be thankful for.
Waiting for the glue to of off on the improvised cap before pressure testing. I am praying it is not the coolant transfer pipe. 
Is one of the bolts for that known as the B**tard bolt?

[JezInBrum]

Hi, have managed to pressure test the system.
No obvious signs of a leak. Even put it upto just over 16 psi. Put a vac through the HBV to open it but that made no difference.
I only stripped off the inlet manifold. Is it worth taking off the plate it sits on as well?

[Ghost]

Are your carpets wet?
what coulor smoke comes from the exhaust?
have you had a look at the front of the engine ie waterpump and cooler?

[JezInBrum]

There has always been a little dampness at teh front. But the cambelt was changed in april & they said the pump was fine. No water leaks from under the front. The only signs were last week when i saw it running over the engine number plate.
Also no moisture in car. There is a  smell of antifreeze whenever i park the car, stinks badly sometimes

[Ghost]

Is your heater matrix ok?

[JezInBrum]

As far as i know. Never had any issues with condensation in the car, unless the recirculation is on without the aircon. Does slowly mist up bu clears quickly. I have got new hoses to put on. Had another feel about & all is dry. So maybe it could be hest distorting something rather than pressure alone.

[JezInBrum]

Last follow up on this subject. Took car into garage this morning for them to have a look at. From under the car they can see clear staining caused by antifreeze between the heads & the block. There has also been a slight oily crud forming on the expansion tank cap vents. Was quotes £850 fo rthe job but have thrown way too much money at this already & basically enough is enough. On the hunt for a new car now.

[Gaffers]

Last follow up on this subject. Took car into garage this morning for them to have a look at. From under the car they can see clear staining caused by antifreeze between the heads & the block. There has also been a slight oily crud forming on the expansion tank cap vents. Was quotes £850 fo rthe job but have thrown way too much money at this already & basically enough is enough. On the hunt for a new car now.

Dude, sounds like its the thermostat housing.  I have the exact same problem and the symptoms are exactly as you describe.  I changed the cooler plate not so long ago so I know its not that, I am looking at tackling it this weekend.  I dont know if you can make it here from Brum but we can park them both on my drive and work on them together

I'd hate for you to get rid of a perfectly good car for the sake of a small and easily fixed job