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        General >> Problems >> Where's my water going?
        
(Message started by: Penguin on Mar 6^th, 2007, 2:06pm)

Title: Where's my water going?
Post by Penguin on Mar 6^th, 2007, 2:06pm

Hi all

I'm loosing water at quite an alarming rate in that the level has gone from max to below min in under two weeks but...

...there's no obvious source of a leak, there's no water in the engine oil or the gearbox oil, and the temperature guage has never not read normal.

I'm sending it to my garage this evening, is there anywhere where I should tell them to start looking?

Cheers

Penguin

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by Highlander on Mar 6^th, 2007, 2:15pm

Heater Matrix?
Head gasket?

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by Penguin on Mar 6^th, 2007, 2:27pm

Wouldn't I have an extremely high temperature if the head had gone?

Cheers

Penguin

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by the_boogeyman on Mar 6^th, 2007, 2:43pm

i just done my water pump on my cossie, it was leaking from the waterpump to the thermastate, i couldnt see it at all, but it was very clear when i got it all off, i done the water pump as well and now i have the heater working again which hasnt worked for about a year

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by jonnycab on Mar 6^th, 2007, 3:45pm

As Stuart says, the matrix is always a good place to look.

Check to see if the carpets are wet in both footwells :)

Also, I had a water leak a few weeks back & noticed there was a small stream of water running from underneath the header tank towards the screen wash tank.
On taking the header tank off there was a small crack on the underneath.
This the second Scorp I've owned which has suffered from this, so obviously it's a common problem.

It's worth checking out ;)

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by mr._floppy on Mar 6^th, 2007, 3:48pm

Losing less than a litre in a fortnight is a fairly slow rate, evidence of leakage will be evaporated by hot engine parts very quickly.

Check for dried white deposits around thermostsat housing, inlet manifold , Etc.

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by Spannerdemon on Mar 6^th, 2007, 5:13pm

Waterpump would be my favourite too.

The heat from the engine often conceals the point of the leak, making it difficult to see, as it evaporates as you're going along.

Try looking for it whilst the car is cooling. Take the engine tray off, and watch for drips. ;)

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by Highlander on Mar 6^th, 2007, 6:21pm

on 03/06/07 at 14:27:44, Penguin wrote:

Wouldn't I have an extremely high temperature if the head had gone?

Cheers

Penguin

Only if you're losing a lot of water, which you're not.

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by tintin on Mar 6^th, 2007, 6:59pm

yep, you need to catch it in the act..... first leak i had only happened in heavy traffic, hose under the n/s manifold expanded,

second one rad was leaking, but not when cold or hot, just for the few minutes during warm up....that was about a litre a month....was leaking from the seam, which seams quite common with the rads

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by pinto on Mar 6^th, 2007, 11:04pm

DOHC engine ?

Expect bad news on the HG - these are notorious for "untraceable" leaks as they often crack across the valve throats or somewhere in the combustion chamber of the head - water goes straight out the exhaust pipe.

EDIT: Should read your profile lol :)... cossies dont munch HG's like DOHCs can. Hope your mechanic comes up with good news

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by dogma on Mar 7^th, 2007, 12:06am

Hi mate, just a possability but is the water dissapeering after you top it up, could be a big air bubble like i had, when it finally cleared the expansion tank went from full to empty in a very short while, if you have a sort of curry smell when you turn the heating fan on it could be a leak inside the car like the other guys said :-[

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by Penguin on Mar 8^th, 2007, 12:05pm

Thanks for all your help. The winner was...

JonnyCab

With his inspired crack in the bottom of the header tank theory. Down at the garage a new header tank is being installed as I write this and the car will be back and functioning shortly.

Cheers

Penguin

Title: Re: Where's my water going?
Post by jonnycab on Mar 8^th, 2007, 1:29pm

Do I get a prize then ? ;D