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Slight But Steady Coolant Loss


oldcodger
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Hi,

Find that my 1.6 has always very slowly lost a little coolant over the last 3 years.

The header tank takes about 400ml from Low to High and over the last 4 months / 4 k miles it has dropped by about 100ml, so the daily loss is only about 1ml.

Unable to find any signs of a leak anywhere and no hint of any sludge in the oil filler cap etc.

No signs on the waterpump escape hole and it sounds smooth.

Wondered about a Pressure test, its not something I have ever had done so no idea if it would show such a small loss ?

Also wonder what is the likelyhood of the cabin heater matrix leaking, with such a small loss doubt I would ever notice it and expect it would go out via the drain pipe.

My concern is that something might just suddenly open up fully and leave me high and dry at the wrong time, as nearly always seems to happen !

( as did happen to an Astra I once had when the water pump blew open with water and steam all over the place to the amusment of the local shoppers :crazy: )

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To identify a coolant leak I start by running the engine at operating temperature for 20 minutes or so and then switch it off. I'll have the bonnet open and just poke my head into the engine bay to listen for tell-tale hissing sounds of water escaping under pressure.

Perform a thorough visual inspection of all cooling system fittings; look at the connections to and from anything to do with the cooling system for the classic crusty crystal deposits that antifreeze leaves behind.

For engines with an iron block or head you will also likely see some brown rusty looking staining, another sign that there is a coolant leak local to that area.

Check the header tank itself for fatigue/stress marks in the plastic that may expand at full temperature and allow coolant through.

To check for a fault with the heater matrix you can run the car for a week or so with the heater set to cold so as to shut the heater valve off. If you find the rate of coolant loss is reduced then you can put money on it being the matrix. Check your carpets for dampness and staining near the centre console section; this is where the water will drip or gather if there is a problem with the matrix.

Radiator caps can weaken and bleed off pressure too, so get to Halfords or something similar and just replace the cap with a like-for-like cap. You'll find they're the same as fitted to most Citroens running anything from 0.3-1.2 BAR pressure.

Mine is a 0.9BAR cap but so long as it's the same or higher you won't have any problems.

By replacing my radiator cap I solved a serious overheating issue - just a few quid so swap it first before you go taking the head off or swapping out water pumps or matrices etc.

KP

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Hi,

Thanks for all that KP, will give it another check over and see if that method helps locate it and change the cap.

Think I might have to wait for the warmer weather before isolating the heater matrix for a week or so ..or find an electric heater !

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I feel your pain. I've had the heater and rear window heater on constantly since I started driving... could've picked nicer conditions I think. I am just praying my matrix doesn't pack up!

Make sure your remove any splash guards/trays that block access to the engine bay from underneath as they make it harder to spot and hear leaks etc.

KP

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3 months, 120 days, 1ml a day... not much at all.

When I had my TSport (owned from new and kept for 8 yrs 75k) I have a recollection that after a service the coolant would often be topped up to the full mark and that over the following 12 months to the next service the level would drop a little but that after that it seemed to "level out" and not drop further once a certain level had been reached. I never worried over it and put it down to a "characteristic" of the cooling system.

Just a thought... and maybe you haven't a real problem at all.

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3 months, 120 days, 1ml a day... not much at all.

When I had my TSport (owned from new and kept for 8 yrs 75k) I have a recollection that after a service the coolant would often be topped up to the full mark and that over the following 12 months to the next service the level would drop a little but that after that it seemed to "level out" and not drop further once a certain level had been reached. I never worried over it and put it down to a "characteristic" of the cooling system.

Just a thought... and maybe you haven't a real problem at all.

Hi,

Thats one reason for my original post, did wonder if such a small loss was 'normal' though not something I particularly noticed on previous cars.

Assuming it was at the full mark when made, it was about 1/2 way when I got it 4 years old at 35k and now its just gone down to the low mark at 7 years and 73k, though the final drop did seem to be a bit quicker than before.

Will still give it another once over for any signs of leaks though it must be very small if there is one.

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That's a good point - if you have recently performed a coolant change, the loss could easily be the system filling in all the air gaps.

KP

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Does it ever drop below the MIN level? IF it runs at the MIN level for a year, it's not losing coolant.

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