Burst bubble (coolant woes!

[Bodger24]

Help! I am new to this Rover 75 thing, It has been my dream car since I saw the first TV ads but sadly out of my reach at the time.
Confession time. For the last 8 years I have been the proud owner of a 2000 Vauxhall Vectra. Apart from one O2 sensor and a stuck brake caliper it was ultra reliable. When I finally parted with it it was showing 180.000 miles on the clock (130.000 of them done by me) but the 1.8 Ecotec enngine still purred along and fuel economy was amazing.
I had just had a full service on the Vectra when I saw a 2003 Rover 75 1.8 Tourer with only 80.000 miles on the clock on the forecourt priced at £795. I couldn't believe my luck, it was love at first sight. I dashed home and collected the wife and we returned for a viewing. It was bye bye Vectra, hello Rover!
For the first couple of weeks we glided along in pure luxury reveling in the sheer beauty of the thing but then the engine management light came on. Then the cooling fan developed teenage tendencies and came on whenever it felt like it - irrespective of whether the engine was hot or cold! Stuck in road works the red light came on and the needle shot up but luckily we started moving quickly after and the temp stabilized.
When I got home It took nearly a litre of water to top it up! This is more that I put in my Vectra in 8 years. Having one hell of a time now getting rid of the air in the system. The last time I had this problem was on a 1969 Series 2a Landrover (Bless!)
Took it back to the garage who plugged in the diagnostics and said it was showing a fault in the O2 sensor but a new one had been fitted within the last 6 months. The fault was cleared and it ran beautifully for another 3 weeks - "cracked it" we thought. Just as we thought that thought on it came again and the cooling fan has developed a major strop again. Does anyone have any idea what's going on? The car drives well but it is thirsty. It is showing none of the usual signs of head gasket failure.
We still love the car though, it's like driving around in your living room.

Cheers Bob

[4potRed]

Firstly welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your new car. No doubt the true experts will be able to assist you more fully; however, just to clarify, 3 weeks ago the car suddenly lost coolant and indicated the engine was overheating, since then have you needed to
1. add more water?
or
2. does it use more fuel than before?

You state the fan is switching on randomly, you are aware that whenver you are using AC then the fan will be activated, even when the engine is cold. On the 1.8 the fan does quite often engage after a spell in traffic or at the end of a journey, nothing unusual.

Most important you need to use the onboard computer to accurately assess the engine temperature. Do a site search for the excellent instructions on how to access this information that is available from your onboard computer.

When you bleed the system make sure you are running the heating on max, elevate the filler bottle and use the bleed screw that sits in the metal water pipe between the battery and in front of but below the throttle body:mad:.

And have you checked the plenum drains yet in the falsefirewall, if not again search is your friend on this site, but make this a priority!

[Bodger24]

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately it is the Club SE model so no computer. We haven't used air con yet so that one is ruled out. Do I elevate the expansion bottle with the cap on or off?
I haven't a clue what a plenum drain is, sounds like something out of Star Trek! But if you can tell me where it is I will give it a go.

OOh this is fun, who wants a boring Vectra that just goes on forever when there are Rover 75's about

[grivas]

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately it is the Club SE model so no computer. We haven't used air con yet so that one is ruled out. Do I elevate the expansion bottle with the cap on or off?
I haven't a clue what a plenum drain is, sounds like something out of Star Trek! But if you can tell me where it is I will give it a go.

OOh this is fun, who wants a boring Vectra that just goes on forever when there are Rover 75's about

Hi Bodger, please note, that ALL models have an inbuilt 'computer', this is accessed by holding down the black reset buton on the instrument panel the one that resets the milage, go to the How To section and search in there, you will find it, and then will be able to monitor the coolant temperature in real time. Please note that the engine in the 1.8 version has a very small capacity coolant system and is proned to overheating and therefore destroying the head gasket, so check the coolant level very carefully every 2 to 3 days.

