Weird Water Issue

[rver75v6]

Hi Guys just wanted to know if anyone else had experienced the same thing and if it is normal????

ROVER 75 X REG 2001 2.5 V6 CLASSIC SE AUTOMATIC

First of all about 2 weeks ago the temperature on my car went past the nine o clock position and i pulled over left it too cool got home and let it cool down and checked water it was virtually empty so topped it back up just onto max mar and called the AA next day booked it in found out it was thermostat seal on housing so let the garage replace the housing and all seals.

Then got it back and noticed that when i had done a few miles lets say 50 but this varies i checked water and again it had fell below minimum line so topped up and didnt take much less than a cup full but no overheating issue just randomly checking water.

I then drove for a few days noticed again i had lost about half a cup this time and again topped it up and did this another 2 times over a period of a week or so.

Took car back had system pressure tested all was fine they could not see any wet areas on the engine and thermostat housing was dry as a bone.

They then said your cap is the problem on header tank so bought one and swapped that left it 2 days did about 100 miles and again fell below minimum line so topped up with about half a cup of water again and that got it too max line.

I seem to have to keep adding half a cup or so just wondered if this was normal.

NO WET AREAS ON ENGINE
NO LOSE OR LEAKING PIPES
RADIATOR LOOKS OK
THERMOSTAT HOUSING REPLACED
PRESSURE TESTED FINE
CAP PRESSURE TESTED FINE

Very weird and just wondered if i was doing something wrong or if this is a common issue maybe?

If i am doing something wrong please tell me lol

Just thought all you Rover 75 Buffs would know better than the garage :)

THANKS IN ADVANCE GUYS

[risk30uk]

My experience has been airlocks (also on 2.5 auto). The previous owner had changed the bottom hose, and not refilled in the correct manner to eliminate airlocks, all seemed ok on the run home when I collected her, then subsequently the started temp rose and fell quickly out of the blue - after second episode it seemed to take loads of water and let air out thro' bleed screw. The irony now is that now airlocks have gone, i need to drain the lot out to replace the antifreeze, but properly this time!

[rver75v6]

I c thats a good possability i suppose however the car has just been serviced and by a reputable garage who put antifreeze in for me as far as temp gauge going up that happened 1 time before the thermo housing was changed has not happened again since but still losing around a cup full.

Will look into it though thanks

[Poppy]

I c thats a good possability i suppose however the car has just been serviced and by a reputable garage who put antifreeze in for me as far as temp gauge going up that happened 1 time before the thermo housing was changed has not happened again since but still losing around a cup full.

Will look into it though thanks



Dunno....:shrug: I have a 1.8........ But if it was on my engine..... I would be looking at the IMG. :shrug:

[rver75v6]

whats an img? sorry for being thick i am a techy not a mechanic lol

think i will go get some jubilees tomoz found some other posts regarding the clips being rubbish so will drain system and buy some decent anti freeze and replace all clips with jubilee clips then i will fill it back up and bleed if needed but then at least i know all pipes are secure lol

Had halfords look over engine and pressure test was fine and thermo housing and all seals been replaced also they couldn't find a leak but if its a small spray from a pipe junction i guess it would evaporate with engine heat so would not show a leak.

[Poppy]

whats an img? sorry for being thick i am a techy not a mechanic lol

think i will go get some jubilees tomoz found some other posts regarding the clips being rubbish so will drain system and buy some decent anti freeze and replace all clips with jubilee clips then i will fill it back up and bleed if needed but then at least i know all pipes are secure lol

Had halfords look over engine and pressure test was fine and thermo housing and all seals been replaced also they couldn't find a leak but if its a small spray from a pipe junction i guess it would evaporate with engine heat so would not show a leak.



Hi. As i have said, i have a 1.8....:shrug: But the IMG is the inlet manifold at the back of the block.... On my engine, if the img...gasket goes, you tend to lose water but do not always see where from because it tends to run from back to front thus evaporating...:shrug: I honestly know nothing about a Kv6...:shrug: Just thought i would mention it in case ...:shrug:

[kaiser]

There are many places where the V6 looses water. IMG is good and OMG is too. The latter is not a gasket!:D

Surprised me there.;)

Have a search under my name, I have seen them. First is to check the thermostat, then the water pump, then the inside of the oil filler cap, and the IMG can indeed also cause problems on the V6, there are two of them.

