water leak

[ermie571]

Hi folks,

my 1984 2.1 dj / dg bastardization has a water leak.

You can't see it.
But I can smell it....every so often the aroma of hot antifreeze comes in the cab.

So, I thought it was leaking onto exhaust. The elbow joint under the thermostat is VERY rusty. So could be leaking from around there somewhere. But how would the whiff get into the cab?

Where is the air intake from? Could it be leaking from the front onto a heater pipe?

Any ideas on where I should start looking?

Em
x

[boatdog]

if you can smell it in the cab maybe the heater matrix or pipes in the heater?

[boatdog]

just a thought are you sure its not screen wash you can smell? eg after you use screen washers the water dropping down off the front panel and going in air intake to heater mine does that sometimes and i get a whiff of fairy liquid

[jed the spread]

Your going to have to run it up to temperature and park it on a new dry bit Emma and see where its leaking from. Does the water need topping up?

jed

[Oldiebut goodie]

I had this - all it was was that the heater valve under the gearstick/above the the spare wheel was leaking hence the smell. Couple of quid for a new valve from GSF sorted it.

[toomanytoys]

If you can smell it inside, then more likely it is the matrix or heater control valve or a conection.. most heater valves are tucked up behind the rad, but have seen a couple where they are just below the dash below the heater housing.. I'd be looking around there first..

[ermie571]

Thanks folks for all the tips!!

right, yes jed, the water does need topping up - but its nothing huge. Just keeping an eye on the top up tank behind the number plate flap. Had tried the parking it up bit.....but couldn't see anything. Possibly looking the wrong end

oldie, TTT,that valve sounds like a prime contender....know where it is, and yes, we had to fiddle with that area when we replaced the front to rear water pipes.

Boatdog....lovely thought about the screen wash.....'fraid its not that this time. Although I have a proper screen wash i get this smell when the wipers aren't used.


Thanks again,

Em
x

[ghost123uk]

Where is the air intake from? Could it be leaking from the front onto a heater pipe?

The air intake for the heater is behind a black plastic gauss type panel above the radiator.
So it could be water leaking out of somewhere near the top of the rad when hot (and therefore pressurised) and drying off (because of the hot radiator) before it gets to drip off the bottom. This might cause the whiff of coolant to get into the air inlet for the heater.

Just a thought...

[Ian Hulley]

The air intake for the heater is behind a black plastic gauss type panel above the radiator.
So it could be water leaking out of somewhere near the top of the rad when hot (and therefore pressurised) and drying off (because of the hot radiator) before it gets to drip off the bottom. This might cause the whiff of coolant to get into the air inlet for the heater.

That would be my guess as well.

Ian

[ermie571]

Oh deep joy.
Changing the radiator.

she had a replacement one sometime back (will be 2 years in May) but don't think it was new new
Looks like I shall be lying under the van again.....not till weekend though.

Will post up any evil I discover.

Em
x

[Ian Hulley]

Emm, let it heat up with the top grill off and you should see the steam if it's the rad. Have you checked the bleed screw in the top left ? That's not seeping is it ?

Ian x