Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all, Kev here,

This is my first post on here for me, I have been using he amazing resource for information for a lot longer, and please forgive the seeming repeat of topic but I have searched through the previous similar posts and can't find anything exactly like my problem.

I have a lovely (but needing a touch of paint on seams at moment) 1990 (H reg) T25 2.1i, Hi Top camper conversion.

My problem is.... I had a re-manufactured engine put in in April, the unit runs brilliantly apart from the fact that it seems to use a lot of coolant. My old engine didn't do this until just before it finally blew on 185,000 miles!

I regularly have to fill the filler tank, the expansion tank is always full but the red warning light comes on every few hundred miles I immediately stop and check everything and apart from needing to refill the filler tank it seems fine. I have checked water pipes etc can't find any obvious leaks but that is not to say there isn't one on so much piping!

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, the engine is under guarantee so am not too concerned but it is starting to drive me bonkers.

Thanks in advance

Kev

It probably wants bleeding properly. Whio fitted the engine, as you say it's under warranty buT I don't imagine that boiling it dry would be accepted as a claim. Personally I'd be going back and getting whoever did the work to do the job properly

There's a lot of info in the wiki (top of every page) about coolant systems and how to bleed them, also a very good and easy to follow explanation on Brickyard.



Also worth getting a new pressure cap ( a real one from Brickwerks) to rule out a faulty valve, before you start trying to bleed it

Hi and welcome, I'm new too.

My bus used to get through lots of coolant, again everything seemed fine and she drove very well. After much head scratching I discovered it was leaking from the heater matrix under the rear seat, of course this was hidden from view by the plastic cover. It only became obvious when the items stored there came out wet, by then the floor under the lino was saturated and it had even started soaking up the cheapo interier panel. If your bus has this heater, it may be worth a look.

Not many vans have the rear heater though.

Ian Hulley wrote:Not many vans have the rear heater though.

Oh don't they? I knew some didn't, I just assumed a lot did. (new fact I've learned today)
Mine doesn't either now, it's been completely removed due to water damage, lol.

Hi Guys thanks for the quick responses, I will do the bleed thing this weekend and go from there. Re the rear heater my van's got one but it doesn't work, have had the van for 6 years and never got round to fixing it, that may be a question for another day!!

well whether you fix it or not ... check it ain't leaking

Hi all

I followed the Bleeding the system wiki, brilliant description by the way, but still have the problem. Any other ideas?

I'm not being funny, but how many times did you bleed it?

No sign of any water leaks from anywhere (see Kev's post above)?

Tony

I agree with everything Andy says =

andisnewsyncro wrote:It probably wants bleeding properly. Who fitted the engine, as you say it's under warranty but I don't imagine that boiling it dry would be accepted as a claim. Personally I'd be going back and getting whoever did the work to do the job properly

Also worth getting a new pressure cap ( a real one from Brickwerks) to rule out a faulty valve, before you start trying to bleed it

If there is a coolant loss issue, esp if it is owt to do with the engine, you need to get THEM to look / sort it out as you could invalidate your guarantee if not careful here.

Hi

Thanks for this, I have booked a slot with the garage and spoken to the engine providers to do just that.

Many thanks for the advice everyone

I'll let you know how I get on.

Kev

sounds to me like you need a new coolant reservior cap. HAd it where when you are driving the pressure reservior cap seal is knackered allowing collant to boil and leak out, then it syphons all the water from the reservior behind the flap, leaving this empty and other one full to the top. Get a new cap for the coolant reservior under the cover.