I've just gone to check coolant level on my 2005 Barchetta and the reservoir was bone dry - it was completely full when I checked it a couple of weeks ago. Last year we had the head gasket replaced following a similar problem and now I'm super worried. When I tried to top up with coolant it was basically disappearing and no leak under the car. Does anyone have any ideas on why this is happening?
Technical Coolant disappearing
- Thread starter vickyscot
- Start date
Currently reading:
Technical Coolant disappearing
That is a pain! No visible leaks, including from water pump area? Sometimes accompanied with bearing noise and a stain in the line of the alternator belts etc. flicking onto the inside of the bonnet in line with it or water drops under that area of the engine often only when engine is running.
Re the head gasket , I would CAREFULLY remove coolant cap with engine warm and coolant level topped up, then with someone holding accelerator at about 1500/2000 rpm overfill coolant till almost at top of neck and watch for a few minutes, if level starts to rise, sometimes with gas bubbles which smell of combustion/exhaust that is a good clue.
As a garage to be conclusive and to pinpoint which cylinder gasket was blown at I would do a leak test.This involves a special tool. However a reasonably competent DIY can do it with a a compressor, airline and a spark plug adaptor. What it involves is with all spark plugs out test each cylinder with engine locked at TDC on the firing stroke for that cylinder. You introduce 150PSI from the airline again the engine must not turn from TDC. The good thing about this simple test is with coolant cap off and water to brim if gasket leak/cracked head etc. water level will rise. It can also show worn pistons if air can be heard from oil filler, exhaust valve leak if air can be heard at tail pipe, inlet valve leak if from air intake area etc. The beauty is it tells you exactly which cylinder to investigate.
Some garages use a "sniffer" which smells the coolant for exhaust gas and changes colour. The test I suggested is more accurate but takes longer.
If head gasket again, I would ask if head was skimmed, block checked for "flatness" head bolts correctly torqued and retorqued if settings say so and a good quality gasket set used. Also was the initial cause of the overheating that caused the failure fixed! Head gaskets don't just go for no reason!
Sorry to go on, it's the 50 years of motor engineer bit
Re the head gasket , I would CAREFULLY remove coolant cap with engine warm and coolant level topped up, then with someone holding accelerator at about 1500/2000 rpm overfill coolant till almost at top of neck and watch for a few minutes, if level starts to rise, sometimes with gas bubbles which smell of combustion/exhaust that is a good clue.
As a garage to be conclusive and to pinpoint which cylinder gasket was blown at I would do a leak test.This involves a special tool. However a reasonably competent DIY can do it with a a compressor, airline and a spark plug adaptor. What it involves is with all spark plugs out test each cylinder with engine locked at TDC on the firing stroke for that cylinder. You introduce 150PSI from the airline again the engine must not turn from TDC. The good thing about this simple test is with coolant cap off and water to brim if gasket leak/cracked head etc. water level will rise. It can also show worn pistons if air can be heard from oil filler, exhaust valve leak if air can be heard at tail pipe, inlet valve leak if from air intake area etc. The beauty is it tells you exactly which cylinder to investigate.
Some garages use a "sniffer" which smells the coolant for exhaust gas and changes colour. The test I suggested is more accurate but takes longer.
If head gasket again, I would ask if head was skimmed, block checked for "flatness" head bolts correctly torqued and retorqued if settings say so and a good quality gasket set used. Also was the initial cause of the overheating that caused the failure fixed! Head gaskets don't just go for no reason!
Sorry to go on, it's the 50 years of motor engineer bit
Davefridge
Established member
Another depressing suggestion is that the heater matrix is leaking which, I believe, would soak into the sound deadening material under the rubber floor and not show for ages.
Thanks Davefridge - we did have that problem previously but last year it was rerouted to avoid it happening again, so it can't be that I think.
Wow bugsymike, thanks for the detailed reply. The problem is I can't fill the coolant reservoir at all ie. I'm pouring coolant into an empty reservoir and it's just disappearing. I've just checked again and there are a few drips coming from below the car (with engine off) but not significant. The head gasket 'blew' last year while in the care of our garage during a routine water pump replacement, who blamed the slight coolant leak which we've always had (ie into driver footwell). I have always maintained that they were at fault but didn't have the energy or the finance for a legal battle (we are in France). So I stumped up almost 3000 Euros to have it replaced and it makes me feel sick thinking about this now! But yes, they did skim it I know, not sure about the other things, but for 3000 Euros you'd hope so! And we are now 500 km from that garage so can't take it back there (can't take it anywhere right now as the coolant reservoir is empty)...That is a pain! No visible leaks, including from water pump area? Sometimes accompanied with bearing noise and a stain in the line of the alternator belts etc. flicking onto the inside of the bonnet in line with it or water drops under that area of the engine often only when engine is running.
Re the head gasket , I would CAREFULLY remove coolant cap with engine warm and coolant level topped up, then with someone holding accelerator at about 1500/2000 rpm overfill coolant till almost at top of neck and watch for a few minutes, if level starts to rise, sometimes with gas bubbles which smell of combustion/exhaust that is a good clue.
As a garage to be conclusive and to pinpoint which cylinder gasket was blown at I would do a leak test.This involves a special tool. However a reasonably competent DIY can do it with a a compressor, airline and a spark plug adaptor. What it involves is with all spark plugs out test each cylinder with engine locked at TDC on the firing stroke for that cylinder. You introduce 150PSI from the airline again the engine must not turn from TDC. The good thing about this simple test is with coolant cap off and water to brim if gasket leak/cracked head etc. water level will rise. It can also show worn pistons if air can be heard from oil filler, exhaust valve leak if air can be heard at tail pipe, inlet valve leak if from air intake area etc. The beauty is it tells you exactly which cylinder to investigate.
Some garages use a "sniffer" which smells the coolant for exhaust gas and changes colour. The test I suggested is more accurate but takes longer.
If head gasket again, I would ask if head was skimmed, block checked for "flatness" head bolts correctly torqued and retorqued if settings say so and a good quality gasket set used. Also was the initial cause of the overheating that caused the failure fixed! Head gaskets don't just go for no reason!
Sorry to go on, it's the 50 years of motor engineer bit
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2020
- Messages
- 457
- Points
- 206
If it's disappearing so fast it as to be leaking just as fast from somewhere, if nothing visible
check the dip stick for any trace of water in the oil.
check the dip stick for any trace of water in the oil.
To lose water that quick, hose or core plug, should be fairly easy to locate, maybe water pump. Check for other damage though.
Had a neighbour stagger home with his car from only a few miles away, completely destroyed the engine on a 19 plate Ford C Max , a hose clip had just lost it's spring tension and the hose then blew off, never seen so much damage so quickly for a spring clip hose.
Had a neighbour stagger home with his car from only a few miles away, completely destroyed the engine on a 19 plate Ford C Max , a hose clip had just lost it's spring tension and the hose then blew off, never seen so much damage so quickly for a spring clip hose.
Did you sort this out ?
