...about 1 mile from work, look down at my dials, hmmm oh shit my temp guage is at the 3/4 mark!!! (No not my rst, where these temps can become common) but my run about which never see's over the halfway mark as the fan cut's in and brings it back down to the 1/4, so i knew something was definately wrong

Pulled over quickly, cut the engine, turned the keys back on and the fan came back in (though't I heard it running, but had probs with it a few months back so thought maybe the thermo switch had gone tits up again ) not the case.

water pipes are red hot, looked at the header tank, hmmm fook all water! well there was a bit, but like fook all in the bottom, obviously just what was in the system. waited for about 5 mins before I did anything and kept checking the guage and it was coming down, removed oil filler cap, seems ok, checked dipstick, no sign of oilly deposits, (assuming head gasket had gone) fan went off, rad was ice cold again and temps back down Slowly undun the header tank, as there was a bit o pressure there.... alsmost bone dry.

I check my oil / water levels on a weekly basis, so not like I have neglected it for ages!!! How could it have used all that water in a week? Checked all round the rad, no sign of any leaks, I had noticed that it had been using a bit of water, but nothing exsessive, at all.

Anyway, I waited ages for it to cool down before I procceded to put some more water in the sys, eventually got it up to the required level and fine. no leaks anywhere, drove to work fine.

Again checked levels and everythign again with the short trip to work's carpark and all ok. As it is the run about (and the rs is off the road ) I can't really afford to be without it or I don't get to work, lol what is best to do, ride it out, keep checking the levels and hope it is ok? I am expecting a head gaket change, but I really could do without that right now!!!!

 

whoopsie,,,,not good huni

 

yea...fookin cars...i do expect it to die soon, nearly on 120k, picked it up i guess 2 and half years ago around the 70K mark, lol done me well

 

Keep a bucket of water in the boot?

Get a container and keep some water in the car just in case. If it's not leaking the water then it must be using it.....which means head gasket, cracked block, cracked head.....

 

This happened in my S2 but it was a fooked water pump, just leaked all the water out.

I check mine before evey journey but this one time I was only going to blockbusters and when I got a mile down the road I thought "This is warming up quick" and the needle didn't stop filled it with water to drive home and it was ok but obviously leaked out again over night.

What car is it? Water pumps usually aint that expensive and its a good excuse to change cam belt too

 

as said if its not leaking the car must be using it, double check all the hoses mate!!

I would fill it up like u have, keep a bottle of water in the car, and just see how it goes for a bit. But would kee checking it

 

Its a 1400CVH engine.

Will keep the water at the ready....see how I get on at lunchtime, gotta pop out hopefully be ok

 

Yeh me and rudey had this prob with a pug we used to both use

sometime only gone bout a mile and the thing was red hot after many checks rudey found the prob,was a small pipe from rad leaking,ok when just stood there but pissed water everywhere when drove

Hope ya get it sorted mate

 

ditto the rest mate, my beemer seems to drink it but can never find a leak

just check her regular like!

 

Cheers all, now equipped with bottle of water Will see how I get on at lunch

 

***UPDATE***

Out at lunchtime, water I put in earlier was still in and had no leaked so assumed couldn't be a leak, anyway it is stillgetting too hot I even took it up the motorway, at 80, it was at the bottom of the "N" when normally it will be on the "M" at that speed, with all that air and the fan on it was not cooling down, so guess it's fucked the head gasket? Water looks pretty dark, having the heating on full blast seemed to help a bit too... all though no other tell tale signs as yet Wot you suggest I do?

 

Adam it could be a blocked or stuck thermostat causing the hot running and maybe that caused some of the water to boil off / escape through pressure cap hence the lowish water level ?

 

Andy, possibly, I guess I could check that tonight, what / how will I know and can I use a thermo from a rst? It is almost boiling over I might add....but, I noticed when feeling the water hoses the one near the stat is full and very hot, the one from the block seems warm but like as if there aint much water in it....

 

sounds like the thermostat is buggered mate if one pipe is hot and other is cold.

You could run it without the thermostat in if you cant afford to do the headgasket yet, if it is that, as your work place is only a mile away so it shouldn't overheat in that time.

 

Hello mate,

Yea, hoping that's what the prob is I am gunna just take the fooker out tonight anyway, flush the sys, top if back up and with antifreeze and see if that helps things....ohh, my work place is 22miles away, I was just about a mile away at the time of things going tits up! lol

 

good lucky dude! overheating probs are the WORST and it dont make it better in this weather!!!

 

Yer,

 

My 3i run around kept over heating was thermastat took it out now its mint just bloody freezing will get round to puting one in one day

 

Yea, I guess I have fook all heat if I take it out..... Ahh well, rather freeze than have no car

 

Adam you can check to see if the thermostat is working / opening.

take it out, get a pan of hot water heat it to almost boiling, tie bit of string on thermostat and dump it in pan of hot water, when the water hits 88+ degs you should see the stat start to open. If it dont then its broken, that way you will know for sure if thats the faulty part

 

****UPDATE NO 2****

Andy, thanks for that tip Well, duinked the thermotwat in the water, 15 minutes, nothing, hmmm fooked then!

Currently no stat, flushed the sys topped up the antifreeze, running sound as now, well happy, will see on the long run to work tomorrow but all looking, good dont get more than 1/4 mark now oh, and heating still works pretty well

Cheers all

 

No Probs Adam . The heater will work the same, it will just take longer to get warm out of it when you 1st start it up. Warm up time with a stat might be 6-8 mins and 15-20 mins without.

 

Wern't too bad this morning, bit chilly

 

stick a new stat in it then

 

Yep, think I will do matey,

 

OK, ****UPDATE NO 3****

Though't i'd check all my levels this morning.... no fooking water in the header tank again Tiny bit at the bottom, so some still in the system. Fill her up this morning, drive the 20 odd miles to work, car is running as normal and not getting hot (Still have no thermostat, btw ) get to work, it is empty again Fill it back up, start it, looking everywhere for a leak, cant see where it could be leaking don't seem to be round the thermo housing, nothin visible from any of the pipes or anything, there is no great puddle on the floor under the rad so im confused, where is all the water going so quickly then

Help?

 

sounds like a right pain in the hoop this one matey!!! mine keeps loosin water somewhere bit ive not bothered my arse to find out hopefully i will get sum ideas off this thread!! good luck looks like its gonna take a while. this might sound daft but have you looked for leaks when its hot? some times a pipe split or summink will leak when hot but seal in the cold, the whole expansion and contraction thing

 

Hi mate,

Cheers for that, will have a "proper" investigation under / in the bay tonight as im damned if i am doing it in my work clothes and getting covered in shite

Cheers for the tip, could be cos when i checked was 20 mins after I got to work so would have been cooler by then. cant see where it is losing it, but something aint right....

 

Ok,

found the problem Looks like my middle core plug at the front of the block has a leak. Is this a common thing?

Or is my block got a hole in it? I went to fords to get a new plug, but they dont do them anymore

Where can I get one from, is the one in there now fooked? or just come loose somehow?

Confused and don't know what to do help

 

Any suggestions?

 

core plugs can be replaced adam, usually replace em when re-building the engine. wonder why it's came loose tho?

 

Yea, I don't know....Guess I will have to have a look tonight...reckon halfords will stock them?

 

Nope