The V6 can loose water internally as well, and that can be picked up by checking for mayonnaise under the oil filler cap.

Air lock is only if the system is not filled properly and a pocket of air remains in the cooling system. That is usually cured after a couple of running cycles where the engine has been up to temperature and then the cooling system topped up when cold.

The same thing really if you loose water. The difference is that there is a leak responsible for the air in the system, and that must be found.

Lastly the system is difficult to fill properly so take care and the temperature gauge is useless, it only moves out of the middle section when under 75 og over 115 degrees!

And, ueberlastly!! the cap should be replaced on the expansion tank, they go tired and let water out prematurely, and the operation of the fan should be verified.

Check!

[scouseeric]

Hiya John, in addition to the above advice, check the hose from the bottom of the expansion bottle and the pipework feeding the oil cooler. hth

Eric

[Scribbler.]

Hi there rver75v6, :} :) Had similar with my V6 2.5 auto, unless vacuum filled (which I've not used yet) it takes several days or perhaps well into the second week to lose all the various airlocks; meanwhile you have to top up daily. It is somewhat disquieting but, it does eventually settle down to the correct level, and having done so mine loses no coolant whatsoever. Been months now since I added any and my "Hans guage" never rises above 96c. not even in gridlock. :cool: Good luck and I hope it soon settles. Mike.

[SD1too]

Hello John,

For the V6 engine MG Rover specifies that the expansion tank should be raised during the venting process. I suspect that your garage may not have done this rendering the expulsion of air incomplete. In my experience this method works perfectly well so it should not be strictly necessary to use a vacuum device (although MG Rover does describe that method as well).

I would also recommend that you check the 'V' again for signs of coolant deposits. Sometimes it can appear as if the thermostat housing is leaking when the fault is actually with a seal in a nearby pipe.

Simon.

[kissifer1972]

Could it not just be that actually you are over-filling the water - quite commonly done. Don't need to fill the reservoir, all you need do is cover the little vanes that are quite a bit below the cap.

Have seen this a few times, owner over-fills, the pressure release does it's job and expels the excess coolant, so next time you look it's back down again?

Just a thought, may be nothing wrong with the car.

[Singvogel]

I have had similar experience to Scribbler.

On various engines I've seen it take several journeys at full working temperature for the level to settle down, and also for the heater to return to full efficiency.

After changing antifreeze my heater was very poor, so I tried turning the heater temp control from minimum to maximum a few time with the revs up about 2500.

All of a sudden the full heat came through. Maybe that'll help you.

[rver75v6]

Just to reply to everyone lol

The car has been back to garage

PRESSURE TESTED FINE
THE CAP PRESSURE TESTED FINE (NEW ONE)
NO SIGNS OF WET IN V NOW
NO SIGN OF LEAKS BUT STILL TAKING AROUND A CUP FULL ON DAILY INSEPCTION

I do a lot of short runs but i was advised to keep topping up it could be air still in the system so i guess time will tell

No wet on engine but thinking that if its such a small leak possability it is burning off when engine reaches temp.

Anyway will keep people updated hoping i get to the bottom of it as the car stand me at alot now had all housing and seals done had engine seal done when i got it it cost a alot of cash had a full £190 service and coolant flush 3 weeks ago and put new exhaust and 2 new tyres on car runs brill but water loss always bothers me no matter how small lol

Also in Jan want cam belt doing does anyone on here do them i am in Nottingham just wondered about cost and time to do it?

Cheers Guys for all your advice and help:)

[rver75v6]

The level i am working to so i can top up is

Just inside the header tank is 2 fins one says min and one says max

I fill until the coolant just covers the max fin i do not fill to top of the header tank although i suppose thats a common mistake.

When i check after using car and leaving for an hour or 2 too cool down if you like the coolant is below the min marker is this normal?

