YIKES... New \'7\' today - coolant leak? HELP PLEASE!!

[CraigC]

Only picked the car up this afternoon and I\'m already pleading for help...!

Just picked up my 93 Type R - Black \'7\' (60,000km\'s on the clock) from the garage I purchased it from today - before driving it away I asked if all fluids levels had been checked - I was assured they had - so off I went...

2 hr drive home - motorway driving - didn\'t drive it hard - pulled up to my drive at  - let it run for a few minutes - then turned her off...

Then looked back in horror... to find bright green coolant (I think?) trickling down the drive coming from under the driver\'s side headlight area... Engine was very hot and the radiator coolant sounded like it was bubbling...

During the latter part of my drive the coolant dial had fluctuated from mid to high, then right on the high level when I stopped - almost like it was overheating - engine was v hot...

Tried to calm myself down - let the car cool down then inspected the coolant reservoirs - I think the main one is the one in middle with yellow sticker + overflow is the one further down to right (or is that completely wrong?) anyway - the main one in middle was bone dry - where as the overflow - was low but there was stuff in there. the radiator coolant was normal...

Has the main chamber been starved of coolant - air block in pipe?

On start-up the coolant dial has a constant red light and is making a nasty noise at me...

Sorry about the long post, but very confused... should be out driving her - but can only sit and stare...

can anyone advise?

[Fish]

Sounds like you need to get a pressure test done on the coolant system.

If it had just been leaking from the drivers side headlight, I would have said that the system was over filled.

Refill the system, start the car with the yellow cap off, and watch it drain away. Keep filling the system until it levels out/takes a long time to drain away.

Then put the cap on, and check the level in the expansion bottle (filler neck behind the headlight).

Filling the FD can take 2-5 refills to complete. All depends how lucky you are.

In the mean time, do not drive it with the buzzer going off.

Fish

[antnicuk]

If the stock mazda temp guage moves over half way it generally means its over heated.  Even when the temps get upto 110 degrees the temp guage doesnt move above half, so when it does you need to turn it off.   Is the car warranteed? if so take it straight back and tell em to fix it.  It shouldnt do it. The guage should get to just under half way and not move at all, traffic or motorway driving.
hope you get it sorted.

[CraigC]

Thanks for replying Fish...

Just to clarify I am to re-fill the coolant into the middle chamber (the one with the yellow sticker?)

Also can you or anyone recommend a decent coolant to use + am I right in thinking it should be 40-60% coolant + rest water? + should it be distilled water?
- sorry very new to this kinda stuff...

Cheers

Craig

[CraigC]

Cheers Antnicuk...

Yes it has 12 months warranty (including extra one to cover turbo\'s) - I would drive it back straight away, but it\'s about 40 miles from where I live and am worried about driving it back that distance and knackering the engine??

What do you advise / what sort of conversation should I be having with the garage as clearly I am not a happy customer at present..?

Cheers

Craig

[olly]

Surely if it\'s got a warranty then you can just give them a buzz and they should send a flatbed to pick it up, and leave them to sort it.

[CraigC]

Hey Olly...

You\'re right...that was what I was beginning to think too - why should I spend my time & my money trying to sort it out when I have been sold a car that in not driveable (after only 2 hrs) - surely it must be up to them to put it right - or I guess I am entitled to my money back?

Think I will call them first thing and report it as a problem/complaint...

Cheers

[olly]

Hope it all gets sorted asap, keep us posted

cheers Olly

[gsb876]

Right then Bro,

firstly do as Fish says refill the middle (yellow sticker) coolant passage right to the top, once filled turn the car on and watch the water level drop, refill it to the top again and if theres a air pocket you will get quite a few bubbles emerge. Do this when the cars cold to allow the car not to overheat too quick.

This may realease the air pocket, but too make sure you will have to realease the bleed bolt on top of the radiator, once you have filled the "yellow" passage to the top put the cap back on, then find the bleed "bolt" on the radiator and open slowly and you should see lots of bubbles and air being realeased.

If you have a stock rad then the bolts art the top on the left as you face it?? if its a upgrade rad the bolt could be any where, if you can get a pic of the engine bay up mate??

Gurj;)

[CraigC]

Gurj...

everything\'s stock as far as I can tell. I\'m going to try this out tonigt see how I go - then I\'m gonna drive it back to garage to get them to thoroughly check the coolant system - I would hate to think it was something drastic like water seals gone - & that means ££££\'s...

Fingers crossed its not though!!!

Cheers

[gsb876]

If the rad\'s stock then the bleed valve should be at the top left side when standing infront of the motor so driver side of the rad buddy, if the car still overheats after you\'ve done all this and theres no sign of a leak anywhere take the car back bro get your money back.

The likelyhood of the seals going is possibly quite high looking @ your probs but try the stuff said earlier, then go for a drive not too far from the house and keep checking the water temp.

I\'m guessing you have no Power FC??? as that would give you the exact water temp so you would know straight away if the water temps going up?? saved me once if i had waited for the stock water temp the car would have been fried like:(

However if you are really unsure just take the motor back and get them to check the cooling system for you??

Gurj:)

[Archbish]

also, the coolant caps are easily put on the wrong way round.  The lower one is a pressure cap, so should have a spring and bung under it, and the higher one is just a normal cap.  I\'ve seen this done (although it is one of the daft errors I\'ve not made!), and can cause a similar problem.

AND from the bottom (I think) of the AST (the tank with the lower cap on it) goes a hose to the expansion tank - make sure that is\'t pinched, as it can force coolant out of the expansiontank.

Good luck.

[CraigC]

Thanks for all your advice everyone...

Re-filled coolant as advised - quite a lot of big bubbles came out indicating there may have been an air lock? Had to put about 4-5 litres of coolant back in - must have been hardly any in there...?

Just drove it \'gingery\' back to garage today (about 40 miles) and absolutely no problems.. wierd? Coolant temp stayed normal  (just below mid way on stock guage)

Explained all previous problems to garage - they said they\'re going to have to check the whole coolant system from scratch & perform a coolant pressure test and try and figure out what\'s going on...

Not sure what to expact them to tell me really? Will a coolant pressure test indicate (in a worst case scenario) if engine seals had gone? They said they would keep the car for 2-3 days after they\'ve diagnosed + fixed the problem and run it each day to monitor it before they say I can pick it up again....

+ would they tell me this - owner seems genuine, but you never know...

Incidently the garage is Redhouse Car Sales (Ware, Hertfordshire)

Will let you know when they\'ve got back to me....

Craig

[gsb876]

Craig,

dont be too eager about getting the car back quick, allow them time to diagnose and fix the problem, if the seals have indeed gone then it will be longer than 2/3 days bud.

Dont let your heart rule your head if you are not happy with the car say so!!!

Gurj

[iaint]

The pressure test on the coolant system may ony tell part of the story...

If the test shows a drop in pressure but there is no coolant displaced from the system it could be leaking through the seals into the rotors.

Best way to test the system properly for water seal failure is to remove the bottom spark plugs and then pressure test the system.  If the seals are on the way out you will get water running out of the plug hole!  I\'ve heard that doing this will finish off the seal completely though but am unsure if this is true.

If they have gone then it\'s rebuild time which is expensive and the garage may try to cover up the failure or may not.  Hard to tell who is genuine these days.

Iain