200tdi losing water

[D90mitch]

Hello, I noticed today before a 200 mile round trip that the radiator reservoir was only about an inch above empty. I filled it up.

Just checked it after returning, its just under 2cm from the fill line.

There is no evidence of water in the oil.

The head gasket was done around 10k miles ago.

Water pump and timing belt recently done.

Cannot see any evidence of a leak.

Help!

 

[trax]

top it up and keep an eye on it. might just be getting rid of air

 

[D90mitch]

top it up and keep an eye on it. might just be getting rid of air

Hopefully that's all it is. Seems like quite a lot of water to be losing though - surely there can't be that much air in the system?

 

[trax]

depends on how well you bled it you done both bungs, stat first, then rad?

 

[D90mitch]

depends on how well you bled it you done both bungs, stat first, then rad?

I didn't do it, local workshop did.

 

[lynall]

Once its ran up to temp once how you bled it is pretty irrelevant, but its worth doing as it saves cooking the head!
So youve almost certainly got a leak, they have done the head gasket so recheck everything they took off hoses etc, minor leak on the rad you cant see.
The evidence will be there, you just need to spot it.

 

[D90mitch]

Once its ran up to temp once how you bled it is pretty irrelevant, but its worth doing as it saves cooking the head!
So youve almost certainly got a leak, they have done the head gasket so recheck everything they took off hoses etc, minor leak on the rad you cant see.
The evidence will be there, you just need to spot it.[/QUOTE

head gasket done 10k or so ago, and didn't have this issue until recently. I will have to take the cowling off and see if there are any leaks. Couldn't see any on the front of the rad.

 

[trax]

it won't be from them doing the head gasket, but could be from the water pump is it was done very recently

i haven't a 200, but my 300 has a self purge but it's not ace.. maybe i need to replace the thingymajiggy

 

[D90mitch]

Temperature wise it seems fine, i mean we were coming back on the A1 with a trailer and the temp didn't really move.
I just really can't see any leaks.

Wil hopefully have time to look more closely for leaks tomorrow

Meanwhile, there's oil ****ing out from the sump plug again for some reason.

 

[lynall]

Dowty washer is the kiddy for sump plugs, reusable and leak free.
I had a coolant leak from the stat housing on mine, this used to trickle down behind the alternator and dry up on the block before it hit the ground so could not be seen, bad news is on a def 200 engine its either head or timing chest off to replace this gasket!

 

[johnlad]

Dowty washer is the kiddy for sump plugs, reusable and leak free.
I had a coolant leak from the stat housing on mine, this used to trickle down behind the alternator and dry up on the block before it hit the ground so could not be seen, bad news is on a def 200 engine its either head or timing chest off to replace this gasket!

not needed to take timing chest or head off, if you unscrew the bolts as far as they go before hitting the housing, then use a hacksaw blade to cut them, you can then remove the housing, the remainder of the bolts wind out and you replace them with bolts 4mm shorter, this allows you to get at the water jacket gasket without a big strip down

 

[D90mitch]

Well going for a drive later so will hopefully purge any air left in the cooling system.

Should be servicing the engine later also, new filter / oil.

got one of them nice 25L tubs of the stuff for £46

 

[lynall]

not needed to take timing chest or head off, if you unscrew the bolts as far as they go before hitting the housing, then use a hacksaw blade to cut them, you can then remove the housing, the remainder of the bolts wind out and you replace them with bolts 4mm shorter, this allows you to get at the water jacket gasket without a big strip down

Thats clever thinking, I left mine until I had to do the headgasket, not for the usual no 4cyl blow but so many oil leaks.

 

[D90mitch]

So, all of a sudden, the water level has returned to about normal....