[Grumpy1]

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately it is the Club SE model so no computer. We haven't used air con yet so that one is ruled out. Do I elevate the expansion bottle with the cap on or off?
I haven't a clue what a plenum drain is, sounds like something out of Star Trek! But if you can tell me where it is I will give it a go.

OOh this is fun, who wants a boring Vectra that just goes on forever when there are Rover 75's about


:welcome: to this great club. Not too knowledgeable about your engine woes I'm afraid but plenty of members on here are and will be along before too long I'm sure. However, you must check the plenums. Here's how :smilie_re: http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=125864

These are ideal for clearing the plenum drains. You will probably be able to pick one up from the likes of B&Q, Wilko etc. if you don't want to wait for delivery. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SILVERLINE-NEW-PLUMBERS-WASTEPIPE-SINK-DRAIN-CLEANER-ROD-UNBLOCKER-633481-/220977810725?pt=UK_DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item33734dcd25 If you buy one of these, cut the 'twirly bit' off the end before you use it!

Chad. :}

[J1MBO]

The diagnostic routine as revised by TC, suggested above by grivas

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=87263

[4potRed]

Bodger, u bleed the system with the cap open, do NOT hold the coolant expansion tank with your hand however, as you WILL burn yourself, unbolt it from the housing and prop it as high as it will go. Wait for the engine to warm up and the thermostat to open, this takes a surprising length of time from cold. Large bubles will then appear and hopefully at that point once u switch off and top up with more fluidu will have expelled all air, you may need to do this more than once. Have you found the bleed screw/bolt?

[T-Cut]

This is my latest revision: http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=55585&highlight=diagnostic+mode+simplified

The original (above) is closed to me, so it would be great if a mod would update the closed version to this one.

Regarding the coolant loss, the common leaky spots on the 1.8 are well listed throughout the forum. It's absolutely vital that any leak is fixed asap. These engines hold very little coolant and cannot afford to lose a drop.That's why HGF follows them around like a dark cloud. But it's not inevitable if you take the trouble to watch the coolant like a hawk - both the level and the temperature (you'll soon learn about the gauge).

TC

[stevenicks]

Hi Bob and welcome to what is an excellent and very helpful club. The best advice I can give you is to check your coolant on a weekly basis and top up if required, it is literally a two minute job. I have now been doing this for the last six months or so as I tend to lose a little coolant (from where I don't know) and it is now so routine I don't even think of it as a chore.

Regards
Steve.

[Bodger24]

Wow! this really is the place for help.

I don't suppose Radweld has a place in this modern world?:confused:

[Grumpy1]

Wow! this really is the place for help.

I don't suppose Radweld has a place in this modern world?:confused:
I don't think you'll find many, if any, in this club will recommend any sort of coolant additive Bob (apart from anti-freeze of course). Sorry!

Chad.

[kaiser]

The simplest advice is to check this cooling system VERY often.
I have fitted a sight glass on my expansion bottle, so I can see at a glance.

The temperature gauge will only move off MED at 115 degrees, it is designed that way, and that is as useful as painting the thing on the dash.

These cars are in the habit of loosing coolant from T-pieces, water pumps, inlet manifolds and many other places.

If you want to avoid problems, check, often!

That is the first thing anyone should know when driving these.

[SD1too]

When you bleed the system make sure you are running the heating on max ..
This is not necessary. The heater temperature controls have no effect upon coolant flow through the matrix.
... elevate the filler bottle ...
Raising the expansion tank is only specified by MG Rover for the KV6 engine.

