ally2803

New Member

• Jan 17, 2017

• #1

HI
Can anyone help please - i have a disco2 td5 year 2000 - for the last couple of months i have been losing water at quite a fast rate i cannot for the life of me find out where - there is never any water underneath, there is no water in the oil, i have had the pipes off and all been cleaned around the seals and new clips put on, last easy option i have is to change the pipe with the bleed valve in it as this morning after the 7 mile drive to work there was water around that. Today when i was driving with the stereo & heater off i could hear what sounded like bubbling water being sloshed about behind the heating controls - any ideas please feeling very despondent

 

biggeeeee

Retired - Living the dream

• Jan 17, 2017

• #2

Heater matrix?
Are the front footwell carpets damp?
You may have a leak in the radiator and if its spraying onto a hot engine may be drying up quickly, usually a pink stain is a bit of a tell tale from the anti freeze.
There is also somewhere under the exhaust manifold that is a common leak, I'm not sure but perhaps around the oil cooler?
Another favourite is the metal pipe under the radiator that runs into rubber pipes either end, may be on its way out, check the metal for corrosion.
Take it you are using the correct mixture of coolant and the water isn't just evaporating?

 

markomate2

Well-Known Member

• Jan 17, 2017

• #3

Mines been doing the same for while!
But your first and easiest action is to fit a new (ideally genuine £8) expansion tank cap.
Mark

 

ally2803

New Member

• Jan 17, 2017

• #4

ahhhh my rubber mat on the passenger side was damp the other day i just presumed it was from where i had thrown my yard boots in - heater matrix would make sense as i hardly ever have heat coming thro my vents ?

 

RyanDay1

Well-Known Member

• Jan 17, 2017

• #5

Only a potential idea, but a knackered head gasket and/or head could mean your water is leaking into the combustion chamber. If that's the case, you won't have any leaks as such that you can see as it isn't visible on the exterior. Is your exhaust telling you anything? Any steam, if not condensation in the morning could support this, I don't know personally how you could check but this is confirmed if one or more of the pistons is squeeky clean from the steam cleaning by your coolant vapourising in the cylinder. This is probably the worst case scenario if you're drastically losing water but no visible leaks. Only easy way to tell is exhaust steam. The bubbly sound from heating is likely air/vacuum or opposite circulating in the system because of lack of water, but this is only my first thoughts I could be way off!!

Edit... Sounds like you have found a leak of some form, make sure you find one as that is a good result!

 

ally2803

New Member

• Jan 17, 2017

• #6

have changed the expansion cap last week - trying cheapest first

 

ally2803

New Member

• Jan 17, 2017

• #7

is there any other noticeable signs if it is the head gasket please

 

Joemac434

Well-Known Member

• Jan 18, 2017

• #8

ally2803 said:

is there any other noticeable signs if it is the head gasket please

Click to expand...

I had a similar problem last year, turned out to be a pinhole in the thermostat housing,only leaked when hot so coolant evaporated and was hard to find,got someone else ti rev it while hot and could then see leak

 

brian47

Well-Known Member

• Jan 18, 2017

• #9

If you're sure that you don't have a big air lock in the heater matrix or a head gasket failure then you could try a UV leak detector fluid:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ring-Wate...163453?hash=item463e2290fd:g:rwoAAOSwjVVVqKX5
Your local garage might be able to do a "sniff" test on the coolant expansion tank for gas traces.