Water Loss

[integramania]

Hi Guys,Anyone of you experience water loss from the radiator but dun see any leaks (as in the floor is dry and dont see an visible leaks)? I had a coolant low warning...filled it up...drove for a while then warning came up again...now filled again...and monitoring...Wats the likely problem?Tx

 

[Hellraiser]

the leaks only happen under pressure when you drive and not when your car is not moving. i had the same issue recently. changed my spare tank which had hairline crack where water was leaking quite a bit after doing pressure test. also changed some hoses and connector at the back of the engine. all in all cost me about 800 bucks plus workmanship. broke now but at least i don't have to worry about water problems and risk overheating problems.

 

[teejay]

Hairline cracks in the expansion tank are first signs of high pressure/system leak in the whole cooling system.
Either the pressure release cap is faulty or the cooling system has delevoped leaks-hoses,connectors,gaskets,etc

Pressure test in the cooling system would be a good start while changing the hoses and possible wear and tear parts is also a good preventive maintenance start.

Try filling with colored coolant to see where the leaks are from, best would be just after switching off the car, try and get the high speed fan to kick-in, let it cool abit, switch off the engine, then observe and listen for obvious hissing all round, if you can go under the car after inspecting the engine bay, could be the last resort as coolant hoses do run through back of some engines.

Worn headgaskets could also be a coolant sucker, check engine oil filler cap for brown sludge like substances, if present, then worn headgaskets is the culprit and time for a top overhaul.

 

[DanZ]

Hi Guys,

Anyone of you experience water loss from the radiator but dun see any leaks (as in the floor is dry and dont see an visible leaks)? I had a coolant low warning...filled it up...drove for a while then warning came up again...now filled again...and monitoring...
Wats the likely problem?

Tx

Careful bro... this is what destroyed my poor M50 :43: Check oil cap. Also try this... When you turn off the car, open the hood and listen near the radiator expansion tank... Mine made a 'hissing' sound. Probably the coolant is being vaporized slowly but steadily...

 

[Jerman]

Hi Guys,

Anyone of you experience water loss from the radiator but dun see any leaks (as in the floor is dry and dont see an visible leaks)? I had a coolant low warning...filled it up...drove for a while then warning came up again...now filled again...and monitoring...
Wats the likely problem?
Tx

bro,
Hellraiser, Teejay & DanZ were correct. There must be leaking somewhere.

I had similiar experience before. Firstly, I changed the water pump and all works well but the coolant level still needs topping up 1 litre every week. No overheating and no sign of leaking whatsoever. Tired of the entire “drama”, so I sent the car for a "pressure test".

Mystery revealed! Found that inlet hose hidden under the engine/intake manifold cover leaks. Never able to detect as it was covered. In the end, changed both inlet & outlet hoses and manifold gasket. BMW = Bring More Worries

 

[Herbert]

Jerman is absoutely right. when I replaced my vanos seals, also discovered that both inlet & outlet hoses were leaking. Replaced hoses & manifold gasket.

Another incident happened while driving and suddenly "check coolant" appeared & temp shot to red. Quickly switched off air-con, then temp moved to middle (normal). Stopped and waited 45 minutes, slowly opened expansion tank and sure enough, water level low. Both fans were working fine. Did the bleeding and top up water (2 litres) and slowly drove to workshop. The cluprit... secondary water pump located beside the radiator was leaking.

bro,
Hellraiser, Teejay & DanZ were correct. There must be leaking somewhere.

I had similiar experience before. Firstly, I changed the water pump and all works well but the coolant level still needs topping up 1 litre every week. No overheating and no sign of leaking whatsoever. Tired of the entire “drama”, so I sent the car for a "pressure test".

Mystery revealed! Found that inlet hose hidden under the engine/intake manifold cover leaks. Never able to detect as it was covered. In the end, changed both inlet & outlet hoses and manifold gasket. BMW = Bring More Worries

 

[mizhan]

if not leak evident during pressure test, replace the cap.

 

[teejay]

on the subject of hoses, those rubber hoses under the m50 covers hardens prematurely, suggest to change it with silicone hoses, but finding the correct size and bends needs some research

for example i changed my classic to all silicone hoses, since most of the hoses are NLA

 

[ICEMAN 68]

bro teejay ..where to find those silicon hoses here ...last i asked at N1 racing for the radiator silicon hose and was quoted rm 900 for those ...darm darm mahal ...

any lubang for those with a cheaper price ...

 

[teejay]

bro teejay ..where to find those silicon hoses here ...last i asked at N1 racing for the radiator silicon hose and was quoted rm 900 for those ...darm darm mahal ...

any lubang for those with a cheaper price ...

J,
some hoses, the low pressure return ones don't really need the silicone ones, but due to heat and awkward positioning, it would be wise to change all. You could change them one by one when signs show wear and tear- harden,expansions,cracks,etc

the cheaper ones has thinner sidewalls, application more for air rather than high heat and pressure, if you get cheap ones, might as well stick to OEM hoses, just compare the thickness. I got mine from UK and i use mostly the flexible ones, due to alot of bends in the citroen, which is darn expensive

 

[integramania]

hey guys thanks for the advice....will take it for a check....will make sure i fill the radiator up....

 

[Hellraiser]

guys,

water issue was still not resolved. out of frustration, went again to see the mech and did another pressure test. this time changed the mount plate ($200) and pipe connector ($65).

problem resolved finally ...i hope

 

[teejay]

guys,

water issue was still not resolved. out of frustration, went again to see the mech and did another pressure test. this time changed the mount plate ($200) and pipe connector ($65).

problem resolved finally ...i hope

try 2 type of test
1. engine dead cold
2. engine at normal temp

if no.2 fails, i.e. loss of pressure comapred to no.1 , you have 2 options -
a. hairline crack in cylinderhead or crankcase or waterjackets
b. worn/burnt headgasket maybe due to earlier high heat that was not address earlier

no.1 usualy are the joint/rubber pipes/coolant exp tank, etc,etc, anything that can break easily compared to metal.

heat expands metal, and possibly water loss only when you run the car.

have you covered all the basic steps?
some mechs sometimes dont have time to troubleshoot proper ,they follow their experience and gut instincts, but endusers end up paying for all their r&d.......

try this again
1. flush cooling system
2. flush radiator
3.fill with normal colored coolant-green would be the best
4.drive for 5 days as per normal , but check coolant regularly when engine cold- if topping up take not of how much is topped up.
5.drive for another 5 days, this time no revs above 3k, regardless of any vw tailing you

report back to this thread and others with similair problems/solution would be able to chip in.......

 

[integramania]

Hey guys...i took my e34 to the mech...and the problem was the thermostat housing had a small crack...changed the plastic piece and no so far so good...thanks guys

 

[turbosnail]

Found this thread when I was searching for possible cause of my E34 frequent coolant top up lately. Send my car to Happy Motor and found it was the snapped bleeding screw(the head was "decapitated"!). Cost of "repair" = RM30.00 (replaced bleeding screw)