S2 coolant dump
Discussion
Hi all
Took my S2 to France this weekend. The boot is bigger than it looks, got SO much in it strangely on the way back.
Anyhow, the car behaved faultlessly. At one point I was a tad sh*tting myself, got off the ferry then got stuck in Le Havre traffic for half an hour, temp. got up to around 96 degs. then we hit the motorway. After about 10 miles, I noticed a small amount of 'splash' on the passenger side of the windscreen (as if the washer had been on for a very short time). When we stopped for fuel, the passenger side of the rad (at the top) was where the water was coming from - the 'spongy' bit around the rad was wet. It had lost a small amount of coolant from the tank (now on MIN). I topped it back up, had a fag and tried not to worry about the 4 hour trip ahead. It never did it again. It runs at 88 degs for most of the time.
Was this a result of the coolant vent pipe working? Where is the vent pipe?
Is there a possible pressure leak in the rad?
Shall I atop worrying?
Took my S2 to France this weekend. The boot is bigger than it looks, got SO much in it strangely on the way back.
Anyhow, the car behaved faultlessly. At one point I was a tad sh*tting myself, got off the ferry then got stuck in Le Havre traffic for half an hour, temp. got up to around 96 degs. then we hit the motorway. After about 10 miles, I noticed a small amount of 'splash' on the passenger side of the windscreen (as if the washer had been on for a very short time). When we stopped for fuel, the passenger side of the rad (at the top) was where the water was coming from - the 'spongy' bit around the rad was wet. It had lost a small amount of coolant from the tank (now on MIN). I topped it back up, had a fag and tried not to worry about the 4 hour trip ahead. It never did it again. It runs at 88 degs for most of the time.
Was this a result of the coolant vent pipe working? Where is the vent pipe?
Is there a possible pressure leak in the rad?
Shall I atop worrying?
It's still doing it. I can't see where from though, and only does it after a blast and then sat in heat soak for a bit. The only place that's wet is the top right (looking at the car from the front), and the spongy bit is wet. When the system expells coolant, does anyone know where from? I'm going to leave it and see if it stops at a certain coolant level (lower pressure).
I think when the level in your header tank gets to min, or just below it wont do this anymore.
When I bought my car in November the header tank was full to the max mark and it used to dump coolant like this. Now it's approx 2mm below the min which it where it's been for months and months.
I often end up in traffic too with the fan coming on at 98 so I think you may just have a system thats slighly overfull.
When I bought my car in November the header tank was full to the max mark and it used to dump coolant like this. Now it's approx 2mm below the min which it where it's been for months and months.
I often end up in traffic too with the fan coming on at 98 so I think you may just have a system thats slighly overfull.
But it doesn't vent from the front though. I'm unfamiliar with S2's but on the S1 it could be:
1. The passenger side hose that attaches to the rad. These can come off.
2. The bleed valve (which is on the pipe above) needs tightened up.
3. The plastic end tank on the rad is starting to fail.
4. You have a hole on the rad somewhere.
Check all of these things out and then get it pressure tested. In any event you defo have a problem somewhere if it's leaking from the front and it'll only get worse.
enjybenjy said:
interesting, this is what the seller said. tbh, i've only noticed this since i've filled it to 'max'. perhaps this is a natural dump of excess coolant. glad someone else had the same symptoms. ta
Yes.
The fact that it's stopped doing it is irrelevant, you still have a problem that needs investigating. However, if you do nothing it could go on like this for ages before it fails properly. I had a slight leak in my cooling system for the best part of a year and eventually traced it to a tiny leak in the rad that I could only find by taking the clam off.
enjybenjy said:
Rad caps - these are the plastic 'sides' to the rad right?
It's stopped doing it now?
Odd to say the least.
Not realy the rad weld you put in will stop almost any leak, but only as a temporary emergency mesure whilst you sort it.
Your best bet will be to flush it out before it does too much damage and have the system presure tested to find and fix the leak.
It will be the quickest and cheapest way in the long run.
If you trace the system & presure test, as in the chapter from the workshop manual I sent it sould not be that big a job to find drain and fix.
Your best bet will be to flush it out before it does too much damage and have the system presure tested to find and fix the leak.
It will be the quickest and cheapest way in the long run.
If you trace the system & presure test, as in the chapter from the workshop manual I sent it sould not be that big a job to find drain and fix.
enjybenjy said:
Rad caps - these are the plastic 'sides' to the rad right?
It's stopped doing it now?
Odd to say the least.
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