Using water

Val. h · Feb 10, 2017

My TD5 has been using a little water over the last months. Today it started fluffing/missing, temperature went up and then red overheat light came on. I had to let it cool and topped up the water and then it stopped fluffing/missing. A bit later it started again. Same again, stop let it cool add water.

Ok so my water issue has become critical. So is the fluffing/missing a sort of limp mode response to over heating. Or is it a sign of a head casket/cylinder head failure? There was no sign of steam either from the exhaust or the engine compartment or radiator.

I ask because the fluffing stopped when the temperature dropped and then returned each time it went too high.

Val.

neilly · Feb 10, 2017

OK ,

I will ask the obvious first.

If it had been using water , for a couple of months. did you check to see where it was being lost?

Have you got high pressure in the hoses?
Have you got coolant where it should not be?
Any Mayo?
Can you see puddles of coolant?

Cheers

Val. h · Feb 10, 2017

neilly said:
OK ,

I will ask the obvious first.

If it had been using water , for a couple of months. did you check to see where it was being lost?

Have you got high pressure in the hoses?
Have you got coolant where it should not be?
Any Mayo?
Can you see puddles of coolant?

Cheers

Yes pressure check was done and a leak from the hose at the back of the head was trimmed to stop this.

I leave the car for five days (while I am away in my truck) and there was still a fair amount of pressure in the system this evening. I topped up the water before starting the engine.
Yes the hoses are pressurised.

No sign of mayo.

No puddles, but possible drip. Have seen rainbow in the wet drive when car moved.

Nothing obvious in the way of coolant where it shouldn't be.

The engine is not using any oil.

Val.

sierrafery · Feb 10, 2017

You should rule out the head gasket, the ECU cuts fuelling when it gets 120*C input from the coolant temp sensor so beter dont drive it so for long cos other things will suffer too

brian47 · Feb 11, 2017

Val. h said:
Yes pressure check was done and a leak from the hose at the back of the head was trimmed to stop this.

I leave the car for five days (while I am away in my truck) and there was still a fair amount of pressure in the system this evening. I topped up the water before starting the engine.
Yes the hoses are pressurised.

No sign of mayo.

No puddles, but possible drip. Have seen rainbow in the wet drive when car moved.

Nothing obvious in the way of coolant where it shouldn't be.

The engine is not using any oil.

Val.

When @neilly asked about the hoses getting high pressure, he meant are they a little bit squeezable or are they rock hard. Very hard hoses could indicate the cooling system becoming over-pressurized through the action of gasses from the engine leaking into the cooling system, usually through a faulty head gasket.
Once you finally get the water issues sorted out, you should refill the system with the recommended mix, 50/50 of water and anti-freeze suitable for aluminium engines. The correct mix of water and anti-freeze is actually more efficient at removing heat than plain water.
You'd be surprised at how much or little oil is needed to drip onto a wet surface to make a huge "rainbow patch".
The first place to check for a minor oil leak is down the back end of the cam cover. It can be a bit fiddly to get the cam cover gasket to seat fully in that area, particularly the little half moon. Other places to check are the round plug in the front of the cylinder head and also the copper sealing washer on the sump drain plug which should be changed every time you do an oil change.
As @sierrafery has already said, you should rule out a problem with the head gasket.

Val. h · Feb 11, 2017

brian47 said:
When @neilly asked about the hoses getting high pressure, he meant are they a little bit squeezable or are they rock hard. Very hard hoses could indicate the cooling system becoming over-pressurized through the action of gasses from the engine leaking into the cooling system, usually through a faulty head gasket.
Once you finally get the water issues sorted out, you should refill the system with the recommended mix, 50/50 of water and anti-freeze suitable for aluminium engines. The correct mix of water and anti-freeze is actually more efficient at removing heat than plain water.
You'd be surprised at how much or little oil is needed to drip onto a wet surface to make a huge "rainbow patch".
The first place to check for a minor oil leak is down the back end of the cam cover. It can be a bit fiddly to get the cam cover gasket to seat fully in that area, particularly the little half moon. Other places to check are the round plug in the front of the cylinder head and also the copper sealing washer on the sump drain plug which should be changed every time you do an oil change.
As @sierrafery has already said, you should rule out a problem with the head gasket.

Yes your right, Hose pressure normal.
I dropped it off at the local garage this morning. He did a pressure test, nothing obvious. Seems the water level has been dropping over the last months despite topping up regularly. Seems I need to bleed the system too.

It's going in for a service this week so He'll have a better look then. Thanks for your input guys, much appreciated.

Val.

Val. h · Feb 21, 2017

Well, Head gasket gone is the diagnosis.

Anyone recommend me where to get a reconditioned head, or a good secondhand one with some history/ reliable source?

Val.

disco me · Feb 21, 2017

depends on budget,
http://www.turnerengineering.co.uk/td5-parts-c102x3005634
have been recommended to me before

pricey but you know it should last

Discodevon · Feb 22, 2017

Hi mate as you have over heated it I suggest changing the injector seals and washers

Are you sure it's head gasket and not a core plug leaking?

Using water

Val. h

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neilly

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Val. h

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sierrafery

Well-Known Member

brian47

Well-Known Member

Val. h

Active Member

Val. h

Active Member

disco me

Active Member

Discodevon

Well-Known Member

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