Here is MG Rover's filling procedure for the 1.8:


Release clip & disconnect hose from bleed valve.
Connect suitable tubing to bleed valve and blow through to ensure that bleed valve pin is not sticking.
Reconnect hose to bleed valve and secure with clip.
Remove bleed screw.
Fill cooling system keeping coolant level at neck of expansion tank until a steady stream is emitted from the bleed screw hole. Refit bleed screw.
Continue filling until level remains static at expansion tank neck.
Switch off air conditioning (to prevent cooling fan from running continuously).
Run engine at 1500 - 2500 rpm filling tank as necessary to maintain level just below neck. When level starts to rise, fit expansion tank cap.
Continue running engine at specified speed until cooling fan starts, then reduce to idle until it stops. [In practice, the engine may not get hot enough to trigger the fan, in which case maintaining normal temperature for a few minutes should suffice].
When engine is cold, top-up level to 'MAX' marker inside tank. You may have to do this two or three times after a journey before the level eventually stabilises.


Initially check the level after every journey when the engine is cold. If it drops below 'MIN' consistently, look for a leak.

Also, check that your cooling fan's slow speed is working by starting the engine from cold and pressing the windscreen 'demist' button on the air conditioning control panel. Is the radiator fan running?

You should start using your air con. at least once a month all the year round. If you don't, the refrigerant gas will be lost.

Oops, almost forgot; do not use Radweld, Steel Seal or any similar product. They have been shown to block the heater matrix and even the oil cooler (on KV6 engines).

Simon

[Bodger24]

:) Thanks people.

Bled the cooling system as advised, took me half hour to find the bleed screw and another half an hour to work out how to bend my arm in 3 places to reach it!! Bit worrying running engine without cap and watching coolant pouring out and it seemed to take a lifetime before the thermostat opened. Topped up last night when the engine was cold.

No swishing and glugging noises this morning, just need to get the 'check engine light reset' and fingers crossed.

Cheers

Bob

[SD1too]

:Bit worrying running engine without cap and watching coolant pouring out ..
Hmmm. Are you saying that when you started the engine with the coolant level at the neck of the expansion tank, the coolant was forced out? If so, for how long did this happen and about how much coolant do you think you lost?
... and it seemed to take a lifetime before the thermostat opened.
Can you expand on this? How did you know when the thermostat opened from your position standing in front of the expansion tank?

Simon

[kaiser]

That could just be normal, after all there is a reason why there is a cap on the system!!:D.
When the water gets hot, it expands. If the lid is not on, it will overrun.
Don't worry about that yet (if at all), rev the engine to get all the bubbles out, while somebody fills. When you can't get more in it, tighten the cap.

Take it for a short run around the block.

Let it cool, and check again when cold.

Top up every time before you use it, and see if you get a steady state between MIN and MAX, when cold.

And then keep an eye on it.

My guess is you might be loosing water slowly. T-piece, inlet manifold, water pump are favourite places for water loss.

[Bodger24]

Nope

Still water sloshing about in the system when the car is started from cold. And I am still losing coolant so I think this is one for the professionals.

Bob

[4potRed]

So Bodger after approx. 3 weeks of ownership the car started to leak coolant, was temporarily fixed by the supplying garage, but now at 5 weeks has started to leak again.

My advice would be to take your car to one of the established experts on here for them to give an opinion on whether the car was sold with a known problem and whether it is the "temp" fix that occured 2 weeks ago that has now failed or if there are deeper problems. This will give you real information to ensure the garage properly address the cars issue/s or allow you to make an informed decision on how to get you back to reliable motoring.

I had a similar experience with my own 2003 1.8 auto soon after I bought it and now wish I had taken the car up to Lates or similar for an assessment of what had been supplied to me by a trading garage.

Hopefully as Kaiser posted it may just be a leaking pipe or Tee junction.

If you do not use the car for a couple of days do you lose coolant, have you removed the undertray to see any loss, was there any evidence of K seal (gold partcles) or Radweld (Red Staining) in the water that you flushed from the system or when looking into the coolant resevoir and lastly what colour is the antifreeze?

