How to test water seal failure?

[dthebuk]

The car sorted itself out in the end. Doesn\'t smoke at all. I think It had just been a bit wet around the time. Car is now sold

[Grizzly]

The most common symptom of a dead water seal is the rad hoses are hard (have lots of pressure in them) very soon after starting from cold, if they are not hard then you may have another problem like a bad rad or bad rad caps etc.

Thing is its often not the water seals that go, its more likely the water seal locating groove has failed on the cold side so the symptoms are very mild against a Boinger head gasket failure.