Hi folks, your much needed advice please:
I have a problem with my Punto loosing coolant and wanted to know the checks
to carry out. Here's the symptoms:
1. Coolant needs topping up every 50 miles or so.
2. In car heaters have been blowing cold sometimes (dired result of low
coolant I think)
3. When car overheats - all systems seem to react accordingly, i.e. light
on dash, power dies, fan kicks in (all be it a little late).
4. This happens on both long and short journeys, although now I'm keeping
mileage to a minimum until this is sorted.
Here's what I've done:
1. Treated with Radweld 1 week ago, but level has dropped again
2. Checked for head gasget problems but cannot see it is that, as in no
'mayonaise' on the oil filler cap, cannot see water on the dipstick and no
signs of water vapour coming out of the exhaust.
3. Had a machanic check the radiator for leeks but to no avail.
Has anyone got anymore suggestions please before I fork out for a new head
gasket?
ato_zee@hotmail.com - 25 Oct 2004 07:02 GMT
> Here's what I've done:
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> gasket?
Just a thought, how about the heater and its valve + hoses? Maybe it is
leaking coolant into the carpet. Sometimes Fiat use plastic faced
on the underside and on the noise underfelt, so there are
no obvious symptoms. Happened to me, the underfelt can hold quite
a lot of water.
peter.kidwell - 28 Oct 2004 18:32 GMT
> Hi folks, your much needed advice please:
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Has anyone got anymore suggestions please before I fork out for a new head
> gasket?
It is probably your water pump.
PK
w&k - 05 Nov 2004 01:55 GMT
Check out your termostate, if it doesn't open your engine won't be cooled,
so it starts boiling and trows out coolant.
To check turn of the radiator cap and start the engine, keep looking at the
coolant if you see any moving bubbles
( if you see them the thermostate opens, this will take a while) if not ,
replace. another thing, if you refill, set your heater on hot so the air can
get out, this can give also problems.
wilco
Cosmic - 21 Nov 2004 19:01 GMT
Obviously you must immediately stop and let engine cool if it is about to
overheat (keep watching that temp gauge). Have you checked insied oil filler
cap? If this has yellow/grey sludge in it then that would indicate water
getting into oil and head gasket needs doing. But hopefully its just a small
leak in one of the hoses or the radiator. Have you looked around the engine
bay and under car for dripping fluid/wet patches?
> Hi folks, your much needed advice please:
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Has anyone got anymore suggestions please before I fork out for a new head
> gasket?
ato_zee@hotmail.com - 21 Nov 2004 20:31 GMT
> But hopefully its just a small
> leak in one of the hoses or the radiator. Have you looked around the
> engine
> bay and under car for dripping fluid/wet patches?
Radiator leaks, as well as hoses, usually show up as dried anti-freeze,
but if you keep topping up with water you won't have much antifreeze
left. Leaking water pump is not uncommon, but as the system is
pressurised even after a short run, drips on a dry road, when you stop,
should show roughly where it's coming out. Bubbles in filler, caution
when removing cap, can be a sign of cylinder to coolant system leak,
but usually you get some white exhaust smoke when you start up,
particularly if you have only stopped for a short period and the engine
is still warm. Often overlooked is inside the car, heater matrix,
heater valve (a well known source) or hoses. Water soaks into
carpet, and effectively disappears, most soundproofing being
plastic coated on top.