1.8t loss of coolant - no drips under car. Weird.

D

dope

alcoholic pervert
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
199
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Chalford - the Cotswolds.
Would appreciate thoughts from anyone with relevant experience here!

I just had the coolant flange changed as coolant was spewing out from around it, but the coolant level is still dropping quite a bit. Even when I didn't use the car for a week and a half?

I took it back to check the coolant flange wasn't still leaking and I just wasn't seeing the drips, but they also confirm no dripping.

It seems the fans also aren't kicking in for some reason but I guess this is unrelated. It's certainly never gone above 90 degrees on the gauge.

The water pump was changed not many miles ago, along with the timing belt.

What are we thinking? Head gasket? Get it compression tested? There's no sludge in the oil or oil in the water. Seems to drive fine and doesn't bellow out smoke or steam...

Cheers
 
have u checked inside car,carpets wet etc before going over more serious engine probs.
try and get one of those kits where you can pressurise the coolant system and see if it drops if left after pressurizing it but i would have thought your garage would have checked this when you took it back to them unless you just lost abit and it just wanted a slight top up after part replacement which sometimes happens after draining coolant system just to find its level?
 
Pos head gasket. Have you check the oil cap for yellow sludge.
 
lowlife89 said:
Has the oil level risen?
Click to expand...

Good question. I haven't checked in the last few days.

I assume you mean it would rise if there's water in there? Would the oil sit on top of the water? So if i drained the sump I'd see water come out first then oil?

Or wouldn't the heat evaporate the water away?

Sorry.. lotta question there..!
 
Hence why I asked if you have checked the oil cap for sludge as it is created when water and oil vapour is mixed
 
Is the level continuing to drop?

I replaced my temp sender (1.9tdi) and lost an amount of coolant. Topped it up at the time but small airlocks formed round the systems so after a couple of days running the car the level had dropped quite a bit as the bubbles worked their way out to the expansion tank. Hasn't dropped since.

If you check your oil cap and find some 'mayo', if its only a small amount it may just be a normal amount of moisture rising to the top of the engine, so don't panic immediately.

Obviously with head-gaskets there are several options to where fluids can go depending on the fault. If the hole is between cylinder and coolant system it might be burning it up small amounts in combustion so you might find there is no external leaks or water in the oil........this fault occurred on an old Pug 106 I had, led to pressure into the coolant system and foam was being forced out of the coolant cap.....if it gets any worse you'll get poor running followed by hydro-lock if the cylinder fills up. You might see bubbles appearing in the expansion tank while the engine is running.

Hope you find the fault!
 
Thanks Guys.

Yes - the level still drops.

There is no yellow sludge at all under the oil filler cap, and no sign of it on the dipstick either. And the oil level isn't rising as someone suggested.

Also wet carpets were mentioned - but mine are bone dry.

I need to find and fix this - I've just finished paying for the car, just had a new front end and spray, just about to have a new rear bumper, the rest of the paint's been corrected, new tyres, brakes, timing belt, water pump, MAF... etc etc

Was hoping for a few months chillaxed driving.
 
dope said:
Thanks Guys.

Yes - the level still drops.

There is no yellow sludge at all under the oil filler cap, and no sign of it on the dipstick either. And the oil level isn't rising as someone suggested.

Also wet carpets were mentioned - but mine are bone dry.

I need to find and fix this - I've just finished paying for the car, just had a new front end and spray, just about to have a new rear bumper, the rest of the paint's been corrected, new tyres, brakes, timing belt, water pump, MAF... etc etc

Was hoping for a few months chillaxed driving.
Click to expand...

I am having the same issue, I think it only started loosing coolant since I had the waterpump/timing belt changed.

There is no sludge, obvious dripping anywhere so I am unsure where the issue is. Had the coolant flange changed aswell to try and stop the leak.
 
If its not obvious then it may be going somewhere internal like a cylinder and being burnt up little by little? Either that or its coming out under pressure from the radiator from a stone hole or evaporating if its on something hot like exhaust? As it coincides with waterpump, maybe the new one is less worn so coolant pressure/flow is higher?

