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HELP:Coolant Reservoir drying up fast


Dennisk
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(edited)

Q1.

recently i open my bonnet and saw the coolant level only left 2-3cm of coolant level. coolant stain was all over the reservoir cap. i send to my workshop and realised that air con fan is not working at all. The temperature overheated. i have been driving quite sometime, maybe a week with over normal temperature. is my engine hurt in anyway?

 

after replacing the motor fan, i topped up the reservior with distilled water.

 

 

Q2.

 

yesterday i opened my bonnet and i saw the coolant reservoir is almost empty again. what could have happen? advise???

Edited by Dennisk
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Neutral Newbie

you may want to bring it back to the workshop to check the water pipe in the car...

 

cause it happen to me once before that the rubber pipe is leaking... but mine was a van in the past..

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It should be some leaking somewhere along the coolant piping. check underneath your car before u drive out in the morning to check any water/coolant on the floor.Get the mechanic to flush and change your coolant at the same time. Can get cheap coolant at spare parts shop in Veerasamy Road and then ask your mechanic to change for u.No point putting distilled water. [thumbsup][thumbsup][wave]

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(edited)

it could be:

1. Coolent hose leaking (wear & tear, its made of rubber)

2. coolent clip that is securing the hose is loose.

 

you mentioned that the coolent was all over the coolent cap? how old is yr car?

 

if your car is relatively aged, another possible reason is that the existing coolent cap (Radiator cap)cannot withstand the increased pressure from an older radiator. Try to change a radiator cap that has a higher pressure rating than yr existing ones.. example yr existing is 0.9, change to a 1.0. u should be able to see the rating on the cap.

 

CAUTION... dun touch the cap or try to open it when engine is hot! i try this stunt once on my friend's old car when overheat... the cap fly out and all the coolent gush out a few METRES! luckily my reflexes fast enough to avoid the hot liquid!

 

go back to your usual trusted workshop, they should be able to solve it. u can ask them to do a pressure test to test its really leaking. shouldnt be too much of a problem.

Edited by Chucky2007
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it seems that you have more than one problem. fan motor was one and has been resolved.

 

The next is check whether any leakage. And also check when car is cooled on the radiator..any fountain or such. is the coolant moving when start car....to know whether the water pump and temp valve working

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best is when car totally cool down, check that on car, and the water pump/temp valve moves the coolant. if the coolant gets overfill and "vomit" out from opening it could be due to head gasket needs replacement

 

if car is hot (u have been driving) and u see same symptoms + u only see high temp when u drive more 120km/hr, this could be choked radiator (needs cleaning, not flush)

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there is a spring and rubber sealant inside the radiator cap, the spring could be weak or the rubber sealant wear off, this will cause the radiator cap not to be able to work according to it's designed pressure it can hold on to, hot steam/air will be force out of the radiator cap so it's better that you check and replace if necessary, it's not very expensive but do get the one that's having the correct PSI for you engine, stock replacement ones from the stockists will never go wrong nod.gifnod.gifnod.gif

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Neutral Newbie

likely to be leaking some where. cannot be drying up so fast, especially when you hv already changed your fan.

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Go for a pressure test and you will know whether the radiator cap is faulty or the cooling system is leaking

 

PS This how a cooling system and cap pressure tester looks like

post-8-1182924132_thumb.jpg

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like what Vtim and yeobh have mentioned, it could also be due to the radiator cap.

 

I have the leaking problem when I change my radiator cap the other time. Then realised that it was the cap the causes the leak.

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  Quote
it seems that you have more than one problem. fan motor was one and has been resolved.

 

The next is check whether any leakage. And also check when car is cooled on the radiator..any fountain or such. is the coolant moving when start car....to know whether the water pump and temp valve working

 

i have gone to workshop to check twice, there isn't any leakage from the hose. but there are evidence that there are coolant vomiting out from the reservoir cap "small straw". is it due to over heating, raditor fan weak, radiator choke or....?

 

last time i know that i don't really need to top up my coolant for months. but now every 3-4 weeks it will dry up almost the whole reservoir reserves.

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the workshop did for me the test. it seems perfectly ok even they try to increase the pumping...

 

unimpressed.gif

 

currently i am monitoring my temperature using gauges because i broke the stock one while changing the dial. i realise that the temperature will shoot higher than 100'c if i drive RHF style and also above 110km/h

Edited by Dennisk
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If done pressure leak test and ok, then I guess your radiator is choked.

 

Choked radiator can cause pressure to build up, and your coolant cap will overflow. end up your coolant will not be enough.

 

Whats your mileage like? How long ago did you change your coolant? Did you ever top up coolant using any coolant? Or just water so far?

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Cooling system is a pressurised system - the whole idea is to allow the coolant to boil at higher temp.With this arrangement the coolant system need only min volume of water to cool the engine.If the engine is running @ operating temp, the water pressure will rise and up to a point the cap release valve with open and allows the excess superheat water and pressure to escape into the overflow bottle.Most of the stock pressure cap is rated @ 0.9kg/cm2 for Jap and 1 kg/cm2 for European cars.

Once the engine cool down to ambient temp , the cooling system coolant will contract thereby creating vaccum in the system. The vacuum of negative pressure will suck the coolant from the overflow bottle back into the cooling system.

 

Ask the mech to check the coolant system for air bubbles or oil stain when the engine is running at operating temp. The best way is to do a leak down test ( a process of actually introducing compressed air into the cylinder -)- to confirm that the cylinder heat gasket is ok and there is not internal leak in cylinder head or engine block.

 

PS photo shows a leak down tester kit

post-8-1191089351_thumb.jpg

Edited by Yeobh
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Maybe you should try another wksp. Get another opinion and expertise. There are many hoses/pipes connected to the cooling system. Some cracks/leaks can't be seen by the naked eyes. Then there are the water pump for leak. How abt the cylinder head core plugs. [confused]

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