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[philipfirth]

Hi All, Hope you can help me with is. Its doing my head in.

Car is a 2.2 auto.

Problems started about 8 weeks ago. Had the car since April and been really happy with the car. 8 weeks ago i got a coolant warning on the dash, thought nothing of it and topped it up. Got the same warning about a week later and then the problems started.

Its been losing water more and more and the cooling system seemed to be getting airlocked causing it to over heat slightly. The temp gauge would go over the normal 90 oC but once i gave it a quick boot upto 4/5 thousand revs the temp would come down back to normal.

This got worse and has now stopped the heating working altogether and overheats all the time now. 

I have has this problem before on a Fiat bravo overheating and the heating not working and it was a pressure block. Released the pressure with a bleed value on the system but I werent losing water with that car.

Got a funny feeling that it is the thermostat stuck, but this doesnt explain the lost water problem.

Been into a motor store to get a e10 socket to remove the thermostat cover and they reckon it is the head gasket.

Any ideas??

I have checked the oil filler cap and dipstick and they look normal with oil so dont think it is the head gasket but im not sure.

Please please help. Im at my whits end.

Going to remove the thermostat cover soon and remove the thermostat, just waiting for the engine to cool down.

Many Thanks

Phil

[Entwood]

Do you have any idea where the water is leaking from ??  Check the back of the engine as the HBV (Heater Bypass Valve) is a known source of problems.

That amount of water MUST be visible surely !!!   

[JamesV6CDX]

What is your location?

One of us may be nearby...

[RobG]

Do you have any idea where the water is leaking from ??  Check the back of the engine as the HBV (Heater Bypass Valve) is a known source of problems.

That amount of water MUST be visible surely !!!   

Mine wasn`t and it was the head gasket
Is the engine a tad lumpy for about 30secs/1min on initial start up. Any steam from exhaust?

[philipfirth]

Do you have any idea where the water is leaking from ??  Check the back of the engine as the HBV (Heater Bypass Valve) is a known source of problems.

That amount of water MUST be visible surely !!!   

Cant see anywhere from where the water is leaking from. Raining weather and this bad weather isnt helping me notice tho. Is it at the back of the engine on mine as the engine on mine is turned round being an auto (I think). What does it look like?

[philipfirth]

What is your location?

One of us may be nearby...

My location is Denton, Manchester.

[RobG]

Do you have any idea where the water is leaking from ??  Check the back of the engine as the HBV (Heater Bypass Valve) is a known source of problems.

That amount of water MUST be visible surely !!!   

Cant see anywhere from where the water is leaking from. Raining weather and this bad weather isnt helping me notice tho. Is it at the back of the engine on mine as the engine on mine is turned round being an auto (I think). What does it look like?

Yep. Driver`s side, where the two heater hoses enter the bulkhead, follow hoses down towards the right and you`ll see a black starship thingy where they connect. That`s it

[philipfirth]

Do you have any idea where the water is leaking from ??  Check the back of the engine as the HBV (Heater Bypass Valve) is a known source of problems.

That amount of water MUST be visible surely !!!   

Cant see anywhere from where the water is leaking from. Raining weather and this bad weather isnt helping me notice tho. Is it at the back of the engine on mine as the engine on mine is turned round being an auto (I think). What does it look like?

Yep. Driver`s side, where the two heater hoses enter the bulkhead, follow hoses down towards the right and you`ll see a black starship thingy where they connect. That`s it

Can I see it from under the bonnect or do I need to get underneath?

[philipfirth]

Do you have any idea where the water is leaking from ??  Check the back of the engine as the HBV (Heater Bypass Valve) is a known source of problems.

That amount of water MUST be visible surely !!!   

Mine wasn`t and it was the head gasket
Is the engine a tad lumpy for about 30secs/1min on initial start up. Any steam from exhaust?

No lumpyness, there is steam from the exhaust.

[Entwood]

In the temperatures we have at the moment steam from the exhaust is almost mandatory !!1 Just look at every other car on the road .. and think do they all have knackered Head Gaskets !!!!

My thoughts are quite simple ... with the rate you are losing water .. if it was from the HG into a cylinder you'd probably have other problems .. major ones !!!  Therefore it is an "external" leak of some sort and it just needs a dry day and a bit of looking for ... It might be an external leak from the HG .. but it might be from 101 other places as well !!!

[philipfirth]

In the temperatures we have at the moment steam from the exhaust is almost mandatory !!1 Just look at every other car on the road .. and think do they all have knackered Head Gaskets !!!!

My thoughts are quite simple ... with the rate you are losing water .. if it was from the HG into a cylinder you'd probably have other problems .. major ones !!!  Therefore it is an "external" leak of some sort and it just needs a dry day and a bit of looking for ... It might be an external leak from the HG .. but it might be from 101 other places as well !!!

Going to have a look for the HBV in a minute but how do I go about releasing the pressure to get the heating working for the min?

Also would a faulty HBV cause the engine to over heat?

Thanks

[Lazydocker]

In the temperatures we have at the moment steam from the exhaust is almost mandatory !!1 Just look at every other car on the road .. and think do they all have knackered Head Gaskets !!!!

My thoughts are quite simple ... with the rate you are losing water .. if it was from the HG into a cylinder you'd probably have other problems .. major ones !!!  Therefore it is an "external" leak of some sort and it just needs a dry day and a bit of looking for ... It might be an external leak from the HG .. but it might be from 101 other places as well !!!

Going to have a look for the HBV in a minute but how do I go about releasing the pressure to get the heating working for the min?

Also would a faulty HBV cause the engine to over heat?

Thanks

No... But the lack of coolant in the system would!

I hope you're topping up with 50:50 antifreeze mix, especially in this weather

[philipfirth]

Checked the HBV and it doesn't look like its leaking.  Should I take the thermostat out to see if it makes any difference?

[Entwood]

AS LD says ...

Think about it ... as you lose water, the amount in the system reduces and has to absorb the same amount of heat, so it must run hotter, you lose a bit more .. gets a bit hotter yet.... you lose a bit more.. the level might drop below the water pump input so now you are not moving the water through the rad but it still has to absorb heat .... (you've just made your engine into a kettle) so it now gets hot quickly... you give it some revs and the water pump goes around much faster... might just pick up and move some water so the temp drops a bit for a short while ... but all the time you are losing water still...... 

The importance of a 50:50 mix canot be overstated .... obviously you need the antifreeze because of the temperatures right now .. but you also need the anti-corrosion additives or you will have even more problems in the future.

It might seem expensive to put antifreeze into a leaking engine .. but if you don't you won't have an engine .. you'll have a useless lump of metal !!

[Entwood]

I don't see it being the thermostat  simply because if that was stuck shut and you revved the engine the temperature would RISE due to the energy you are adding to the system, and a thermostat won't cause a los of fluid