[Bodger24]

Some days it leaks, others it doesn't. No sign of any additives in the coolant. In fact with the amount of water I have put in there is no sign of antifreeze either! When I can get to the bottom of the problem I will then have the correct coolant mixture added.
I have used the same garage for years so at this point I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

Cheers

Bob

[SD1too]

... I am still losing coolant so I think this is one for the professionals.
You're already in the right place then Bob! ;) We are the professionals here in this club because we specialise in knowing the 75 & ZT in detail. Please answer the questions we have put to you. If you take your car to a garage they will tell you that your head gasket has gone as soon as they see the Rover badge. Now we haven't ruled this out yet, but we are considering the evidence as you disclose it and making logical deductions based on our knowledge and experience.

So, is there pink staining around the expansion tank cap suggesting that the coolant is being ejected from it?

Simon

[Bodger24]

Simon

No, all nice and clean and coolant level just at max today but I have only done about 8 miles today

[Bodger24]

Wierd! No loss of coolant at all today but I can still hear the water sloshing around when I start the engine from cold. What on earth is going on?

Bob

[kaiser]

You most likely have an air-lock (from a leak in the cooling system, most likely, or an incomplete re-fill last time it was filled. The last option is rather unlikely, I fear).
With the car cold, the lid off the expansion box, try and squeeze the big rubber pipes of the cooling system rapidly and watch the level in the expansion box. If it drops, it has dislodge and air bubble somewhere. Top up, or even "over top":D and see where it is next time the car cools down.


Alternatively your hearing aid is on max, and the earpiece is giving you a feed-back loop!!:D

[Bodger24]

Believe me I don't need a hearing aid to get a feed back loop. I think you are right, there must be air in the system somewhere. I managed to get hold of a MG Rover Technical Bulletin sheet so I will give it another go. Happy days!"

Bob

[klickmarket]

With the car cold, the lid off the expansion box, try and squeeze the big rubber pipes of the cooling system rapidly and watch the level in the expansion box.

I have done the above every time i needed to change coolant in the Rover 75
It works every time, and stops the sloshing.
I usually monitor the coolant level for 15 minutes or till the temp gauge goes up to Normal.

Any subsequent coolant loss will be due to leaks,.. but no air locks will be present..unless the thermostat is failed closed.

klixck

[Bodger24]

I really thought I had cracked it this time! 5 days with no loss, no sloshing around when the engine was cold and then - a 100 mile trip to Weston Super Mare and it lost a litre! Luckily I was able to top it up but on the return trip with slightly warmer air temperature outside the car lost no coolant at all! Could it be something simple like a cap which fails to seal every time? If so how can I check it? Is it still possible to get new caps? Questions, questions questions.

Cheers

Bob

[SD1too]

Could it be something simple like a cap which fails to seal every time?
Yes. I tighten mine as much as I possibly can by hand. The internal vent valve may also be faulty.
Is it still possible to get new caps?
Yes. If you haven't already renewed it, that might be a good idea.

Simon

[75lpg]

Hi , has this problem been diagnosed as i am having similar problem in that i am losing coolant but i thinkm it is being forsed out of expanshion filler cap .... could this be faulty cap or engine gases escaping into coolant and raising preasure thus forsing out via filler cap ??? kind regaurds Mike .:confused:

[klickmarket]

Mike,

You know not to overfill the radiator dont you, as it will chuck out water until it gets back to the correct level which is about 10mm above the plastic fins.
use a torch and you should be able to see the "FULL" mark.

There is not much "play" room between full and the fins, so needs keeping an eye on regular.

[dattrike]

Here's what I did with my 1.8T (original Idea by steve0)
.

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k636/dattrike/DSCF3029_zpsf2a9d8b6.jpg (http://s1119.photobucket.com/user/dattrike/media/DSCF3029_zpsf2a9d8b6.jpg.html)

.
http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k636/dattrike/DSCF3027_zps58da88ec.jpg (http://s1119.photobucket.com/user/dattrike/media/DSCF3027_zps58da88ec.jpg.html)

.
http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k636/dattrike/DSCF3038_zps056726e7.jpg (http://s1119.photobucket.com/user/dattrike/media/DSCF3038_zps056726e7.jpg.html)

