Help Finding a leak!!

[cheesesliceking]

Noticed steam escaping from under bonnet this morning when I'd parked up at work, it seems to be coming from behind the drivers side headlight area, by the time I'd parked up and opened bonnet the only bit of steam left was coming from around the area highlighted in red, anyone know what's around there that's coolant related??

[Zaim]

Check the header tank. I had a weld fail on mine and I replaced it with a Subaru forged unit, wasn't cheap but simple to fit. It was such a small hole that there was no way I could see it but there was a small pool of water on the header tank.

Worth checking the level when the car is cold, it should be almost full.

Otherwise if it's coming from where you say it could be a small hole in the radiator.

Finding a coolant leak on these is quite hard due to the way the system is filled and the three different locations you can fill it from.

[markCSC]

I'd say it will be a crack in the top of the radiator. It's plastic and always seems to break. Really hard to see the crack when cold and impossible to fix.

However new radiators aren't expensive or difficult to fit

[cheesesliceking]

I wondered about cracked rad too, but its only had a new one in about 2 months ago & the steam is coming from way past where the rad ends, it's really as if it's something just above the wheel arch, but theres nothing there!

Thanks for the ideas guys, guess im gonna have to take the intke off etc and look out for steam

There are worse ways to spend a sunday i suppose... gets me away form the wife at least..

[NickT]

I'm having the exact same problem on my 2004 WRX. Had the problem for a while now but it is only used as my daily driver to get me 10 miles to work and back so I've not had a big issue with it. It has only lost around 1 litre of coolant over probably what must be 6 months of having the issue (and I drive it every day). Still annoying though!

I keep trying to find where it is coming from but with limited luck. I first thought like you that it was around the back of the drivers side headlight as this is where the steam seemed to come from. Now I'm convinced it is my main top radiator hose getting a little old and loose. It doesn't feel sturdy to the touch, it sort of folds when squeezed a little. It also looks like coolant is being sprayed from around the area where the hose goes to the engine (which I have tightened which didn't help).

Not done a lot of work on the Scooby since buying it from a good friend who owned it since new as it is my everyday car and doesn't get the love it deserves. Starting to have to now though as things need doing to it! Failed the MOT on emissions on Friday so trying to work out what that could be. Don't trust the local garages with it otherwise I would have one of them look at it. Been looking for a garage in the Cambridge area for a while but can't fine a specialist, might have to go to the Subaru garage!

[markCSC]

Nick, give Tim Farmer a call on 07880661866. He is a mobile Subaru specialist and covers Cambridge. He really knows his stuff and he doesn't charge an arm and a leg.

Mark

[scoobydude]

I had a new radiator and after a few months the side tanks weren't so tight on the rad core, small amout of lost fluid. Removed the rad and slightly crimped the the fingers holding the side tanks onto the rad core, job done all good. Talked to a lad at work that used to work for a subaru garage and he said alot of the rads "relax" there grip on the core and thats what they tried first when they leaked. Found this out by preassure testing the system when cold.

[scoobychris555]

Had a similiar problem a couple of weeks ago. The intake only takes a couple of mins to remove and with a torch I was able to see quite easily that leak was from rad. Only took me bit over an hour to replace but a bit of a pain if yours is quite new. Heard horror stories about bleeding system but filling water through the turbo pipe with rad cap and expansion cap off worked first time for me.

Good luck!

[NickT]

Thanks for the advice to use Tim Farmer! I gave him a call the other week and he came out and carried out a service and a few other bits on my Scooby. This included replacing my top rad hose which was split on the inside and could have completely gone at any moment.

Tim did point out that the sides of my radiator were slightly bowed outwards. This is apparently a common problem. It didn't seem to be causing an issue but something to keep am eye on.