Hi Everyone,

Wondered if you could help me find the answer to my coolant leak.
Last Monday, whilst the car was in Neutral, white smoke started coming out from under the bonnet. I let the car cool down then checked the coolant and it was bone dry. Fill it back up with 50/50 coolant/water, two days later it was bone dry again. Fought i added the coolant wrong so filled it up again, two day later bone dry again! Now on the 3rd bottle. Just noticed a bigish puddle of coolant at the front of the car, just behind the registration number plate (driver side)

Does anyone know what it could be and how to fix it?

Thanks in advance.

Luke

Stop driving until you resolve the issue.

Are you bleeding the car each time you add coolant?

Drivers side could be water pump or cross pipe seal.

Refill, bleed, refill, bleed, then run the car checking it very carefully. First sign of a leak, switch it off.

Is the cooling fan fuse (behind battery) intact?

Cheers

D

Didn't want to post another topic as my issue sounds very similar to this, losing coolant and finding it on the floor on the drivers side.

The fan kicks in just fine so the radiator is getting warm(SPI), the coolant has horrible rusty brown crap in the bottom of the expansion tank.

Car runs otherwise fine, no mayo in the oil.


Guessing first port of call is drivers side front wheel and arch liner off then inspect that side of the block when running?

foggymx5 said:

Didn't want to post another topic as my issue sounds very similar to this, losing coolant and finding it on the floor on the drivers side.

The fan kicks in just fine so the radiator is getting warm(SPI), the coolant has horrible rusty brown crap in the bottom of the expansion tank.

Car runs otherwise fine, no mayo in the oil.


Guessing first port of call is drivers side front wheel and arch liner off then inspect that side of the block when running?

Click to expand...

likely to be either ;
waterpump, - LOW on engine

Heater Matrix - High at bulkhead - near battery.

Cheers, don't think its the matrix as the leak is much further forwards(dripping from inside of the front bumper almost) but could well be waterpump, I see you can pick one up for £15 and I imagine it's about 3 hours labour so may well flush the whole system, do the waterpump and see where that gets me.

Sounds like water pump to me. Fill and bleed the coolant system, just use water as no need to waste good money on antifreeze. Once bled, run it up to temp and watch where the drips are coming from. I'm guessing front the side or bottom of the plastic crank case covers.

Thanks Jay, is my best view going to be from the drivers side wheel arch?

Just be careful when looking at the water pump for leakage because I've seen a few miss diagnosed fire engine powered cars that have leaking water pumps and it's been the water cross tube mainly the seal on the back leaks in basically the same area as the water pump

Cheers will do, I imagine it's obvious what's what when I remove the arch liner.

foggymx5 said:

Cheers will do, I imagine it's obvious what's what when I remove the arch liner.

Click to expand...

look in GUIDES at the waterpump / timing belt change

foggymx5 said:

Thanks Jay, is my best view going to be from the drivers side wheel arch?

Click to expand...

Yes. And from underneath. Jack it up, with an axle stand. Take off the wheel and plastic internal arch guard. Should get a good view then

Be worth back flushing the system and radiator while you are at it, if its full of rust. Previous owner not been using the right coolant.

D

The coolant looked red but could well just be that it is so rusty! I don't have a hosepipe here as I live in an apartment block but I'll flush it through with water several times.