General 1.4 water problems

[fiatstilo16v]

I have a 1.4 and I have a slight problem with the water in the enging coolant systemit keeps dissapearing somewhere but I don't have a water leak because I have checked and the oil is fine but every 3 days I have to keep filling the engine coolant up. Is this a common problem?

 

[Big Black Stilo]

no its not.

I had a 1.2 for 5 years and never had to top up the water once.

If a car is losing water its likely it could be the following:

head gasket (chocolate milkshake under oil filler cap)
split pipe (which only leaks when warm and maybe steam rather than a drip)
water pump failing
Faulty radiator/header tank cap not pressurising
split radiator

if the oil looks like oil and not chocolate milkshake, then you need to check for dry coolant around the engine bay as most of the time, if there is a leak at engine temp, it will evapourate before leaving a wet patch. This will be like a chalky residue, sometimes coloured the same as the coolant (in the case of the new bravo, i saw one with a coolant leak on the turbo and it was pinky chalky stuff on the front of it like melted plastice, coolant is pink). once you've ruled out hoses and radiator, your looking at internals, so head gasket, water pump. This isnt a simple fix and will need a garage to fix. what mileage is the car and whats the service history?

 

[fiatstilo16v]

no its not.

I had a 1.2 for 5 years and never had to top up the water once.

If a car is losing water its likely it could be the following:

head gasket (chocolate milkshake under oil filler cap)
split pipe (which only leaks when warm and maybe steam rather than a drip)
water pump failing
Faulty radiator/header tank cap not pressurising
split radiator

if the oil looks like oil and not chocolate milkshake, then you need to check for dry coolant around the engine bay as most of the time, if there is a leak at engine temp, it will evapourate before leaving a wet patch. This will be like a chalky residue, sometimes coloured the same as the coolant (in the case of the new bravo, i saw one with a coolant leak on the turbo and it was pinky chalky stuff on the front of it like melted plastice, coolant is pink). once you've ruled out hoses and radiator, your looking at internals, so head gasket, water pump. This isnt a simple fix and will need a garage to fix. what mileage is the car and whats the service history?

The mileage is just over 45000 and it was serviced in november 2007 it needed another in november just gone but was struck for cash so I'm doing it tomorrow and I don't think its the head gasket as there is no smoke coming from the exhaust, there is no coloured water under the filler cap its like pink water from the antifreeze, I did notice a couple of weeks ago that there is a slight steam problem coming from the bottom of the radiator where the pipe leads to from the coolant bottle but unfortunatly with work I have not had the tim eto strip apart and have a look.

 

[fiatstilo16v]

The mileage is just over 45000 and it was serviced in november 2007 it needed another in november just gone but was struck for cash so I'm doing it tomorrow and I don't think its the head gasket as there is no smoke coming from the exhaust, there is no coloured water under the filler cap its like pink water from the antifreeze, I did notice a couple of weeks ago that there is a slight steam problem coming from the bottom of the radiator where the pipe leads to from the coolant bottle but unfortunatly with work I have not had the tim eto strip apart and have a look.

I have managed find what the problem is its the radiator it has a leak from the bottom so I will buy new one tomorrow thanks for your help anyway much appreciated.

 

[Big Black Stilo]

well it was bound to be one of the above! I have heard or rads going before on the stilo, but also heard them going on other cars/makes to, it can happen, at least your quivering arse can relax now you know the engine doesnt have to be dismantled!

 

[fiatstilo16v]

well it was bound to be one of the above! I have heard or rads going before on the stilo, but also heard them going on other cars/makes to, it can happen, at least your quivering arse can relax now you know the engine doesnt have to be dismantled!

That's very true thanks again for your help I knew it wasn't a head gasket as there was no signs of the head gone but didn't no if it was a common problem with the stilos thanks again thoguh.

 

[roberdy]

Hi, I have a most similar problem to this.

I have an 05 plate 1.4 Stilo with just short of 60K on the clock. I noticed after a big run from Scotland to Cornwall and back at Xmas that the coolant level was low, slightly under the min line. This had occurred once before about a year 1/2 ago and was topped up and seemed to have been fine since then.

Anyway, I got it topped up and carried on, noticed during the following week some burning anti-freeze kinda smell in the cab and that the levels were down again. I wiped off the header tank as there were deposits round it and carried on for a day or two. When I checked after the next time I smelt burning anti-freeze there were new dried pink deposits of coolant on the header tank.


