Intermittent Drip....

[bhippy]

Morning All, looking for some advice. I brought a Tuscan Mk1 a few weeks ago. It runs fine but has an intermittent drip from under the front. I think it's coolant, but can't really see where the drip originates from.

Sometimes I go for a drive and there's nothing dripping at all, sometimes there's a trail of drips when I drive off... sometimes 1 or 2 drops, then nothing...

The car doesn't have AC, so it's not condensation from that. The pipes to and from the radiator are dry and the radiator looks in good condition from what I can see without taking it out.

Any thoughts on it, or should I just buy a new radiator and fit it? is it a common thing? the fact that its intermittent throws me - I'd have thought a leaky radiator leaked all the time?

Any thoughts?

Thanks.
Bill..

[Djdan]

Possibly steering fluid? Drips could arise from multiple places under there as they gather on the undertray then drip out when you start moving.

[nrick]

Could also be from the carbon canister in the front wing, fills up over time. Where is it leaking from roughly?

[Basil Brush]

Have you tried the taste test?

[nrick]

most likely the oil cooler might need a tighten up.

[bhippy]

Hard to say exactly where its leaking from as it seems to pool under the front of the car and drip out from between the panels. It looks like coolant, but I'm no expert - and I have no idea about a taste test...

What throws me is the intermittancy. I'd have thought a leak from the rad would leak all the time, but there appears to be no pattern to when or how much it drips. As i say, sometimes nothing at all, sometimes quite a trail...

I'm clearly a newcomer to the world of TVR's, so appreciate any advice.

[valhalla]

Hi.I have the same dripping problem.My wife put it down to my age...hehe.
If its only a small drip, probably nothing to worry about,as i had mine checked. It was water being released around the cap due to the pressure,and blowing it out. You can tell if that's happening on yours,as it dries up all chalky around the alloy bottle.
Dave

Edited by valhalla on Thursday 23 May 19:20

[Cockey]

Steering fluid is red but looks black when it pools (or mine did anyway!). Give the gators at the end of the steering rack a jiggle and see what happens. Can just see them behind the front wheel.

[benny4x]

hi i have the same thing.On mine its where two panels are bolted together underneath the pepperpot front it holds water for some time after it gets wet (washing/driving in rain ect)Keep it dry and no drips i.e nothing to worry about at least in my case anyway!!

[scruggs]

Just had my mk1 serviced. They found a slight leak in 'a low pressure power steering pipe'. Hasn't leaked since so they must have cured it.

[Toady1]

Hi Bhippy! I had a look at your new purchase today, very nice! It does look like coolant to me, but Dan said you were also topping th ecoolant up to the brim of the tank. Only put enough in so that about a 1-2mm show is on the bottom of the elbow. I'll gladly pop to yours some time to whip the bonnet off and have a proper look for you if you'd like? I had to replace my rad this year, and got one from Aaron radiators for £300 delivered. Fitted it myself very easily, just needed a bit of drilling to fit my AC condensor. You already have an ally rad too.

[bhippy]

Thanks everyone, appreciate the tips. Will investigate a bit further this weekend.

Toady1, I may take you up on that offer. As you can tell, we know little about Tuscans so far... Hope yours is ok.. Dan said you scraped a high kerb getting out of their car park. :-(

[Toady1]

Yeah bugger!! :-( twisted my splitter and scratched up my lower grill! Not happy! Then to top it off my power steering main line blew a hole and sent fulid all over the engine bay straight at the crankshaft pulley spraying it everywhere!!! Arghh!!!!