Some coolant questions + video

Jim_rx7 · April 10, 2009, 07:36:40 PM

Ok... since the rebuild I\'ve noticed that the coolant needs topped up each time I drive it. (not driven it many times, maybe 8 or so max?)

Car starts fine hot or cold, no issues etc.

Today I also done a "chapagne" test just to see if anything severe is going on.

Started the car up, the vid is about a minute after the car was started, no bubbles whatsoever in the coolant etc. Also, with the cap on, the top rad hose does not go hard straight away etc.

Here\'s the vid....

It\'s not exactly close up, but the camera man could see no bubbles at all.

What I did notice when looking about was the overflow hose to the expansion tank was sitting squashed under the intercooler. I\'m possibly thinking that the coolant could get to the expansion tank, but possibly not sucked back by the engine due to the hose being squashed.

I\'ve not driven it again since I took it for a drive after doing the test, and moving the hose etc.

Any ideas chaps/chap-esses ?

slingo · April 10, 2009, 07:57:57 PM

does the water end up in your a.s.t jim ?

Jim_rx7 · April 10, 2009, 08:02:00 PM

What do you mean mate? If I opened the cap on the ast, there\'s water in there.

The hose going from the ast to the expansion bottle was quite squashed under the intercooler. I\'m thinking the pressure would force it into the expansion tank, but possibly the engine was not able to suck it back in due to how much the hose was squashed.

I\'m also tempted to completley drain it and re-fill the coolant etc to make sure no trapped air.

Jim_rx7 · April 10, 2009, 08:25:34 PM

Do I need to wait until the car is upto temp and the thermostat has opened for the champagne test??

slingo · April 10, 2009, 08:27:24 PM

i woundnt bother flushing it ,it would have bled itself of air by now.im sure your on the right tracks with your hose problem if it cant suck it bk up form expansion bottle ! if your trying to find out where your water is going id mark the expansion bottle with a marker to see if ti rises or falls

Jim_rx7 · April 11, 2009, 08:58:25 PM

Another thing I just thought of actually, is I don\'t have a stock upper rad hose. I have a silicon one with a water temp sensor in it.

The water temp sensor itself isn\'t plugged into anything, but when putting the engine back in the car etc, the inner probe (?) part of the sensor came out of the actual sensor body. I simply pushed it back in for now... but my thinking is if this isn\'t 100% then this could be causing the coolant issue.

jackaleks · April 12, 2009, 12:10:01 PM

i had a problem with an aftermarket AST not being welded properly. the defect was so tiny you couldn\'t see it but it meant my coolant was always dropping a little tiny bit after each drive as it was squeezed out of the crack. more seriously the system wasn\'t holding pressure so wouldn\'t cool the engine as effectively.

maybe get a soldering iron out and seal the probe up where it pushed out?

Jim_rx7 · April 12, 2009, 12:14:54 PM

Yeah, I defo think the probe could be a probelm. Trying to source a stock rad hose.