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Hi guys it's about 10 days and the dash keep throwing coolant low I add about half quart every 2 day ! I have changed the hoses under the intake manifold time ago I just hope it's not head gasket car temperature on check 212-220F AC on .
I notice when I turn off the car after long run I hear like water drops !
I’m sorry xalty, I’m going to have to strongly disagree with you on the temps being good. On a hot day on my 98’ XJR and on my 03’ super V8, with the A/C on, my temps on both of those cars don’t go above 95* C (203F) here in the Deep Southeastern USA. I don’t use any magic coolant, extra fans or ventilation. Anything above 99*C (or 210F) and there’s a problem. I do agree on pressure testing though. The easiest thing to start with after a pressure test is a thermostat.
Sitting idling with AC on the temps wouldn't be that bad as the fans try to keep up. 210 is ideal but your temps are not outrageous. I thought about your leak problem a little further. Do you ever see water on the ground on the left side of the vehicle? Your problem may be a defective coolant cap allowing under expansion excess coolant to go to the overflow bottle but not sealing to allowing the needed to vacuum to allow the fluid to be drawn back in when the system cools. If the pressure check says no leaks then I would replace the expansion tank cap.
King Charles remove the expansion tank caps scrub it down and clean the tank threads then lubricate the surfaces WD-40, 3 in one oil or vegetable oil. Probably a slight mis-seal due to age and dirt.
King Charles remove the expansion tank caps scrub it down and clean the tank threads then lubricate the surfaces WD-40, 3 in one oil or vegetable oil. Probably a slight mis-seal due to age and dirt.
Sounds worth a shot, I've already replaced the cap.
In the case of small cylinder head gasket leaks, the cooling system pressure test may show no leaks but this is done at much lower pressure than the combustion pressures. The gasket may not leak during the pressure test but will leak a small amount of combustion gasses into the cooling system at every combustion stroke. This will slowly build-up pressure in the cooling system and start pushing the coolant out pass the pressure cap.
There are a few symptoms of gasket leaks:
1. There is still some pressure in the cooling system after the engine has completely cooled down.
2. Coolant being expelled from the overflow bottle (under the front left side of the engine compartment).
3. Radiator fans running at high speed every time when the engine is down to idle after a normal drive (in not extremely hot weather).
The way to confirm (or eliminate) the gasket leak is by doing a CO2 leak test.
Sitting idling with AC on the temps wouldn't be that bad as the fans try to keep up. 210 is ideal but your temps are not outrageous. I thought about your leak problem a little further. Do you ever see water on the ground on the left side of the vehicle? Your problem may be a defective coolant cap allowing under expansion excess coolant to go to the overflow bottle but not sealing to allowing the needed to vacuum to allow the fluid to be drawn back in when the system cools. If the pressure check says no leaks then I would replace the expansion tank cap.
My XJ8, 2003 model, had a fine leak - actually 3. The radiator had a pinhole, one of the hoses was leaking at the clamp (which we snugged up), and a third one was back in the heater core area.
Delco makes a tablet type of sealer - crush up 4 (of the 6 tabs in the package), mix with some antifreeze, then add to your reservoir next time it's low. This sealed off both of my remaining leaks and has done no damage to the workings elsewhere. It's been over a year and I've had to add antifreeze once, and that only because I checked, not because the light was on. GM adds this stuff to their antifreeze on new cars - maybe because GM cars are pretty crappy and would otherwise leak right on the showroom floor, but it apparently does the job, there, too.
Eventually I will need to replace the radiator and heater core - but this has delayed having to do that.
Update found 2 leaks source very small leak from right upper side of the radiator so tiny actually we just saw like steam ! And another small leak from lower section both leak from the radiator . Unfortunately Mechanic suggest new radiator because of rust or used one but in good condition he said not Worth fixing this radiator because pretty bad .
Causes is from wrong coolant type which add by previous owner .
Good that you found the leaks, but if your block tester indicates a leaking gasket, then a pre-emptive head gasket change might be needed. I had to repair a head gasket on my 308 about 4 years ago, and noticed that while the gaskets are well made, they seem to get eaten away slowly until they corrode through the fire ring. Not a huge job to change them, but would recommend the two special tools to lock the cams in place, and the tool to lock the flywheel.
Good that you found the leaks, but if your block tester indicates a leaking gasket, then a pre-emptive head gasket change might be needed. I had to repair a head gasket on my 308 about 4 years ago, and noticed that while the gaskets are well made, they seem to get eaten away slowly until they corrode through the fire ring. Not a huge job to change them, but would recommend the two special tools to lock the cams in place, and the tool to lock the flywheel.
I have the tool set . I personally think the head gasket is on its way but not yet . Can you please tell what's torque sequence for the cylinder head bolts ? And what type of head gasket you did use after market or original?
Send me a private message with you email address and I will send a link to my drop box where you can download a copy of the workshop manual. You will need torque level and patterns for, cam covers,timing chain cover, crank hub, and many more. The workshop manual has them all.
09-22-2020, 06:31 AM
Head gasket or coolant leak?