If you are getting white smoke/steam from the exhaust once the engine is warm or warming up it could be a sign of head gasket cylinder leak (on the same lines as blue smoke is oil burning and black smoke is over-fueling)? Also try holding a piece of cardboard against the exhaust pipe and if a significant amount of condensation is being formed might show this too. Other option would be to compression test each cylinder with the expansion tank's lid off......

Is there any crusty white buildup in the engine bay that would be residue from coolant?

Have you considered using a dye and UV light-source? e.g.: Ring UV Dyes - Demon Tweeks

Might be a hidden leak? Might help eliminate things.....?!

Hopefully some of the above might help in your mystery leak.....!!?!?!?
 
Last edited:
I was loosing coolant slowly in my Ibiza 1.8T - turned out to be one of the hoses from the heater matrix split slightly - as it was above the exhaust, it was drying off pretty much instantaneously.

If you are using the standard pink coolant - G12/G13 it will leave a pink foamy residue where it has dried or been leaking.
It also smells sweet when hot.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll spend some more time with a torch and see if I can see any secret leaks.

I'll also do the cardboard exhaust thing Icarus - how wet is normal and how wet is too wet? I do keep an eye out for white smoke, not seen any, but then I'm in the car facing the other way mostly!

Failing that I'll have it compression tested.
 
Just check your water header tank cap, i had a similar problem losing water but it turned out to be just the cap not sealing properly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Welshquattro and AudiLeon
I had this problem for the last couple of weeks and couldn't find out where the coolant was going, turns out it was the 3 way housing part on the back of the engine that the temp sensor sits in

The inner lip had disintegrated and the seal was knackered, new one was only £24 from TPS, wish I had a pic

Also I had no drips either but i kept losing coolant and getting the warning light, I think the undertray was catching it and evaporating from there so hard to trace without getting under it and sticking my nose in, but when i did the back of the engine and gearbox were pink all the way up to the housing

Hope this helps
 
if your loosing fluid pal and the garage who replaced the part for you cant find a leak you need to take to a decent garage who know what theyre doing!!
take it to a garage who should pressurise the system and watch the gauge to see if it drops then check for leaks all around the engine.
 
glenandem said:
if your loosing fluid pal and the garage who replaced the part for you cant find a leak you need to take to a decent garage who know what theyre doing!!
take it to a garage who should pressurise the system and watch the gauge to see if it drops then check for leaks all around the engine.
Click to expand...

They are a decent garage, they cured the coolant flange leak and were more than happy to investigate where else the water is going... if I wanted to pay them to do so.

But that's where I find this forum often saves me money.

I could have paid the main dealer over twice what I paid to replace the coolant flange, and I'd be in exactly the same situation now.
 
My money would be on the cap personally.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Welshquattro
As greeny and blackquat have said check the cap. I had the same thing on mine last year and it turned out to be the cap! I also had a leak on the thermostat housing which didn't show up until I had the new cap.
 
hi all, really confused! just bought a lovely 03 plate tt 225 103k miles plenty of audi history looks like its been cared for, cambelt and waterpump done at 73,000 (2013) car was advertised as needing a clutch just started to slip, guy who I bought it from said his hardly used it and he needs money for a holiday
collected it sunday eve drove it 60miles home everything fine, started it Monday eve coolant sign came on dash , checked water bottle and was low, filled it up and drove to petrol garage just round corner and same thing coolant light on and level low again
topped it right up to top, drove home and let it run for 20mins , this time water level never changed, but its dripping water near drivers side front arm.
check it this eve and water level hasn't changed and no sign of water on the floor, fired it up and dripping water from same place
any ideas? I would be really grateful as I'm confused, if its losing water surely the level in water bottle would drop?
cheers greg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

bowen
Coolant loss 1.8T
Replies
1
Views
2K
hades-
hades-
J
Coolant Loss! 1.8T
Replies
7
Views
2K
jase0851
jase0851
Veero
Small amount of coolant under 1.8T today...
Replies
28
Views
4K
Veero
Veero
RoyalBoob
1.8T 190 coolant loss
Replies
2
Views
2K
RoyalBoob
RoyalBoob
jimbob79
BEX loss of coolant..
Replies
2
Views
571
jimbob79
jimbob79
Top
Back