Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[JezInBrum]

In amongst my last efforts to find the leak, i had everything off down to the oil cooler & there were no signs of water on top of the engine. To be honest as well, I have lost count of the amount of times i have had to have the plenum off for unrelated things & my patience has gone with it. It can sit on the drive for now. As i have noticed they are worth more in bits than as a whole.

[Varche]

Feel sorry for you with the amount of time you have spent on your water leak faulting.

I have had a similar water leak on and off for many years and can't find it. I just live with it. Must have bought gallons (litres?) of antifreeze over the years. Mine comes and goes and doesn't seem linked to any one thing as some journeys it loses nowt but do the same journey the next day....

Core plug?

Varche 

[JezInBrum]

Hi Varche, the core plug idea did cross my mind but I am not entirely sure if the heads will have to come off anyway to properly test for leaks. The fact water is evident to the rear of both heads also steers me away from thi stheory as does the slight misfire when starting. I have in the past week and a half put 6 litres of coolant in it. Most of the time there is no signs after driving but on other occasions when you go to park, from the  point i start to reverse into a space ther is a trail of the stuff. And when i get out al i can smell is antifreeze. Stinks like a mobile curry shop lol.

[star_whites]

I had this problem some time ago, I spent ages and a fortune in antifreeze trying to find the problem. We made a prersure cap and removed the coil pack and bracket and found that it was an external head gasket leak that was gradually getting worse so carried on stripping it down.

Rebuilt and touch wood no more leaks from back of engine

[feeutfo]

if there are no signs of coolent(residue of similar colour to whats in the bottle) in the v when stripped down to the oil cooler cover plate/coolent bridge/ and stat housing, then does sound like something at the back behind the heads, core plug(hope not, note its a 98) external head gaskit leak(hope not) a rubber pipe split, or the metal transfer pipe at the back of the block, above the bell housing, where the oil cooler chamber exits and comes round the drivers side.

If its affected by heater settings then would highly suspect the hbv. But it sounds like your well past that point. May be worth playing with the heater/ac when doing your pressure test, if you can bare it.

At the rate you loosing water, its too far gone for the last resort, a stop leak additive.(only one bottle they say)
Sorry to hear your having agro.

[Entwood]

Many years ago a mate was having problems tracing a leak on a Zodiac ... so he put bright yellow food colouring in the system, and a lot of it !!

It certainly worked as within a few hours it was easy to see the trail of yellow water !!

Just a thought as you seem to be running out of "normal" ideas ... might be worth a stab

[JezInBrum]

Cheers for the follow up chaps. I have been looking for another motor in the mean time but not quite at the amount where i can get anything with enough history to make it a safish buy (£1k tops). So the garage is giving the whoe car a going over to see what else is showing signs of wear. In other words if its likely to fly through the mot & give me another couple of years troubleish free motoring i will get it repaired. All that will need doing then is getting some decent doors on it and treating the rear arches as they have just started to bubble up.
My mood has ligtened a bit since the original diagnosis. Am just waiting on the call to hear the verdict.

[Andy H]

I have been following this thread http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1254850661 concerning a faulty HBV where the water leaks into the vacuum pipe.

Is it possible that your coolant could be disappearing by that route? The coolant would be sucked into the inlet manifold & cause steam from the exhaust.

[Gaffers]

Cheers for the follow up chaps. I have been looking for another motor in the mean time but not quite at the amount where i can get anything with enough history to make it a safish buy (£1k tops). So the garage is giving the whoe car a going over to see what else is showing signs of wear. In other words if its likely to fly through the mot & give me another couple of years troubleish free motoring i will get it repaired. All that will need doing then is getting some decent doors on it and treating the rear arches as they have just started to bubble up.
My mood has ligtened a bit since the original diagnosis. Am just waiting on the call to hear the verdict.

My offer still stands to come down and let me have a look.  I can have the plenum and intake off in minutes, if it is the thermostat the seals cost a total of £2.36.  I will be doing this job on my own miggy this weekend.  Drop me a PM if you're interested 

[JezInBrum]

Hello, here is the final post on this saga. Well it had best be. 
Both eads were removed for testing. They both had signs of corrosion, the left bank worse than the other. Both had the bad dug out & were welded up.
All put back together & to top it all a cam cover was unserviceable adding another £80 to the bill.
The sum of £970.80 shelled out. This did include £20 of petrol.
This may by some have seemed an uneconomical repair but having spent over £700 on an oil cooler & cam belt replacement in april, and the cost of a worthwhile replacement being over £1100 the decision to repair was ano brainer. Afer all what lese is there to go wrong with it  :-? lol
Cars, dont you just love them!

[Elite Pete]

Hello, here is the final post on this saga. Well it had best be. 
Both eads were removed for testing. They both had signs of corrosion, the left bank worse than the other. Both had the bad dug out & were welded up.
All put back together & to top it all a cam cover was unserviceable adding another £80 to the bill.
The sum of £970.80 shelled out. This did include £20 of petrol.
This may by some have seemed an uneconomical repair but having spent over £700 on an oil cooler & cam belt replacement in april, and the cost of a worthwhile replacement being over £1100 the decision to repair was ano brainer. Afer all what lese is there to go wrong with it  :-? lol
Cars, dont you just love them!

Hope its sorted for you now