Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: GreenMeanMV6 on 18 May 2010, 14:56:14

Title: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: GreenMeanMV6 on 18 May 2010, 14:56:14
Wonders if anyone could help with follow issue?????

Been suffering coolant loss on my Omega 3.0 MV6 and have checked the following for faults with no success of finding the culprit  :(

Radiator no leaks
Pipe work no leaks
Heater Bypass Valve no leaks
Coolant tank no leaks
No white sludge on oil filler cap or dipstick
No contamination in coolant
No white smoke from exhaust once engine up to temperature.
No over Heating
Heating and Air con work fine.

Travelled into town yesterday (12 miles) and coolant dropped 2/3 of way down but engine never over heated?

Topped the level back up when engine had cooled and travelled another 8 miles this time no coolant loss?

Garage changed water pump last week, which I thought was the cause of the coolant loss but still the problem persists. I have noticed below where the water pump is situated that there is a slight leak which looks to be oil not water does this have any bearing on my problems?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated :y
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: Varche on 18 May 2010, 15:16:39
Hi.,

Welcome to the forum. It maybe your heater matrix. Have you any damp patches on the carpet or any drops from under the car ? Not to be confused with condensate from running the air con.
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 18 May 2010, 15:17:53
Quote
Wonders if anyone could help with follow issue?????

Been suffering coolant loss on my Omega 3.0 MV6 and have checked the following for faults with no success of finding the culprit  :(

Radiator no leaks
Pipe work no leaks
Heater Bypass Valve no leaks
Coolant tank no leaks
No white sludge on oil filler cap or dipstick
No contamination in coolant
No white smoke from exhaust once engine up to temperature.
No over Heating
Heating and Air con work fine.

Travelled into town yesterday (12 miles) and coolant dropped 2/3 of way down but engine never over heated?

Topped the level back up when engine had cooled and travelled another 8 miles this time no coolant loss?


Garage changed water pump last week, which I thought was the cause of the coolant loss but still the problem persists. I have noticed below where the water pump is situated that there is a slight leak which looks to be oil not water does this have any bearing on my problems?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated :y

If no more fluid loss it sounds like there may have been an airlock in the system and it's now flushed itself through.
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: mathewst on 18 May 2010, 15:20:29
check all hoses.
Let the engine run to normal operating temp and observe the hoses.
Mine never leaked while the engine was cold but when the temp rose  one hose was leaking pretty badly
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: markspark on 18 May 2010, 15:30:08
I have had this problem in the past on escort van and it was the cap on the expansion tank passing steam when engine was at full running temp maybe worth a look
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: JamesV6CDX on 18 May 2010, 15:37:43
Is it a 1998 or 2000 model?

Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: GreenMeanMV6 on 18 May 2010, 19:12:36
Hi Guys thanks for all the advice today  :y

It is a 1999 on a T plate model (old shape). Car has done only 68000 miles so cant see it been a Head Gasket?

I have checked the car when running at operating temperature and cannot see any leaks. If there is a blockage in one of the pipes is there anything I can use to clean it out?

Also there is no damp patches in the car or beneath the car. I left a sheet under the car last night without so much as a drop of water on it this morning

Be interesting to see if it loses any more coolant over the weekend when I use the car next.  :-?
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: YZ250 on 18 May 2010, 20:01:25
My previous Omega had same symptoms. No visible leaks and definately no wet patches anywhere. I eventually traced it to a cylinder head gasket that was leaking outwards of the water jacket and by the time it had touched the engine it had evaporated. Only telltale sign was a very slight dry water mark like you would see in a kettle which was right where the head meets the block. It did not go in to the engine oil so caused me no other grief. It took a while to find this as there were no puddles, no drips or any other immediate clue to where it was coming from. :(

Mine went at about 75K. Gasket had rotted from water jacket outwards.
Worth a closer look. Mine was front corner offside bank. Good luck.
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: Darth Loo-knee on 18 May 2010, 20:09:02
Check your thermostat housing and your oil cooler plate mate
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: GreenMeanMV6 on 18 May 2010, 21:24:38
Thanks guys once again for your suggestions!  :y

One thing I forgot to mention was on occasions there has been a bit of steam coming from under the bonnet on the drivers side when I have pulled up at traffic lights etc?  :-/

Suggestion made by markspark has made me wonder if the Coolant tank cap is faulty and when the system is under pressure it is losing the water there?

Have many of you ever experienced this fault with the coolant tank cap?
Title: Re: Mystery Coolant Loss
Post by: amba on 18 May 2010, 21:37:15
Sometimes you get a fine almost "hairline" crack around the neck of the expansion bottle which could be the problem....it may be worth doing a cold pressure test of the system and then seeing if anything is evident .
I have read some people drain coolant,then add a dye to neat water and then do pressure test as that way the coolant is easier to see...naturally when leak is detected and fixed drain down again and top up to correct 50/50 mix....I wish you good luck as I have also had a very minor leak for about 2-3 years or 70k miles and have never managed to trace it.