Club 80-90 Forums

I'm losing water in my recently (2k ago) reconditioned 1.6D CS done by Elite VW in Essex. Its been loosing it ever since I got it back, not a lot, but about a pint or so every 50 miles.

The reconditioners seem a little reluctant to do anything about it because they say the van should have another expansion tank behind the number plate - not that I distrust the chaps down at Elite VW, but I'm not sure if the 1.6D (non turbo) is supposed to have one - it didn't before and never lost water!

I've have a good look at the rest of the water sytem and can't find any leaks. I got a new blue cap (with the let off at the top for the secondary expansion tank) before I got the recon engine to replace my old black one (as I heard they were often faulty) I've tried blocking this off with araldite and a screw so I'm pretty sure its not leaking from there now, but i'm still loosing water!

Any ideas would be appreciated!

You need the overfill tank that is fitted behind the number plate.The valve in the blue cap retains coolent pressure but allows some of it out under certain conditions into the overfill tank then back again to the expansion tank.The overfill tank has a min&max coolent level to provide this.Obtain genuine VW parts for the coolent system.There are faulty parts supplied by other non VW approved suppliers.So you may have a faulty Blue scew cap.

Thanks - thing is when I got the van there was a black cap without the let off valve and no second tank - just wondered if this engine didn't have one originally.

Oh well, I guess its off to VW to spend some more of my hard earned

Cheers

Look out for possible leaks where the hoses connect to the long flow&return pipes to the rad.The Engine originally would have had an expansion & overfill tank the screw cap would have kept the coolent under pressure.It was proberly bodged up by a previous owner.