However;

• No radiator leak that I can identify
• No faulty pipes that I can identify (although I don't have x-ray vision!)
• The oil looks like oil, no problems there (that I can id) and I have checked nearly everyday for the last couple of weeks
• The header tank is definitely pressurising as I undid it after a 10 mile run in traffic to work the other morning and it was definitely pressurised! Also there was steam coming off the coolant, header tank was bloody hot too!
• The Temp gauge indicates that the engine is not over heating - but - when the fan comes on I have noticed that the temp gauge seems to drop more than it ever used to (I don't really remember noticing it coming on before) and takes a few mins for the temp to go back to nominal when running.
• The header tank is definitely venting coolant though as it is drying out on the outside of the tank, would like it to stay inside methinks!

We don't have active air con but being in Scotland the fan temp is always set fairly warm and the blowers on #2.

As we are not loosing any oil and the engine is not overheating I don't think it is terminal but if anyone has any ideas I would really appreciate it!

Many Thanks
roberdy

 

[12[X]]

what colour is your coolant? it should be red (not blue..) - simplest thing to try is to replace your coolant regardless (it does wear and should be replaced completely @least 1ce every 3 years, you might also try a new pleasure cap). That failing, next point of call is temperature sensor shortly followed by water pump as your vehicle (given that you have new header cap & coolant) seems to be overheating (it can be a piston leek too – this way oil is not contaminated – do a compression test to be sure)

 

[roberdy]

@ 12x, was your reply for me? I maybe should have started a new thread for my own problems!

 

[Argonought]

@ 12x, was your reply for me? I maybe should have started a new thread for my own problems!

No - you did right

 

[12[X]]

@ 12x, was your reply for me? I maybe should have started a new thread for my own problems!

yep (and anyone with similar problems)

 

[roberdy]

yep (and anyone with similar problems)

Cool, here's what's going on with me then;

The coolant is deffo pink/red in color and according to the last service in september last year they flushed the engine, not sure if this is just a full oil change or includes the coolant too, maybe will get them to do that anyway.

I'm not sure if the pressure cap is designed to bleed once the contents reaches a certain pressure, anyone who can answer that for me?

According to the temp gauge in the cab the engine is not over heating, takes about 5 ins for the temp to hit 1/2 way in the mornings but I am not really driving fast or far due to traffic, then the fan comes on a while after that and the temp drops a few degrees off vertical and then goes back to pointing straight up. However, I guess this doesn't necessarily mean the engine is not overheating, certainly something is not right.

I also noticed today that on the left side of the radiator at the top there is a yellow plastic key shaped part that sticks straight up, this is also now caked in dried coolant, not sure if it has come from the header tank or from the rad itself.

So I guess final point is that I cannot detect any change in the peformance of the vehical at all, it seems to be fine in every gear right across the rev range, I am hoping this suggests that it is not HGF or cylinder related.

All that aside I reckon i will put it to the garage this week and take the hit for the work just when i was hoping to buy a nice shiny new surfboard too

 

[HornetUK]

My 1.4 is drooping from MIN to MAX marker on coolant every 4000 miles or so. Garage pressure tested, checked everywhere no sign or trace of leak. So left with tooping up every 4 months or so. This has been going on for 2 years now

1.4 engine also!

 

[Deckchair5]

Roberdy
I'm not sure if the pressure cap is designed to bleed once the contents reaches a certain pressure, anyone who can answer that for me?
Yes it does, it's a safety valve and it sounds like you have an overpressurising coolant system or a weak coolant reservoir cap. Why did they flush your coolant system? And i wonder if they bled the system properly afterwards as air locks as well as HG can cause overpressurisation. So did these problems start soon afterwards?

For both you and Hornet a new coolant reservoir cap is cheap and might be a first step if you can't find any other obvious signs of water loss. Mind you, Max to Min in 4 months is a very small amount - water evaporates - fact of life

Air locks or head gasket=gurglings, sudden hot and cold from heater, very hot smells, banging in pipes, missing on start up, sudden huge loss of water, steam cloud out exhaust if bad enough

 

[HornetUK]

Thanks that is reassuring if deemed small decrease over 4k miles. Will seek out a new cap. Will parts place be able to order easily? Will try Souls in MK!