Water Leak on my 1.9 WBX DG

[collins_sh]

Hey Guys, was heading off on my honeymoon yesterday and we were cruising about 65mph along the motorway and started losing water. I think it was coming from the jacket seal of the right hand side set of two cylinders!!!! she didnt get a chance to overheat thankfully..
I didn't really have time to do that much checking because I was rushing for a flight.... I just ordered a tow truck and had to get a lift back up to Dublin.
But I don't think that it was a Hose leak or something fairly straight forward.....

Just looking at options, and seeking advice on the next steps... I assume others have had this dilemma before.
But i am considering 3 options:

• replace the jacket seal on the side effected ( very expensive and labour intensive i imagine)
  replace the engine with a recon from the uk
  replace the engine with a diesel 1.9 TDI

I am leaning towards replacement with a modern diesel? finding it difficult to get someone around dublin to repair the head unit, so any suggestions would be of benefit also....

the current engine has about 115k miles on the clock...
The van has a 4 speed box, and i imagine the diesel engine would be poorly matched to it?
I have treated the van fully for rust and i did a rustoleum spray job on it 3 years ago so the unit is absolutely mint otherwise.
Any suggestions?, heartbroken Shane

[croc]

Hey Shane
Best wishes to you both for the rest of your honeymoon.
You don't say in what condition and how well it ran before this little problem! Was it running OK? No bad habits like smoking a lot, especially going downhill?
IF - it was going OK and as you have spent so much time on the body and paint finish, I would suggest you find out for sure if it is the waterjacket rubber seal (this is not the head gasket proper) and repir this and keep using the same engine. They are cracking vans and good to drive IMHO.

Your problem is not the end of the world!
Renewing the waterjacket seal is a fairly involved job which involves removing the engine, but do-able if no head studs are seized and break!
It is definitely worth renewing seals on both sides while the engine is out.
If you are handy with a spanner it can be done in the drive, I can vouch for this after having done it in 4 days to catch our tunnel booking! See the wiki and other posts on engine out and dismantling.
Important to get the right gasket sets and the right adhesive sealant for the new seals - silicone wont do the job!
I cant offer any cost data for having the job done but it really needs someone who really has experience with these engines - not just says they have.
This will be a nice little job to come back to after your honeymoon!

Others are sure to add their comments and experience ...

Cheers
Jon

[Ian Hulley]

Find out what it is first ... no point panicing over a waterjacket seal job yet if it's merely a hose gone (early or late cooling system ?) the favourite on the driver's side is the S-shaped hose from the head to the distribution manifold on the late system http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php/t ... -late.html ... LOTS of options on the early system as there's a plethora of hoses everywhere

Alternative engines are discussed at length in the alternative engine forum.

Have a great honeymoon

Ian

[collins_sh]

Hey Shane
Best wishes to you both for the rest of your honeymoon.
You don't say in what condition and how well it ran before this little problem! Was it running OK? No bad habits like smoking a lot, especially going downhill?
IF - it was going OK and as you have spent so much time on the body and paint finish, I would suggest you find out for sure if it is the waterjacket rubber seal (this is not the head gasket proper) and repir this and keep using the same engine. They are cracking vans and good to drive IMHO.

Your problem is not the end of the world!
Renewing the waterjacket seal is a fairly involved job which involves removing the engine, but do-able if no head studs are seized and break!
It is definitely worth renewing seals on both sides while the engine is out.
If you are handy with a spanner it can be done in the drive, I can vouch for this after having done it in 4 days to catch our tunnel booking! See the wiki and other posts on engine out and dismantling.
Important to get the right gasket sets and the right adhesive sealant for the new seals - silicone wont do the job!
I cant offer any cost data for having the job done but it really needs someone who really has experience with these engines - not just says they have.
This will be a nice little job to come back to after your honeymoon!

Others are sure to add their comments and experience ...

Cheers
Jon

Jon, cheers for the info, I'm fairly sure it wasn't a hose leak, although i didn't have enough water with me to leak test it as such. there appeared to be water coming from the cyclinder head when i had a quick look under it.... by the time i had the engine cover off the evidence was gone.
The engine is very good at present, not smokey at all really, doesnt consume oil or water, with about 115k miles on the clock and i don't cover enough road with it to merit an engine change for a more efficient diesel... but still she is a high top and is limited speed wise, ive hardly ever taken her above 60mph, a 1.9 tdi with 5 speed diesel t25 box would make here more useable in terms of making a 4 hr weekend drive to the west coast a 3 hr spin?

[randiandipandi]

Wynnes radiator stop leak (don't use any other brand as they work differently) will buy you some time while you sort out which way to go...wonderful stuff (and no, I don't get any commission!!)

[Ian Hulley]

[collins_sh]

Wynnes radiator stop leak (don't use any other brand as they work differently) will buy you some time while you sort out which way to go...wonderful stuff (and no, I don't get any commission!!)

randiandipandi I will have a go using this stuff, it is the easiest first step to be fair.... probably only a temp fix though ya?

[croc]

Shane
Do note what Ian says, no point hitting the panic button until you locate the source of the leak.
The coolant circuit on these engines are a minefield of hoses and connections!
With respect to some of the other comments - things that are broke rarely fix themselves and snake oil is usually just a quick fix to get you out of a tight spot.
Just to contradict myself, I have recently resorted to a (recommended) leak sealer for a very minor coolant leak that I just couldn't find.

That said, after the 4 day rebuild, my late partner and I did about 2700 miles through France, Spain, Portugal and Spain again and the van never missed a beat, lost water or used oil.
Also a hightop, we rarely did more than 60 mph and overall averaged 27 mpg. This included towns, motorways, mountains, heat and cold with cloud.
So that is why I suggest you stick with this engine for all its ideosycrasies - they are great!
Wishing you a succesful and easy fix and many happy miles.
Hope your honeymoon is going well.

Jon

[collins_sh]

Ok!!!! Many Apologies to all for wasting your time!!!

Returned from the Honeymoon last week, and went about investigating my leaking cyclinder head on Saturday morning!!!
Low and behold, I found a burst hose on the hose to the cabin heat exchanger, just at the termination to the engine.
I didnt have enough water when it happened initially to find the leak...
the air heating cowl was after wearing off the exhaust and i think the direct heat of the exhaust in the vicinity may have contributed to the failure of the hose here.
So repaired the section of hose... filled her up... bled out the air and everything is fine!!!

so apologies again...I am very embarrassed regarding my premature panic..... but i was delighted that it is nothing serious...

So roll on a summer of camping and road trips....

Shane

[Ian Hulley]

Happy days

[kevtherev]

funny how folks presume the worst case scenario first..

Never assume, it makes an ASS of U and ME

[randiandipandi]

Wish mine was just a hose! But Wynnes keeping it all together until I can sort out a replacement engine.
Glad it turned out OK

on the +ve side though, my £50 paint job is coming along nicely Roll on!