Coolant problem..got me puzzled

[silverfoxcc]

The V70 D5 is starting to lose coolant,but it isnt consistent and the symptoms have got me foxed, even the Volvo forum cant answer it, so before i get raped by the main stealer i put it to the forum to consider

First of all even when the car has been left overnight and cooled right down, when i release the filler cap the system is still 'pressurised' and 'hisses'

The system has been topped up by running the car up to temp, removing cap and filling to max. It then stays a this level for up to a fortnight. THEN i get the coolant low warning and check the header tank and see the coolant has 'dissappeared, but on releasing cap the water bubbles up to the previous level and only a small drop is need to get it to level.
Other days the water goes in a few days. Driving is a mixture of local and 40 mile runs



So WTF could it be, it hadnt lost a drop in the four years previously.

Dodgy filler cap? get it pressured tested. Dont think it is a head gasket prob, no drips/leaks from water pump. no oil in water and no water in oil, no sludge on oil filler cap. in effect i am buggered what it could be

Any thoughts?

[400SE Dave]

I always thought that pressure build up was start of head gasket issues??

No sign of oil in water or vice versa??

Heater matrix on its way out perhaps?? Any wet carpet insode the car??

[morgrp]

Even with a dodgy headgasket (which is very rare on those engines) they soldier on for years like it, so good is the cooling system design as they are largely self bleeding. - What is common is for the cap to fail/crack and cause boiling in the head - its a serious problem and need quick attention - Call volvo, order a new one and try that first - make sure it is the correct Kpa rating for your engine. Additionally, are the radiator and heater matrix ok - if they are leaking you will loose a small amount of coolant but also risk an air blockage which could well be causing your symptoms - Its really a diagnostic exercise to work out what is happening - HG failure is often shown up by the following symtpoms, Poor heater performance, discoloured (dark) coolant, sooty deposits in the header tank, temperature fluctuation (on the dial) whilst driving.

A pressure test is easy to do yourself:

From cold, remove the expansion cap and replace it.
Start the car and give it lots of revs and shut it off.
Immediately return to the expansion cap and VERY slowly remove it, whilst doing this, get your ear nice and close and listen any "hisses" as you remove it - it can be very slight so you have to listen hard. Any hiss will indicate a pressure build up and this could indicate HG failure is on the horizon.

[silverfoxcc]

Forgot to add

The temp gauge hits normal and stays there no movement up/down at all during running

i'll try the HG test tomorrow, car 'shut down' at 21.15 tonight so will give it 12 hrs before checking and update here

[silverfoxcc]

Follow up

Got one of those 'we visit you' guys round today, after a telephone conversation whereby he,like several others, siad never heard of a D5 gasket going


So the fitter turns up

He tested the coolant with a sort of water pump that detects exhaust gas in the water

Result Clear

Did a pressure test.. No problems found


Checked oil all clean and no sludge
Checked water no oil present
Checked filler cap no sludge

Plugged diagnostic in no faults fund


Claimed it might be the thermostat either shut open or closed??????

Advised him temp gauge goes to normal and stays there, so i would doubt that would be the problem

Then said that as there was some oil trace near the water pump
That could be the problem and pump needs changing as the oil would contamniate the timing belt causing it to fail

pointed out water does circulate in header tank and coupled with no nasty noises from pump would imagine all is ok at present


I ent inside for my glasses on return was greeted with

I have spoken to our Volvo tech and he said Def Had Gasket problem as there are locating dowels between cyls 4/5 or 3/4 not sure what he did say, and whilst this will cause coolant loss due to pressure it is a situation whereby the water test doesnt find any trace of gas
(now there is a surprise)

Bottom line

850 plus Vat thank you


Now i am doing a second opinion her, nut several D5 owners say that it doesnt sound like a HG problem and might even be a dodgy cap!!
So any othe D5 owners or techies pass any comments and also know any decent Indies in the Reading Slough Camberley Area?

Is 850 plus vat a bit of a try on, esp as the guy did a diagnosis by phone

BTW i am geeting too long in the tooth for a DIY although 20 years ago i would have been up for it

[morgrp]

Told you to stick a new cap on it first - the s60/v70 is also known for radiator problems design fault on the rad - they are very hard to check for leaks because they are sandwiched between the intercooler, aircon cooler etc - my rad went on my c70 - lost water but with no visible signs - that "mobile mechanic" sounds like a clueless tt

[Hainey]

I've never heard of a D5 eat it's head gasket. Ever

[silverfoxcc]

Thanks,
will get a replacement cap and see what happens

[crossy67]

[quote=silverfoxcc]

First of all even when the car has been left overnight and cooled right down, when i release the filler cap the system is still 'pressurised' and 'hisses'

/quote]

Unless the hiss you're hearing is air rushing in you must either have pixies pressurising your coolant system or you have a leaky head gasket or cracked block/head.

If you have water and air in a sealed system and heat it it will expand, when it cools down it will return to it's original size, no pressure.

[zoki930]

silverfoxcc said:

The V70 D5 is starting to lose coolant,but it isnt consistent and the symptoms have got me foxed, even the Volvo forum cant answer it, so before i get raped by the main stealer i put it to the forum to consider

First of all even when the car has been left overnight and cooled right down, when i release the filler cap the system is still 'pressurised' and 'hisses'

The system has been topped up by running the car up to temp, removing cap and filling to max. It then stays a this level for up to a fortnight. THEN i get the coolant low warning and check the header tank and see the coolant has 'dissappeared, but on releasing cap the water bubbles up to the previous level and only a small drop is need to get it to level.
Other days the water goes in a few days. Driving is a mixture of local and 40 mile runs



So WTF could it be, it hadnt lost a drop in the four years previously.

Dodgy filler cap? get it pressured tested. Dont think it is a head gasket prob, no drips/leaks from water pump. no oil in water and no water in oil, no sludge on oil filler cap. in effect i am buggered what it could be

Any thoughts?

[zoki930]

Has the problem solved and how?

I have the same problem with the V60 D4 from 2012.
I changed the seal on the head(I repaired the engine head) and the problem has not yet been removed

[silverfoxcc]

zoki

No three years alter still the same. although the water loss is getting a bit more regular.

I have spoken to my local ! well he is 70 miles away but doies a good job, and he is as puzzled as me. Thinks it may bea small pin hole somwhere, but needs to check it,Was due to have new engine mounts before the next MOT and a injector wsshers has just failed, the engine sounds like Thomas the Tank engine chuffing away. Will do all three together. It has done 204K so just run in according to some sources!!
once i have it looked at will update. The other ting could be a miniscule warp on the head..again needs to come off to confirm ,but i would rather trust him that one of the 'We visit you' franchises..

[cgcgames]

I know this is an older thread, However this is the only thread I have found that sounds like the exact problem I have been having with my 2010 V60 D3. For the last year it has gotten progressively worse.

I took it into the volvo garage about 6 months ago for them to tell me that nothing is wrong. I seem to be getting a weird pressure build up, causing my coolant level to drop well below the minimum, However as soon as I release the cap when cold its all the way back up to the max line.

I have ordered a new cap to see if that helps to solve the issue, but was wondering if your issue was ever found out in the end?

What seems to be weird to me is it looks like a low pressure build up (as in air rushing in when opening the cap instead of releasing pressure).

Edited by cgcgames on Tuesday 16th July 10:17

[silverfoxcc]

Completely forgot about this thread !!!!!

What happened?

Last year took it to my not so local very friendly Volvo indie and told him it was getting on my nerves, could he have a look at it.

It WAS a blown head gasket and has run for three yeears with no problems!! Plus 1000 for volvo diesel engines

New gasket problem solved.