Thirsty Radiator??

[Lemsta2]

Hi

Lately (last 1000km) I've had to fill up my overflow a few times. Could this be a serious issue? Time to replace the radiator cap?(its currently a Ralliart one) Or time to replace the actual radiator - its been on there since I bought the car (2006)?

Any advice would be great. Thanks

 

[captainTeeBag]

Little bit more information needed to help you there mate. can you see if it's actually leaking?Do you have coolant in there or just water. What's your temp running at? And any performance issues? Also check your oil cap for mayo looking sludge and same with the radiator cap. Could be head gasket if this is the case.Putting a higher pressure cap on is not always the best thing to do as pressure is increased in the cooling system especially older cars with tired gaskets and seals , they can fail

 

[BYBY5L]

As Adrian said probably need more info but could be worth changing your thermostat, or just at least checking it,

 

[BMGTZ]

if you have to put coolant in.....the coolant is escaping somewhere. look for signs of weepage from the core plugs and at the bottom of the radiator. also check the hoses that go to the throttle body. Check for wetness on the passenger side floor to see id the heater is fubar.

there is a leak....you just need to find it

 

[Lemsta2]

Ok more info:
- 1 year ago the radiator fan failed and the temp hit H while I was driving. Made sure it cooled down and drove to mechanic the next day (always making sure the temp never went over halfway) and got a replacement fan
- I don't see any leaking
- It does have coolant in there, may have partial water in it also
- Normal temp is just below halfway or on halfway
- No performance issues, feels the same
- Checked oil and radiator cap, didn't see any 'mayo looking sludge' in either.

 

[BYBY5L]

Yea I just thought I'd mention the thermostat cause when mine went it spat the water out the reservoir,

 

[BMGTZ]

if it is a small slow leak....you wont see liquid but rather a build up of green shit around the affected area.

from the above it could be a head gasket but I think that would have showed up sooner than a year later.

maybe take it to a radiator shop and get a pressure test done

 

[evo-gsr]

I'm leaning towards Brian's original suggestion of heater core leaking into footwell.
If its headgasket once warmed up put a piece of paper behind tailpipe and see if it gets soaked with water?

 

[BYBY5L]

Yea bro, I'm sure he's on the money, Brians knowledge far exceeds mine!
all I'm saying is that for a $2 gasket $15 part and 2 bolts it's an easy 5 minute check and is worth doing now were in winter too

 

[BMGTZ]

forgot to mention water pump leak....look for that at the bottom of the plastic cover on the front. often overlooked when searching for a leak as the coolant is hard to spot in this area

 

[Lemsta2]

Checked last night after driving back from a friend's place, didn't see any leaks near the footwell. Water level in the overflow remained the same, I'll continue to monitor it and see...

 

[4piknup]

If it is leaking anywhere you will be able to smell it when it is hot. Either inside cabin or under bonnet. It has a funny sweet smell sort of like it tastes.

 

[captainTeeBag]

Goes good with burbon too

 

[evo-gsr]

Your not supposed to drink it Jack....

Adrian...why are you ruining good bourbon?

 

[GSRWRC]

Could be a headgasket issue.

 

[Lemsta2]

Found the leak! It was near the back of the motor. Took it to my mechanic and he found the thermostat was leaking. Turns out to be a damaged O Ring causing coolant to seep out. Replaced it as well as the coolant hoses attached to the thermo. Hopefully no more coolant issues.

 

[evo-gsr]

Good stuff. An easy fix without too much Fucking around.