hi just wondering does anyone know if fd\'s dump coolant for any reason or another.when i was out today when the car was warming up i noticed some steam coming from the crease in the bonnet on the passenger side and also the smell of hot coolant.i stopped at the bank and left it for about 20 mins.when i started the engine again the annoying coolant warning noise and light came on and temp guage rose high.topped up the water and the steam has stopped and coolant light did not come back on.
does anyone know what this could be?
Sounds like its leaking water.. probably a good idea to find out where from first.
Try pressurising the system.. theres a thread on here about using a tyre pump.. I did something similar using a mityvac but instead of converting the filler cap to accept the pump I just used the small connection on the back of the filler neck and blank off the other end.
Pump it up to 13 psi and listen for leaks...
On the passenger side there are two hoses that go from the heater inside the car, they are the top two connection on the firewall and one of them runs on the pipe attached to the firewall and to the opposite side of the engine.
You have the AST which can leak whcih is the small black container at the front of the car just behind the radiator/IC
you also have a coolant hose connected to the underside and top side of the Throttle body..
managed to get hold of someone at reworx before they shut,they suggested to keep an eye on it over the weekend and see if it happens again and if the add coolant light comes on to stop straight away and book it inn with them.it had a new rad about 18 months ago so im hoping its not that,hopefully just a split hose.seems to have all started since i had a coolant change ,maybe that could be to do with it
check out the rad and ast caps,make sure they are ok and open when they should. Could give it a flush in case its a blockage, check the temp gauge as it get hots and see if you spot the dip as the thermostat opens, if in doubt take it out and see what happens.
definately loosing some i think.put in 2.5 litres of water and with in an hour the coolant light had started again but with the wet weather i couldnt tell where the leak was as everything was soaked.hopefully get some decent weather tomorrow and can check coolant pipes for a split
Mark, it is VITAL that you dont overheat that engine, even ONCE, - it leads to a rebuild costing a few £k !!!!!!
If you are really at a loss, it is worth paying Re-Worx for a call out to come and see/diagnose the problem . Honestly - if that costs you £100, its a bargain compared to a rebuild.
There is an online version of the Mazda factory manual around somewhere, so download that, and have a look at the cooling system. Many on here, including me, had replaced all the small pipes on the engine that carry coolant. They become brittle and fail, especially when you consider the heat under the bonnet of our cars.
Also, the AST ( Air separation Tank) can crack with age. Its mounted on the Intercooler. Some replace this tank with Aluminium one, but its become apparent that the cap leaks on a LOT of them. One Rotary garage recommends a new Mazda one every 2 years, and thats what I am going with.
Annoying coolant light- thats to inform you of something major, and probably save you froma rebuild! ;)
It could well be something simple, mine overheated a few weeks ago, turned off straight away. Topped up with water, and only ran it to find the leak.
Which turned out to be a small coolant pipe elbow, only cost a few quid.
Good luck with it
thanks for that people.have tried myself to find the problem but no luck so will book it in with re worx and run it up to them as its only 3 miles from my house and top it up fully with water.
a VERY VERY good decision Mark !