coolant

[nidul]

Right guys i need some advice. my car is drinking coolant at an alarming rate , its an m20 2litre. when i say alarming rate i mean a litre a week. i know that this is not normal, so what could the problem be. thanx in advance

[fuzzy]

hi mate, my first thought was the head gasket but a litre a week seems a bit excessive, you sure its not a split hose or a dodgy jubilee clip?

[smithy318i]

Check for, in this order.

1 Mayo on inside of your oil filler cap
2 a pool of coolant under the engine
3 steam from exhaust
4 smell of exhaust (does it smell of coolant?)
5 Hoses (you may see jets of steam)
6 Radiator may be cracked (look for steam)

[Brianmoooore]

Fine jets of coolant squirting from a hose can be very difficult to see. On more than one occasion, I've only found it when I've accidently got skin in the way of it.

[MISSY30]

Would a leaking Heter Matrix or Valve use this much water?

[nidul]

thanx for all the advice i will make the nesseccary checks and will update you all as to how i got on. Im suspecting either the waterpump and or the rad will need renewing.

[fuzzy]

if it was leaking from inside the engine bay @ a litre a week,youd surely see the wet patch or water dripping somewhere, the heater matrix could be likely,check to feel if the carpets are damp in the footwells.

[Brianmoooore]

thanx for all the advice i will make the nesseccary checks and will update you all as to how i got on. Im suspecting either the waterpump and or the rad will need renewing.

Had one once that only leaked from the pump when the engine was running, so never left any evidence on the garage floor.

IIRC, the residue of dried up coolant glows in UV light. Have a good look under the bonnet in the dark with a UV (black) light if you can get your hands on one. You may be able to see some evidence of a leak.