Thanks

[kissifer1972]

The level i am working to so i can top up is

Just inside the header tank is 2 fins one says min and one says max

I fill until the coolant just covers the max fin i do not fill to top of the header tank although i suppose thats a common mistake.

When i check after using car and leaving for an hour or 2 too cool down if you like the coolant is below the min marker is this normal?

Thanks
Sounds like you're doing it right to me.

Chris

[SD1too]

When I check after using car and leaving for an hour or 2 to cool down ... the coolant is below the min marker is this normal?
Not if it's happening regularly. Check the hose connection under the expansion tank for seepage (some members have experienced this).

Simon.

[rver75v6]

Thanks will check today

All the best and thanks for advice

[Typhoon190]

Also worth checking these.

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=43283&highlight=coolant+pipes

They are behind the radiator by the subframe. :}

Unfortunately I don't think they are available new, but a few members have had a go at replacements.

[rver75v6]

Right guys i think i am starting to find things out about this stupid water coolant leak.

I today topped the coolant back up again with red antifreeze.

I topped it up to max line and then drove to tescos and back around 2.5 mile return journey.

I let the car cool down left it ages around 4 hours and checked the levels again and found it had dropped to min mark again (Weird) However i looked around the top of the engine and around the header tank and it looked rather dry (weird) so nothing that looks untoward at the top of the engine and by this time it was dark so got a torch and pulled my self underneath and i could just about see the bottom of the header tank and the radiator and most of the pipes in that area.

There were a couple of drips on the big long pipe that goes right across the front of the radiator one side to the other but nothing above that pipe and there is a t piece pipe to the left of that pipe and that looked to have a couple of drips not big ones just enough to make out it was coolant it was exactly the same colour as the coolant in the engine so not coolant i have spilled topping it up.

Also there seems to be some red spray onto the radiator which seems quite a bit at the top and the lower down the radiator you go the less the spray marking is?

So there is odviously a leak somewhere around that area so just wondered if anyone had suffered the same thing and if they got to the bottom of it or is it going to be a case of stripping air box off and looking at the pipes i have a run to oxford friday so i want to sort it prior to that.

Also the cap that goes onto header tank has been replaced and the inner part the cap seals down to there is a little reservoir all the way round with a the little whole for when it pushed water out but all round that reservoir there is coolant so just wondering if the new cap isnt work and its being pushed out and then coming from overflow i am at a dead end any ideas would be greatley appreciated

Thanks

John

P.s. there is odviously a leak with the pink spray showing on rad so i think its when its under pressure or load it is spraying from a pipe but i am at my whits end with this now.

[bl52krz]

Hello John,

For the V6 engine MG Rover specifies that the expansion tank should be raised during the venting process. I suspect that your garage may not have done this rendering the expulsion of air incomplete. In my experience this method works perfectly well so it should not be strictly necessary to use a vacuum device (although MG Rover does describe that method as well).

I would also recommend that you check the 'V' again for signs of coolant deposits. Sometimes it can appear as if the thermostat housing is leaking when the fault is actually with a seal in a nearby pipe.

Simon.
Hi my son has a kv6 connie se, and is really a novice at repairs but he changed his coolant and had no problems, probably because he raised the header tank when he did it.One bolt to remove,thats all.

[SD1too]

Also there seems to be some red spray onto the radiator which seems quite a bit at the top and the lower down the radiator you go the less the spray marking is?
John,

Could it be the radiator itself which has a small hole? Is it possible to have another close look with the engine running? Have you checked the hose connection to the base of the expansion tank?
... just wondering if the new cap isn't working and it's being pushed out and then coming from overflow ...
Your expansion tank is light coloured (not black) isn't it John? If so, I don't believe it has an overflow which vents to the atmosphere.

Simon.

[rver75v6]

Hi There

Thanks for all responses

My header does have overflow little pipe

I HAVE NOW SORTED THE LEAK

It was as one member said the radiator it had seapage in places

Got new Radiator today fitted at the garage and now all seems ok so hope thats sorted it

Thanks for all help from everyone

John