Sloshing noise!!

[The Trucker]

I've had my chim for a week now and just completed a 450 mile round trip to Devon with no trouble at all (apart from my face aching from grinning for hours!!).The only thing that gave me cause for concern is a loud sloshing noise coming from the passenger footwell.I've had a quick look and I assume that it is something to do with the heater,it is working fine but I don't think it should be making this noise.There is no pattern to it and I can't replicate it,it just seems to do it as and when it pleases and sounds like water under pressure being forced down a pipe.

Do any of you knowledgable blokes have any ideas or do I just turn the music up?

Cheers,
Paul.

[zippee]

No idea what it is but I get a similar sound from mine. Sounds like it's coming from under the dash on the passenger side.
Never caused me any problems and I just assume it's something to do with the heater pipes.

[Big Al.]

Could be water in the doorsill, check the drainage holes in the underside of the door to ensure that they are clear. i.e poke a stick in the holes! (sorry to get technical)

[shadowninja]

Or water in the doors. Open the door and see if it drips a lot, particularly if car is facing up or down hill.

[cheshirecat]

We had a similar problem in January.

See below for advice:

robstvr said:

It's not actually the cooling system, it's the water from the sytem used to pass heat on the the heating system. The following from stuff i've collected a few years ago......... Footwell Gurgles: Internet Mailing List Nov 96 ... While we are on the subject of strange noises from my griff. There is also the sound of water moving in the passenger footwell, it is not wet, and the noise is intermittent, is it the heater? David Donnan Internet Mailing List Nov 96 The water noise is indeed the heater pipes and/or the water valve for the heater. The noise gets better if you keep the water level topped up and get the heater valve replaced every couple of months (bitter, moi?). Unfortunately, if you mess around with the pipes too much you're likely to get water leaking into the relays/fuses. Gary Walsh Internet Mailing List Nov 96 The heater pipes run through the footwell above and to the right of the battery, the noises may be due to air in the system so I suggest you turn the heater on and run the engine (from cold) with the filler cap off for a few minutes. Nick Collins I hope the above helps, and makes me appear less stupid to a couple of you...

[tahiti450]

cheshirecat said:

Internet Mailing List Nov 96 The water noise is indeed the heater pipes and/or the water valve for the heater. The noise gets better if you keep the water level topped up The heater pipes run through the footwell above and to the right of the battery, the noises may be due to air in the system so I suggest you turn the heater on and run the engine (from cold) with the filler cap off for a few minutes. Nick Collins

This sums it up, Mine fizzes and gurgles once the cooling system has blown off a bit of coolant, mainly soon after start up and whilst warming up. I tend to ignore it as its just a bit of aerated water circulating in the heater circuit, and unless you are going to top up the last cup full of water every 2 days it will always return. So long as theres no coolant leak it shouldnt be a problem. I suspect that if you put the plumbing for the heater matrix in any other car, open in the passenger compartment you'd hear similar noises.

[Don]

Yeah ours does this too...

THEY ALL DO THAT, SIR!




Its what gives them their character. Tivs. In so many ways they are completely brilliant. So brilliant, in fact, you're willing to put up with the many and various ways that they are shit!

Love 'em.

[tvrbob]

Word of warning.

Air in this primed system can be a real problem. There are several threads about engine temperature control problems that are often associated with air pockets finding their way to the water pump and thereby stopping water flow. Best to get the system primed. Remember to have the heater on full when priming.

[The Trucker]

Thanks for all the advice,it is definitely not water in the doors or sills and is most likely to be air in the system so I'll try the priming route first rather than replacing heater valves.

I'm glad to know it is'nt just me who has the problem!!

Thanks again,
Paul.

[nikman]

It's not necessarily a "problem" at all! I quote from Steve Heath's 'bible' (just under the bit where he reminds us the fan switch will be familiar to Vauxhall Cavallier owners ) He says "...The valves and pipes are located in the passenger footwell and behind the dashboard. It is not uncommon to hear water gurgling from this area...."

[spend]

I wouldnt say that means it is ideal...

Fill the system with the nose up, I find it works no problem; but I do have waterwetter which Joo has mentioned a couple of times as helping to avoid air locks.

Dave

[tvr keith]

Big Al. said:

Could be water in the doorsill, check the drainage holes in the underside of the door to ensure that they are clear. i.e poke a stick in the holes! (sorry to get technical)

I'm a bit confused by this answer, did you mean to say doorsill or door.
I get a sloshing a water noise from the drivers side, definitely alongside the seat area, mosy noticeable after washing the car I think.
Drain holes in doors are clear and checked by running a hosepipe against the windows, water comes out of the bottom of the doors fine.
Is it possible to get water inside the sills as opposed to the doors, and if so, how is it supposed to drain out.
There is no evidence of any water ingress inside the car.

[spend]

AFIK most of the sills are filled with expanded foam or is that only the bit with the loom in?

Dave

[pg53]

Nah, "The" sloshing noise, you'd instantly recognise if you hear it, just couldn't be water in the door etc.
Mine's done it precisely once, for about 15 mins, and I was very relieved to read on here that it's yet another case of TADTS . . .

[bunglist]

Are you lot sure it is not the fuel line as you did say it sounds like a liquid being pushed through a pipe, and the fuel line goes under the passenger side doesn't it!!!!

[ekim]

Had 2 chims now and both have made this noice, it is indeed water in the heater pipes, i notice it most when the car is cold. Had a slight water leak on my old chim and it used to turn into a gurgling when the water was getting low, Used this as a warning that it needed sum water