hard to find coolant leak

[archbone]

As a newcomer to the joys of the Elise (1999 S1 111S) I am still finding my way around the nooks and crannies of the car. Mine has developed a coolant leak of approx a pint every 150 miles. I have checked the immediately visible connections with no obvious leaks. Can any of you more experienced owners advise if there are are any well known but hidden places where leaks occur other than the dreaded head gasket which I have not ruled out!

[GKP]

If it's drinking that much without leaving tell tale puddles on the floor, then yes it could either be the head gasket or the inlet manifold gasket.

It might be worth you having this investigated sooner rather than later in case you have a sudden loss of coolant while doing motorway speeds and subsequent overheating (bad!)

[alunr]

archbone said:

As a newcomer to the joys of the Elise (1999 S1 111S) I am still finding my way around the nooks and crannies of the car. Mine has developed a coolant leak of approx a pint every 150 miles. I have checked the immediately visible connections with no obvious leaks. Can any of you more experienced owners advise if there are are any well known but hidden places where leaks occur other than the dreaded head gasket which I have not ruled out!

Hi Archbone

Get your car over to Bicester (I see you're in Oxfordshire) to see Simon @ Brooke-Kensington - www.brooke-kensington.co.uk and let him check the car over for you.

Also you may fid if you drop the undertray off that you'll find a stain where the leakage has occured, assuming its not HGF!

edited to say: You might find its just a loose hose in the front of the car where it connects to the radiator.

PS whereabouts in Oxfordshire?

>> Edited by alunr on Friday 22 October 09:26

[Bonce]

Agreed. I'm sorry to say when mine started to drink coolant at that rate it was the head gasket. Get it checked ASAP and it could reduce the cost of the work.

[archbone]

Thanks for such promplt advice. Spoke to Simon at Brooke Kensington who advised that by filling up to normal when cold rather than to the low mark I'm putting too much water in and excess is blown out which makes a lot of sense. He suggested leaving at low and see if header tank actually empties before worrying. I should have read the manual!

PS Alunr - Sunningwell.

[Bonce]

Ah yes, that's good advice from Simon - the header tank on my elise always runs at the MIN mark, any excess always soon disappears. Always has and always will. I forgot that as a new owner you might not be familiar with that little characteristic.

Let's hope that's all it is. Good luck!

[alunr]

archbone said:

Thanks for such promplt advice. Spoke to Simon at Brooke Kensington who advised that by filling up to normal when cold rather than to the low mark I'm putting too much water in and excess is blown out which makes a lot of sense. He suggested leaving at low and see if header tank actually empties before worrying. I should have read the manual! PS Alunr - Sunningwell.

Simon's always full of good advice and if you want any extras for the motor give him a buzz too!

I'm in Thame.

[bernie_eccle]

I made the same rookie mistake with the min and max marks. They should really read cold and warm. That said, earlier in the year I had to re-adjust and tighten the jubilee clamp on the drivers side of the radiator - easy enough job by removing radiator coul and then just last week I had the same problem with the passenger side hose. It is a trickier side but by no means impossible. Tell tale signs on both occasions was by looking behind the front grill at the air intake scoop and seeing a small patch of dampness. You may need to get right down on the ground and shine a torch up to the rad to get a good look. If it was a HGF I am sure you would have other symptoms.
HTH

[tom_burnley]

Hi Archbone

I can sympathise - mines been loosing coolant since summer ( and possibly longer ). I probably top up with 1/4 to 1/2 a litre once every 2 months ( 800 miles?? )

I've been watching carefully, as I'm as scared as everyone else of the dreaded HGF - but so far, no mayonnaise. It's due to get its oil change soon - and I'll be looking then too.

It tends to run at up 1/2 inch or so below the min mark... sometimes a bit lower. Either the marks are wrong - or its just my car.....

To this day I've never seen it reach the max mark.

I keep looking in the hope that I'll find it - but I never seem to......... I think its one of those Lotus Owner's worst nightmares. If anyone hsa any ideas, I'm all ears

[notlaw1977]

Tom were you live? Do you live in Burnley?

Notlaw1977

[tom_burnley]

nope

but I am a Burnley FC fan