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[gstylebaby]

Well have had a problem with the coolent leaking from some where on my elite did the H.B.V still no joy so had a good long hard look at it and thought its got to go to the garage so it went friday.

Rang up later and was told possible head gasket he did say that it is only slight and not 100% sure its that. I know the guys in the garage and there good fellas so i know that there not trying to get cash out of me but i'm well not chuffed.......

[ians]

LTA

.. you know that's what they always say for unidentified coolant leaks.  What they really mean is they can't find the leak..

How much is it losing?

[gstylebaby]

LTA

.. you know that's what they always say for unidentified coolant leaks.  What they really mean is they can't find the leak..

How much is it losing?

I know what you mean but he did say he was'nt 100% sure.
I'd say i have to keep toping it up once a month and when i use it and park up i can hear it dropping on the exhaust and it smells in the car mainly when i have the heaters on which is not pleasing at all in this bloody weather.
He did say it looks like a small amount from the right side of the engine which is also why he thinks its head gasket cause all the pipes are on the other side.

[Entwood]

Water runs a long way before dripping !! so where it sems to be coming from is often very different to the source !!

There are quite a few areas in the V that can leak ... oil cooler, transfer bridge, thermostat that coulsd show as a leak from the side, especially if slowish and the car is on a slight slope.

Head gaskets appear to be very rare, I'd look elsewhere for a long while before going that route ...

[gstylebaby]

Water runs a long way before dripping !! so where it sems to be coming from is often very different to the source !!

There are quite a few areas in the V that can leak ... oil cooler, transfer bridge, thermostat that coulsd show as a leak from the side, especially if slowish and the car is on a slight slope.

Head gaskets appear to be very rare, I'd look elsewhere for a long while before going that route ...

Thanks mate i keep getting the feeling its not the head gasket have been told to just live with it for now until it shows its self abit more .... but it could make more of a mess of things by doing that also been told that it could be somthing in the v.
Call me dumb but how would i go about looking around there when you car'nt see it...

[Entwood]

I'm no expert by any means ... one will pass and correct any errors hopefully ... but if it was mine ..... I'd attack it this way over a weekend

There are "how-tos" for all the following...

I'd remove the scuttle to improve access

I'd remove the plenum and intake manifold as if I was doing breathers/cam covers.

This would give access to a thorough look around HBV, and most things in the V.

I would use coloured paper towel (kimwipe is my favourite) to wipe down as much as I could reach, as it changes colour from light blue to dark blue when wet, this makes leak finding easier.

The sort of leak you are describing could be a badly done-up pipe or union, a porous flexible pipe, loads of things that are NOT as serious as a head gasket.

[Kevin Wood]

Thanks mate i keep getting the feeling its not the head gasket have been told to just live with it for now until it shows its self abit more .... but it could make more of a mess of things by doing that also been told that it could be somthing in the v.
Call me dumb but how would i go about looking around there when you car'nt see it...

If they haven't eliminated this area then they are mad to be talking about head gaskets. Could easily be the thermostat housing, oil cooler cover or coolant bridge. As said, the scuttle, plenum and inlet manifold need to come off to have a good look down there.

Kevin

[MaxV6]

yeah, but the labour time involved in checking all of that and replacing seals where necessary could easily cost as much as having the HG done...

(said the man who had precisely that experience)

[Marks DTM Calib]

yeah, but the labour time involved in checking all of that and replacing seals where necessary could easily cost as much as having the HG done...

(said the man who had precisely that experience)

Er no, its about 4 times the labour to change the headgasket (at least)

What they should be doing is a coolant system pressure test to see where its coming from whilst cold.

[ians]

yeah, but the labour time involved in checking all of that and replacing seals where necessary could easily cost as much as having the HG done...

(said the man who had precisely that experience)

Er no, its about 4 times the labour to change the headgasket (at least)

What they should be doing is a coolant system pressure test to see where its coming from whilst cold.

and what is the point of that anyway if its not the HG at all..?  Its still not going to fix the leak.

[Admin]

What Mark is saying is twofold.

1. Don't go thinking about potential costs of a job if you don't know it is that.

2. In order tp fix something, you have to first know, EXACTLY what is wrong!

Guessing can become very expensive very quickly.

A pressure test with a dye will identify the source of the leak.

[ians]

yeah, but the labour time involved in checking all of that and replacing seals where necessary could easily cost as much as having the HG done...

(said the man who had precisely that experience)

Er no, its about 4 times the labour to change the headgasket (at least)

What they should be doing is a coolant system pressure test to see where its coming from whilst cold.

and what is the point of that anyway if its not the HG at all..?  Its still not going to fix the leak.

sorry   - I meant what is the point of changing the HG - (which if its not the problem then won't fix it regardless of how much it costs), not what is the point of a pressure test.  

[Kevin Wood]

I would imagine the garage faced the option of spending a few hours labour stripping it down and perhaps not finding the problem, in which case they could hardly charge you for the labour, or getting you to agree to change the head gaskets (no guarantees that it will fix it) where it's guaranteed income and if they happen to notice a split hose on the way, they'll lob a new one on.

Kevin

[gstylebaby]

Thanks for the advice fellas i'm going to have to get the plenum off and have a look and see if i can spot anything. Its just having the time to get at it at the moment mite be back on to ask for advice as i go.

[gstylebaby]

I would imagine the garage faced the option of spending a few hours labour stripping it down and perhaps not finding the problem, in which case they could hardly charge you for the labour, or getting you to agree to change the head gaskets (no guarantees that it will fix it) where it's guaranteed income and if they happen to notice a split hose on the way, they'll lob a new one on.

Kevin

There not the type of fellas to rip me off plus they know better than to try and do that but they did say it was coming from the other side not the pipe side but you could be right about the labour stripping cause if you that far in you mite as well go the hole hog.