Disappearing water

[nathanwedge]

My 2.1mv has started using water top up tank is empty ant seem to see where it's going. I topped it up the other day and it's completely empty again today. Thanks in advance

[chuckle-bus-tom]

3 usual culprits (or the 3 places my MV pisses from) are the join of the radiator hoses to the front/back pipes, the braided hose at the back of the engine that comes off the thin rail and joins near the throttle pull and the braided hose between the expansion and header tank.

[chuckle-bus-tom]

By 'top up tank' you don't mean the one behind the number plate flap do you? Sorry, have to ask.

[kevtherev]

I think he does

[nathanwedge]

Yes, the one behind the reg flap, the header tank inside is full (the one on the left hand side of engine bay)

[kevtherev]

Any oil in the coolant?
Take a look at all the pipework and the radiator when the engine is running, see if you can spot any coolant .
It will evaporate very quickly when it's that hot
Has the top up tank got a leak?
Does the level rise when the engine gets hot?
As the engine cools does the level drop?

[Frederick]

Not forgetting the head gasket is that dry on both sides

[nathanwedge]

Did a trip to blackpool yesterday (100 mile round trip) and not a drop used. But I've noticed eh level does seem to be fluctuating quite a lot with engine warm and cold.

[kevtherev]

it should get higher when warm and lower when cold

[Ceecee85]

I'm having the same problem. Beggared if I can see where it's leaking from.

[andywatts89]

I'm having this problem also. Recently had a new water pump (which was leaking) and metal waterpipe fitted. The garage also we're suppose to do a bleed and refill.

Got home and the topup tank was empty, ive since taken it out (the top up) and cleaned out all the brown gunk and replaced but after a few miles the top up tank is empty again. The hot water is not going back into it to fill it up. As for the cap i can blow through it and suck through it slightly so i'm assuming it should be able to pass water through both ways.

1. Is is air in the system slowly filtering out and being replaced by water?

2. leak from somewhere, not that I can see!

3. where is my water going!!

4. where has all the gunk come from? is this the rad slowly crumbling or those bolts that sit in the coolant i've heard about?!?!?!

Looking at a 500 mile round trip next week and im worried im going to kill my van

Does anybody have advice? what would you do?

Thanks

[nicktennear]

My brown gunk seemed to be down to rusty steel hose inserts, took them all out, replaced with aluminium ones and flushed more than a few times. Coolant pinker than it's ever been now.

[ghost123uk]

As for the cap i can blow through it and suck through it slightly so i'm assuming it should be able to pass water through both ways.

I would replace that then. You should only be able to blow in one direction. The other direction only opens when the cooling system is up to full pressure (and you can't blow that hard). Only buy from either the main dealers or Brickwerks as the JK / GSF ones are known to be pants.

Does anybody have advice? what would you do?

Check all around both head to case seals for any signs of coolant (or pink / blue deposits).

Leaks on the rad are hard to spot as access is limited and often the leak does not drip down as the heat of the rad causes it to evaporate before it drips.

Check all the thin coolant pipes in the engine bay for blockages, esp the bleed rail around the top lip of the bay and all tht "T" pieces that come off it. Also the same on the thin rubber pipe that comes from the rear of the left head and the thin pipes around the stat housing.

Check the top up tank itself is not leaking. They have been known to crack. They are easy to remove to examine.

[CovKid]

Had no prob with GSF ones John. Besides which, you can test the cap there and then.

I mention this since its easy for one experience to be escalated into 'many' when that may not be the case.

[ghost123uk]

True enough Ralph