Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Markiii]

Hi chaps

Hate to leap in with a first post asking for help, but been lurking for a while without registering

I have a 2003 diesel manual estate

HBV was replaced a year or two ago

I've had a minor untraceable coolant leak for a few months, requiring periodic top up

However this morning on the a1 I looked down to find a temp gauge on max and red temp warning light. Fortunately I almost immediately found a handy petrol station. Pulled in and checked the coolant. Having let it cool down I topped up. Took a little over 1.5 litre.

However as I topped up this time I spotted a rather rapid leak from below the drivers headlight. Managed to get home with periodic stops for a top up, (must have put 3 liters in on the way home) and need to have a closer look in daylight.

So I guess the obvious is radiator or radiator drain plug, or hose down there.

Anything obvious I'm missing?

[RobG]

Hi chaps

Hate to leap in with a first post asking for help, but been lurking for a while without registering

I have a 2003 diesel manual estate

HBV was replaced a year or two ago

I've had a minor untraceable coolant leak for a few months, requiring periodic top up

However this morning on the a1 I looked down to find a temp gauge on max and red temp warning light. Fortunately I almost immediately found a handy petrol station. Pulled in and checked the coolant. Having let it cool down I topped up. Took a little over 1.5 litre.

However as I topped up this time I spotted a rather rapid leak from below the drivers headlight. Managed to get home with periodic stops for a top up, (must have put 3 liters in on the way home) and need to have a closer look in daylight.

So I guess the obvious is radiator or radiator drain plug, or hose down there.

Anything obvious I'm missing?

Check HBV again, that`s where it lives on the diesel

[Marks DTM Calib]

Also check the diesel heater under the drivers wing.

I trust you have not been topping it up with just water for the past few months?

[Markiii]

no its been topped up with coolant, other than yesterdays emergancy issue

thanks chaps, I'll taek a look shortly and report back

[Markiii]

ok this appears to be the culprit



any idea what it is? coolant seems to be leaking from the area of the bolt coming off the side of the vertical pipe

[twiglet]

thats the diesel heater mate. 

[Markiii]

thanks, sounds expensive

are these a known weakpoint or just bad luck?

looking at it, it looks modular, with long allen bolts holding it together, I'm guessing its a seal rather than teh casing, any chance the seals are available?

[Markiii]

Ok so it seems all this does is help heat the coolant on cold days

Knowing this and how long it takes for my heater to get warm somedays I doubt  it's been working anyway

So I assume no issues with bypassing it?

[twiglet]

I've got a spare diesel heater here if you need one mate. Just send me a PM. 

[Marks DTM Calib]

If anybody has a spare diesel heater then I am after one.....working or not.

[Markiii]

thanks chaps

found a few similar discussions with people quoting £500 for the pre heater. And also discussions about bypassing it. However can;t finfd anyone who says they have actually done it.

any thoughts as to whether this would cause a problem? Can't really see the logic in spending that amount of cash on a car worth so little

[Marks DTM Calib]

You can bypass it.

[twiglet]

Markiii, you have a PM. 

[VXL V6]

Easy enough to bypass, simply join the inlet and outlet pipes together with a 90 degree elbow and two jubilee clips, pull off the diesel fuel pipe and seal the end and unplug the loom from the heater unit.

Remove the heater unit and jobs done.

[twiglet]

Out of interest, do these heaters kick in on cold startup everytime, or only when the air temperature is below a certain level?  I would imagine they can be heard running, even over the noise of the engine?