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[Lazydocker]

Unless you can see coolant leaking around the thermostat it won't be the cause

If the leak is at the back I'd still have my money on the HBV

[RobG]

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 !!!

Not wishing to be devil`s advocate but I reached the stage where I was losing all the coolant in the header tank within 10 miles and the only symptons I experienced whilst driving was a steam cloud from the exhaust. Have you removed the header cap and sniffed for any smell of fuel/combustion fumes?

[PhilRich]

Philip, I am having identical probs to you & I too have a 2.2! However, I know for certain I have a leaking HG as there is a strong smell of exhaust gas in the coolant bottle coupled with air/gas bubbling into the bottle from the small hose connected on the back left which is connected to the throttle body. This causes a buildup of pressure in the cooling system which vents through the cap & covers the engine in a fine coolant mist. The coolant loss is getting worse by the day & really causing problems with misfire & uneven running/accelleration.I suggest you check out your coolant bottle for similar signs. Incidentally, I have no oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil. I would strongly suggest you top up with NEAT coolant until the problem is solved with the weather being as it is & also if you live in a Hard Water area. HTH

[philipfirth]

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

The temp does seem to rise as the engine is revved. From cold sat there is goes up slowly to around 100. From cold driving it goes up a hell of a lot quicker. The water must be leaking some where else. Ive got the thermostat in a pan of hot water now to see if it working.

[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 !!!

Not wishing to be devil`s advocate but I reached the stage where I was losing all the coolant in the header tank within 10 miles and the only symptons I experienced whilst driving was a steam cloud from the exhaust. Have you removed the header cap and sniffed for any smell of fuel/combustion fumes?

Checked the thermostat and its working fine. Going to put it back top the coolant up and have a sniff in the header filler.

Will keep you updated.

Thanks

[Andy H]

The pressure test http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1225142864 has worked for me whenever I have had a mystery coolant leak.

If you pressurise the system it can take a while for the leak to become apparent (allow an hour). A complication on the Omega is the HBV because it sometimes leaks intermittently.

[Abiton]

The method I used to confirm the HG problem on ours was visual, looking down the sparkplug holes.

If the plugwells are dry and free from oil or other fluid, it's dead easy.  Take out the spark plugs, shine a bright little torch down the holes, and hope to see the crowns of all 4 pistons looking bone dry.  If there is any fluid on any of them, bodge up a 'dipstick' from something like a chopstick with a bit of kitchen towel secured to the tip.  If the liquid looks/smells anything like coolant, you've found your problem.

If the plugwells were full of oil before plug removal it's not going to be so easy to see, as some of this will inevitably fall onto the piston crown when you remove the plugs.

[philipfirth]

Right time for the update. Fitted the thermostat back on and refilled with coolant.

Started the car and let it idol. Temp rose slowly but the heating didnt work. Once it got to about 95oC the water started to come out of the filler head ( I didnt have the cap on). The water was steaming hot and didnt smell of petrol.  Stop the engine and went in to get some more coolant. Refilled which it took about 1.5 litres. Started the car again and the water moved up and down in the filler tank. I put the cap on and the water level went down. Undid the cap to top it up and it rose back up again. Check all round and cant see anything leaking altho it is dark outside.

Also there isnt much stream coming from the exhaust, just what you would expect in this weather. At no point did the heating blow hot.

[philipfirth]

Update, Just been out looking at the car now and have found the coolant leaking from the rear of the engine which looks like its the HBV. Just waiting for a call back for a price and probably wont be able to get 1 until tomorrow.

Is there anything I can do to stop it leaking in the mean time as the coolant is costing me a fortune!

Cheers

[GArlington]

One easy test to check if the head gasket is leaking:
before starting the car open your coolant expansion tank, then start the engine and check if the water is "boiling" - it will look like it is boiling because of the pressured gasses from cylinders will be running out through the water...

If this looks OK:
check if your windscreen is steaming from inside when the heating is on, it would indicate a leak in heating radiator - this would explain both your water leaking AND the heating not working well...