The coolant tank is from a VW polo (the bottom outlet points towards the nearside of the car, cheap ebay level sensor fitted), I have since changed to the black cap as the blue one was venting at too low a pressure. I still have to top up very occasionally as my hoses are not new.
It has made checking a simple matter of opening the bonnet and looking at the level. I have also replaced the radiator and air con condenser because of this:

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k636/dattrike/DSCF3030_zps431c194d.jpg (http://s1119.photobucket.com/user/dattrike/media/DSCF3030_zps431c194d.jpg.html)

now looks like this:

http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k636/dattrike/DSCF3181_zpsf335d491.jpg (http://s1119.photobucket.com/user/dattrike/media/DSCF3181_zpsf335d491.jpg.html)

Hope it helps, only expensive parts were the rad and condenser about £100 I think. Have since done nearly 2500 miles with no problems.(tempting fate)

[klickmarket]

dattrike (http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/member.php?u=11664)

nice mod, well done. !!

I assume that you now have a closed system radiator, as the thin pipe going to your new header tank used to go into the top of the original radiator. which hade a hole to suit...yours seems to terminate at the header tank.

If i was going to try a mod with the original radiator, and an extra header tank a bit different to yours, do you think i could get away with putting the header tank in-line on the same hose.

What i mean is cut the thin hose, and fit a header tank between the open/cut ends.
it seems quite logical to me, it would let me know i still had coolant fluid by on a visual check, and i could fit a warning switch to the tank, and a light in the cab !
seems too easy .. so there must be a snag ...LOL.

[dattrike]

dattrike (http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/member.php?u=11664)

nice mod, well done. !!

I assume that you now have a closed system radiator, as the thin pipe going to your new header tank used to go into the top of the original radiator. which hade a hole to suit...yours seems to terminate at the header tank.

If i was going to try a mod with the original radiator, and an extra header tank a bit different to yours, do you think i could get away with putting the header tank in-line on the same hose.

What i mean is cut the thin hose, and fit a header tank between the open/cut ends.
it seems quite logical to me, it would let me know i still had coolant fluid by on a visual check, and i could fit a warning switch to the tank, and a light in the cab !
seems too easy .. so there must be a snag ...LOL.

All I did was extend the pipes so it's the same as the original (see pic 2).
I moved my header tank to increase volume and also to raise the header slightly above the head gasket, so a drop in level will hopefully keep coolant around the head for a while in the event of a leak.

If you put another header in the thin pipe I think it may empty when the engine cools down and the coolant volume decreases.
Hopefully a cooling expert can confirm.
.

[Bodger24]

Mike,

You know not to overfill the radiator dont you, as it will chuck out water until it gets back to the correct level which is about 10mm above the plastic fins.
use a torch and you should be able to see the "FULL" mark.

There is not much "play" room between full and the fins, so needs keeping an eye on regular.
Still makes no sense I am afraid. I can go for days without any coolant loss, and then lose half a litre on a 16 mile round trip! I am going to change the 'O' rings on the filler cap first and then see how it goes. I have never seen signs of leakage around the filler cap but then I have not seen signs of leakage anywhere! I still love this car dearly but nothing about it seems easy. 40 odd years a soldier was a doddle compared to being a Rover 75 owner.

Ho Hum

[klickmarket]

Bodger,

There are only so many things that can cause your problem, and eliminating them 1 by 1 will catch it.

we can check them off 1 by 1 but the low speed fan may be your problem... if not then we can look at other probs.

1. is radiator fan coming on at the correct time/temp.
The low 2-speed fan ( after 2003 ) often suffers from resistor failure, and fails to come on at the correct temp. It is a quiet fan , whereas the high speed fan sounds like a plane taking off...loud...and the failed resistor can be replaced for around 20 quid. fairly cheaply with a kit from "JULES"
link below:
http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=68336&highlight=jules+resistor

reason:
If you are travelling fairly fast with air going through the rad, then it wont lose water, but if stuck in traffic the fan will fail to come on and it will expel water through the rad cap and you may not notice it ... but the 2nd stage fan will come on too late to avoid some coolant loss.

you can check low speed fan this way:

from T-CUT
The standard slow speed fan test is to have the cold engine on tickover and press the DEMIST button. This invokes the aircon system, which invokes the slow speed fan. It should start straight away and run continuously. If that doesn't happen, and the high speed starts after a short while, then pulses off-on-off-on every 30 seconds, the the slow speed has failed an a new slow speed resistor is usually required.


