coolant problem?

[pandp38]

Hi there, we have just done a 160 mile trip to the lake district in our 1989 1.9 DG Autohomes camper.Having got to campsite I checked the coolant level and was surprised to see the top up tank was full of coolant,well above max, and the expansion tank was low. Temperature gauge looked normal with no sign of overheating.When cool I decanted coolant from topup tank to expansion tank and also bled a little air out of the radiator. On return trip after 100 miles coolant levels were normal but at end of trip again topup tank was full, exp.tank low!

Has anyone experienced this problem before?

Could it be a faulty pressure cap? or could air in system cause this?

Any advice greatly appreciated

[kevtherev]

change the cap.. then see
quality caps are available from Brickwerks

[helga592]

Hi
What you discribe is the same as what happend to us. We changed the cap as addvised unfortunatly it turned out to be the head seal/gasscet had gone. On the posetive side now it's fixed and the van is going lovely. Hope this helps

[pandp38]

Thanks for your replies..New cap now on order. If the problem is head/gasket seal would I see any other symptons eg leaks?

[meridian911]

This sounds like my problem, I used to get excess coolant in the top up tank after a long journey.
I noticed that it would only happen at motorway speeds (over 55mph) , I did get our local garage to do a sniff test of the coolant before its mot and they said it was fine.
Problem was they didn't do it right , so as the problem was still there i did my own sniff test and it was positive.
I eventually gave in and dropped the engine out to have a look at the head seals.
It turned out to be the bottom seal on no.3 cylinder liner which was letting gasses in to the coolant at high revs when there was more pressure.

[Ivybvus]

Hi - We seem to a have a similar problem - came away last night for our first overnight - not far 30 miles or so - van seemed sluggish (not pulling)) for the amount of kit on board - got to entrance of the site and she died - would start but not run- got off the road by revving hard - seems we boiled up - raised the front and bleed the system - thought we might have a hose/pipe gone - need to get someone to pressure test when we get home - or are we likely to have blown a seal? Also will we have damaged the engine.

[pandp38]

while waiting for new dalek pressure cap to be delivered today I have taken the suspect one off. I was able to blow through it and could also suck through it even when screwed to header tank. After reading previous posts/threads I assume this cap is no good. Next big trip is to Norfolk in a couple of weeks so will let you know how I get on with coolant problem

[kevtherev]

some scary stories there.. and you haven't even tried the new cap yet

[pandp38]

Hi there,as promised an update of my 1989 1.9DG WBX coolant problem. Done 160 mile trip to Norfolk at speeds upto 60-65mph and had same problem of excess coolant in topup tank and low level in expansion tank. This is with a new darlek cap from Brickworks. After camper was stood for 3 days I opened cap and coolant gurgled back into exp tank while level in topup tank stayed the same . On return trip I kept speed to 50mph max and all was fine.I notice another similar post recently and it looks like a sniff test is needed.

Is there anything else to check before doing sniff test?

I dont want to sound stupid but can I do sniff test myself? If so want exactly am I sniffing for?
The engine I have is a reconditioned unit and has been in camper for 6 months. It has only covered 1200 miles and run in carefully

Thanks for any advice
Paul

[meridian911]

you can buy a block test/sniff test kit quite cheaply, its basically a big tube with a one way valve that you fill with a liquid this liquid changes color from blue to green or yellow when combustion gasses are draw through it.
The end of the tester is put in the opening of the header tank and you squeeze the rubber bulb on the top to suck in air from the top up tank.
Make sure you do the test after a good run though and be carefull of the hot pressurized coolant when you take off the cap.
If you have a local friendly garage they will probably do it for a small donation to the tea fund

Jason

[kevtherev]

The engine I have is a reconditioned unit and has been in camper for 6 months. It has only covered 1200 miles and run in carefully

Woah... why didn't you say that in your first post?
take it back... you don't do anything.