Seicento coolant ??

[digger barnes]

new to all this ! got my seicento sx a few weeks ago !! been fine until this week !!
checked the coolant level and it was low - unscrewed the cap poured in some coolant and the lot just disappeared !!
no sign of it leaking out on to the floor anywhere !
took about over a litre of fluid just to get the level back up to minimum !
checked it again the nect day and the reservoir was empty - and again over a litre to get it up to max !!
there is no temp gauge in the car so cant tell if the engine getting too hot but can here a bubbling noise after i turn the engine off

anyone got any ideas where to start ??
thanx

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

Welcome at FiatForum.

Suspect blown headgasket.
Have the system presurized/ tested at a good workshop to be sure.

 

[irishcento]

hi,welcome to the land of fiat.

id say your cooling system may need bleeding.

head gasket,hard to know with the info you have given.

quick visual test to see if its gasket,take off oil cap on the rocker cover,see if there is a creamy goo on the cap,look down into the oil filler hole,see if there is goo in there,whit/beige colour.


next go to your dip stick,and pull it out,check the level of the oil,is it on the marks,either high or low.

what colour is the oil on the dip stick,white creamy goo.

if there is mayonaseee colour stuff on cap and dip stick,you have a head gasket issue.

is your car a 899cc or a 1098cc???

again id bleed the system and keep a eye on it.

are the floor carpets damp in the front,you may have a leaking heater matrix.

sure do the above tests,and get back to us.

wish you luck.

jason

 

[irishcento]

back again,another quick head gasket test.

top up your cooling system cold,leave the rad cap off and start the car,get out and have a look at your coolant bottle,if its pumping out water your gasket is gone,if it stays calm and level,your ok gasket wise.

do this cold

another tip,is there any white smoke coming from the exhaust when car running for 5min

again,let us know

 

[irishcento]

any up date on this?

 

[David C]

You can easily have a head gasket failure without coolant getting in the oil, so looking for mayo and seeing none doesn’t give you the all clear.

Mine was leaking into the cylinder, sucking it in on closed throttle.

Take the spark plugs out and look for a VERY clean one...

 

[irishcento]

yes the oil water mix is 1 way,but i also mentioned the steam exhaust,and to check by removing rad cap if water is being pumped out.

i cant belive water been sucked into inlet side of things??

 

[irishcento]

also smelling the exspansion bottle with cap off ,sniff for combustion gases

steamy exhaust is the most visual if there is coolant getting into a cylinder,plus as mentioned,coolent being pushed out of coolant bottle.

we also need to know,how many miles or hours it takes to drop its coolent level.

a car with a bad gasket will be in trouble quite quickly,say 5min or so.

also if a plug is getting damp with coolent,it will not fire,and car will only run on 3 cyl.

lets hear what the owner thinks of the list thats been given

 

[David C]

yes the oil water mix is 1 way,but i also mentioned the steam exhaust,and to check by removing rad cap if water is being pumped out.

i cant belive water been sucked into inlet side of things??

Head gasket blown between coolant passage and cylinder.
With the extra vacuum on a closed throttle it pulled more in.

When coolant gets into the cylinder it cleans off any carbon buildup, so a suspiciously clean spark plug compared to three normal ones is the clue.
Once the head is off you’ll discover a much cleaner piston crown and head for that cylinder too.

 

[irishcento]

i know all about the ins and outs of head gasket failure,been into bmw's the lasr 25yrs,ive seen them all,right down to cracked heads.


ive done a good job mentioning what might be wrong with the members car,and have suggested very basic 'in your driveway' tests.

sure a compression test would tell the full story also.

im keen to hear from the person with the problem realy at this stage,just out of intrest