Chechk the low speed fan, and give us a shout

klick

[klickmarket]

Mike and Bodger...

Dont forget that the rad cap is a pressure relief valve which is designed to allow fluid out if the system is overheating. or over filled.
The rad is FULL when you see the mark in the rad FULL ....( i think )
It is the valve that saves all the hoses and gaskets blowing out due to over-pressure due to too much heat.
Coolant will come out if you overfill it above the full mark in side the radiator when it is cold.

[Bodger24]

Klickster

Thanks for the advice. The slow speed fan seems to be working fine, came on straight away. Left it on for about 5 minutes then switched off the demister and left the engine running for 20 minutes, waiting for the high speed fan but this never came on and the engine did not overheat. Still no sign of a leak. However the water (not wasting money at this stage on anti-freeze!) can be heard sloshing around in the system again when the engine is started from cold.

Bob

[klickmarket]

Bob,

Thats good if your fans are working as they should..
so now what ?

1.Are you getting any steam out of the exhaust,
2.could the water pump be leaking
3.could your thermostat be sticking closed ( been known to happen on any engine ) and could cause intermittent overheating.
4. is the rad cap working as it should.
5. Any water leaks / steam when idling hot.

first 5 things to look for ....

I once had a pin hole in a radiator fin which opened up when the car was hot and under pressure, and closed up again when pressure dropped.
I was lucky to find it as it stopped 2-3 seconds after i lifted the bonnet. but had actually been leaking for weeks.

klickster

[Bodger24]

Klickster Quite a list!

1. No steam out of exhaust apart from normal when cold
2. If the water pump is leaking, where would it be leaking to? There are no damp patches under the car.
3. The thermostat may be sticking but how can I test this?
4. The radiator cap looks ok, but there is a residue on it that looks like copper metallic paint! I will still try changing the seals but they look in fair condition.
5. I can see no signs of water leaks at all.

Can the cooling system of a Vauxhall Vectra1.8 Ecotec engine be transplanted into a Rover 75? I hardly ever had to look at the coolant in mine in 8 years!!!

Cheers Bob

If things don't change they will stay as they are.

[klickmarket]

Bob,

The copper could probably be "BARS LEAKS" which is a radiator/ water leak compound for use in engines to plug leaks.
http://www.amazon.com/Bars-1109-Liquid-Copper-Radiator/dp/B002PX91OG

That would imply that someone has put that in to sort a prior leak, which is only partially working
Seems like you have "Half a Leak" now...but god knows where, as the stuff is probably acting then failing depending on pressure/ heat etc.

It is not recommended by most people as a proper repair should be done, but some people might use it to hide a leak when selling.

Only way to sort that would be to wash it out, and then fix the real leak, but that is a definite pain in the A*se

Gordon

[Bodger24]

Gordon

What you say is very interesting, I have only had the car a few weeks so it is quite possible that the previous seller put in an additive. I have heard of Radweld but not Bars Leaks. I got the car for a good price but there are obvious signs that it has not been well maintained - no sign of lubrication on anything!
I think I will wait until I have given her a good run and then dash out and look under the bonnet to see if anything is leaking.

We seem to be getting closer to the problem not - The game is afoot!

Cheers

Bob

[4potRed]

4PotRed wrote:14/07/13
"was there any evidence of K seal (gold partcles) or Radweld (Red Staining) in the water that you flushed from the system or when looking into the coolant resevoir"

Bodger 24 wrote: 14/08/13
"No sign of any additives in the coolant"

Bodger 24 wrote:28/08/13
"4. The radiator cap looks ok, but there is a residue on it that looks like copper metallic paint! I will still try changing the seals but they look in fair condition."





