15 replies to this topic

[jonlad]

Hi all, I have a diesel vw t4 which loses coolant from max to min over about 100miles. It's had a new rad and steel water pipe recently but all joints look ok and I can't see any leaks.

 

Before I go stripping it and re-assembling all the joints again, I wondered about radweld or a similar product.

 

My first reaction was no, I've heard the stories about blocking fluid pathways and causing overheating etc...

But wondered if anyone had first hand experience, good or bad!

 

Thanks in advance 

Jon

[slidehammer]

I have used K-Seal great stuff, on various cars including my daughter's Mini no issues with over heating, but I did make sure the systems were good to start with in terms of no crud in the system the leaks just stop. 

[dyshipfakta]

Nah I dont believe in it will do more harm then good would only use in something I was going to scrap before too long anyways. If you cant find the leak you can buy some uv dye stuff to help. Could be head gasket though with that kind of usage usually smell it on the exhaust

[r3k1355]

Yep best check the headgasket hasn't gone, any signs like bubbles in the expansion tank, mayo under the oil cap or over-pressurised hoses??

Edited by r3k1355, 20 May 2018 - 05:57 PM.

[jonlad]

No signs like that at all, I rather think it'll be a weep from the new pipe or rad or one of the hoses/sensors that I disturbed. I reckon the head gasket is fine, I've had my fair share of head gasket issues with other vehicles over the years so know what to look for.

 

This is more an annoying pinhole which is being hard to track down.

Edited by jonlad, 20 May 2018 - 06:20 PM.

[jonlad]

Great suggestion on the uv dye though, just found one on Amazon, might give it a go   

[dyshipfakta]

Great suggestion on the uv dye though, just found one on Amazon, might give it a go   

Pretty good stuff helped me find external head gasket leak on my mgf lit up like a Christmas tree

[CityEPete]

I had a caddy that used water, couldn't find it anywhere, had a professional pressure test done and still nothing.

The only thing we found was the expansion bottle cap didn't click closed everytime so we tried a new one for what they cost, solved it!

[CityEPete]

Great suggestion on the uv dye though, just found one on Amazon, might give it a go   

Pretty good stuff helped me find external head gasket leak on my mgf lit up like a Christmas tree

Head gasket on an MGF?

LOL :-D

[dyshipfakta]

Great suggestion on the uv dye though, just found one on Amazon, might give it a go   

Pretty good stuff helped me find external head gasket leak on my mgf lit up like a Christmas tree

Head gasket on an MGF?

LOL :-D

Yeah I had 3 headgaskets on the thing. called it a day after that and got rid. Never left me stranded though and the vvc engine was cracking.

[sonikk4]

This is going back a while but i used to run a Cav SRI. Used and abused but still trogged on. However it started to use water and very quickly. Now i knew the HG was ok so ruled that out, no sign of any water leaks anywhere on the car but a round trip of 100 miles would see the expansion bottle very empty. Heater ran fine, plenty of hot air, temperature gauge spot on???

 

Now this was starting to get very irksome and was on the point of throwing it at a garage when i happened to park the car up on the kerb outside my house with the engine running. By the time i had legged it into the house and came back to the car it was squealing like a stuck pig!!! Lifted the bonnet and looked down at the water pump and hey presto water was spouting out of the weep hole. At no point at any other time with the car on the level did it leave water marks, not a bloody drop. How i really don't know but there it was plain as day. One new pump later all was good. 

[nicklouse]

Hi all, I have a diesel vw t4 which loses coolant from max to min over about 100miles. It's had a new rad and steel water pipe recently but all joints look ok and I can't see any leaks.

 

Before I go stripping it and re-assembling all the joints again, I wondered about radweld or a similar product.

 

My first reaction was no, I've heard the stories about blocking fluid pathways and causing overheating etc...

But wondered if anyone had first hand experience, good or bad!

 

Thanks in advance 

Jon

which engine is it? and what age?

[nicklouse]

there are loads of plastic takeoffs from some of the blocks. 2.4D similar to the 2.5TDi (sorry no idead about the 1.9D or TDi

failed one on the left (with a get me to the garage fix)

so i would suggest a no rad weld but a full inspection.

[jonlad]

I had a caddy that used water, couldn't find it anywhere, had a professional pressure test done and still nothing.

The only thing we found was the expansion bottle cap didn't click closed everytime so we tried a new one for what they cost, solved it!

 

Hi Pete, the expansion bottle cap looked like it had been abused at some point with pipe grips, so was the first thing I tried replacing as I was worried it was cracked! unfortunately this didn't make any difference. 

 

there are loads of plastic takeoffs from some of the blocks. 2.4D similar to the 2.5TDi (sorry no idead about the 1.9D or TDi

 

 

failed one on the left (with a get me to the garage fix)

 

so i would suggest a no rad weld but a full inspection.

 

Its the 1.9TD ABL, and I know what you mean, there are loads of cooling system connections and takeoffs. Seems complicated for what is otherwise a very simple engine. I'm going to avoid the radweld type stuff for the time being despite the good review above and use the dye this weekend. at least it might give me an idea where to start looking. The joints on the NEW steel water pipe (metal to metal joints) don't look too clever but I'd expect to see the leak if it was from there.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions, I will let you know how I get on

[jonlad]

It's  leaking from the electric auxiliary water pump. The screws holding it together have turned into what looks like powdered cheesy wotsits and it's seeping from the joint in the pump housing. Time remove and see if we can repair it.