As this additive has suddenly appeared in the expansion tank then a blockage/seal created by the "additive" has been removed creating firstly the potential for a leak and secondly an increase in the flow rate as the thermostat opens, possibly both.
With these symptoms and now you have found a useful leak marker {metallic film}, you need to check as previously suggested, the intake manifold, thermostat and the water pump areas. This is not easy due to the engine layout if you are not familiar with the telltale areas. That is why I suggested you have a third party who is knowledgeable about these cars and the k series engine, take a look to see if there were EXISTING problems before you took on the ownership.

Please take a look at the plastic thermostat housing which sits below the intake manifold and follow the integrated plastic pipe which then inserts into a black metal water pipe, (running away from the timing gear end)check here for a leak or history of staining.There should also be an o ring present here, which was missing on mine!
The metal pipe should be secured to the block using 2 bolted brackets if these are missing or not secured movement will occur and the plastic/metal junction become insecure under different conditions of engine speed and heat build up.


Background reading for you. Knowledge is power.

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=36562&highlight=radweld

[Bodger24]

Apparently the inlet manifold was 'bent like a banana' a common problem according to my local garage. Changed now, lets hope this does the trick.

[rgeoff]

Hi bodger,
If someone has added any sort of sealant to the cooling system, probably to mask the fault enough to sell the car, then the chances are that you have a partially blocked heater matrix ( radiator ).

This will be the slushing sound you are hearing on start up. its trapped air in the radiator.

Get your garage to bypass the heater and see if that cures the problem.

There will probably be an underlying problem though, which will be the reason for the sealant in the first place.

[Bodger24]

Early days yet but the sloshing seems to have gone away thanks. You are probably right about the previous owner but my garage has flushed the additive out. Today was the perfect day for testing the climate control and it seems fine. The garage owner has owned several 75's and is a big fan, he seems to know the score. I can now concentrate on gliding down the road in the luxury of my dream car!

[Delta7]

Apparently the inlet manifold was 'bent like a banana' a common problem according to my local garage. Changed now, lets hope this does the trick.


Hi, do you mean the inlet manifold gasket? How much am I looking at to get one change please folks? Is there one of you experts local to Middlesex area willing to take a look at mine as my local mechanic said exactly what was mentioned, saw it was a Rover mentioned about the K series engine and said it would be a head gasket which is expensive I feel?

[SD1too]

Hi Delta 7,

It's best to start your own thread, particularly when 1.8 head gaskets are mentioned. Otherwise it gets very confusing when replies to two different cars get jumbled up! ;)

Simon

[Bodger24]

It was the inlet manifold itself that was changed. Amazingly it is made out of plastic!! Mine was used and it cost £150 for the part, fitting and an MOT. Sloshing gone now but still having to top up the system daily. Even the Romans managed to make a watertight seal with their ships. MG Rover seam to have lost a couple of thousand years of technological expertise!! Perhaps I can make a gasket set from some old rope and tar!!

[SD1too]

... but still having to top up the system daily.
After refilling the cooling system in my KV6 I find that a small top-up is required after the first three journeys, but after that it's stable.

Simon

[kaiser]

After refilling the cooling system in my KV6 I find that a small top-up is required after the first three journeys, but after that it's stable.

Simon

I agree. Which just goes to show that the system is indeed selfbleeding.
Trapped air will end up in the expansion box, and top ups are required.

[Bodger24]

Self bleeding? This is the haemophiliac of cars! It seems intent on bleeding itself to death! I love this car dearly but I cant remember having to top up my old Vectra in 8 years!! What worries me is that if it loses approx 200 ml on a local journey, what on earth would happen if I decided to take a trip to visit my sister in Brittany?

[SD1too]

Bob,

How many times have you topped up the expansion tank after the garage refilled the cooling system?

Simon

[Bodger24]

Hi Simon. 6 out of 7 mornings now, the only day that it did not need topping up was when it had not been used the day before.

[SD1too]

Hmm, it does sound as if you've got a leak somewhere.

Simon

[guru]

Help! I am new to this Rover 75 thing, It has been my dream car since I saw the first TV ads but sadly out of my reach at the time.
Confession time. For the last 8 years I have been the proud owner of a 2000 Vauxhall Vectra. Apart from one O2 sensor and a stuck brake caliper it was ultra reliable. When I finally parted with it it was showing 180.000 miles on the clock (130.000 of them done by me) but the 1.8 Ecotec enngine still purred along and fuel economy was amazing.
I had just had a full service on the Vectra when I saw a 2003 Rover 75 1.8 Tourer with only 80.000 miles on the clock on the forecourt priced at £795. I couldn't believe my luck, it was love at first sight. I dashed home and collected the wife and we returned for a viewing. It was bye bye Vectra, hello Rover!
For the first couple of weeks we glided along in pure luxury reveling in the sheer beauty of the thing but then the engine management light came on. Then the cooling fan developed teenage tendencies and came on whenever it felt like it - irrespective of whether the engine was hot or cold! Stuck in road works the red light came on and the needle shot up but luckily we started moving quickly after and the temp stabilized.
When I got home It took nearly a litre of water to top it up! This is more that I put in my Vectra in 8 years. Having one hell of a time now getting rid of the air in the system. The last time I had this problem was on a 1969 Series 2a Landrover (Bless!)
Took it back to the garage who plugged in the diagnostics and said it was showing a fault in the O2 sensor but a new one had been fitted within the last 6 months. The fault was cleared and it ran beautifully for another 3 weeks - "cracked it" we thought. Just as we thought that thought on it came again and the cooling fan has developed a major strop again. Does anyone have any idea what's going on? The car drives well but it is thirsty. It is showing none of the usual signs of head gasket failure.
We still love the car though, it's like driving around in your living room.

Cheers Bob

Sorry to join this thread late, only just spotted it but if you bought the car from a dealer then they have an obligation to repair the fault and if they can't do that refund your money. Have you asked them to fix it?

[Bodger24]

Is Jeremy Beadle actually dead? No water loss for 3 days now, I think that Beadle is still about!

[Bodger24]

8 months after I bought the car I have finally found out why there has been a constant problem with coolant loss. The previous owner obviously had a crack in the block somewhere and decided to pop in some K Seal and move the problem to someone else - Namely me! This January my engine dumped all of it's coolant, an event which did not seem to bother the temperature gauge one bit! The engine got so hot it burnt through part of the wiring loom and trashed the alternator. It also cooked the engine better than Jamie Oliver could have dreamed of. Green flag towed the car to my favoured garage eventually, after trying to convince me the car was scrap and I should get a new one (The tow truck driver just happened to know somewhere where I could get a bargain). One second hand engine, a new alternator & towing charges took the cost to just over £1000. Suddenly it is no longer a cheap car. I should have smelt a rat when I saw the flecks of copper in the header tank!
Now it seems to run fine but I am still constantly checking and topping up the coolant. Some days it uses none, one day recently it used two thirds of a litre! Where does it go!
Why oh why do I still love this car when it is far less reliable than my Vectra. In fact it is less reliable than the Lada estate I had in the 90's

[SD1too]

Now it seems to run fine but I am still constantly checking and topping up the coolant. Some days it uses none, one day recently it used two thirds of a litre! Where does it go!
The garage most likely won't have bled the cooling system according to MG Rover's procedure. Also Bob, activate the instrument pack diagnostics to check your actual coolant temperature. Also check your radiator fan operation using the demist test.

... it is far less reliable than my Vectra. In fact it is less reliable than the Lada estate I had in the 90's
It's not the car's fault, it's down to poor service and maintenance. Too many bodgers around (not you!) and garages who don't know what they're doing. :D

Simon