Coolant leak

Hello,

In the last week (i check it weekly) the coolant has dropped by about 1 litre. I'm assuming their must be a leak. I've done a search and there's lots of potential leak places so I'll have a proper check later.

One additional symptom which is confusing me is that a couple of times over the last week i has some steam come into the cab from the heater vents, which now that i think about it smelt vaguely like soap possibly coolant. at the time i assumed some water had dripped into the heater intake.

Any one have any ideas if the two could be connected?

Also, and I feel so stupid for asking this but having been driving it around for the past week with it low on coolant have I done any damage to the engine, the temp gauge never deviated from normal and it was only used for short trips (40miles at 55 mph at a time). The reason i ask is that its due to be used for a bit of a trip in the near future and everything that goes wrong with it fills me full of anxiety.... should have bought a land cruiser...only joking!

thanks

Dave

Leaking heater matrix.

Shifty1962 said:

Leaking heater matrix.

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Sounds a logical connection. Didn't even know the two were connected - what a retard

Does it need a new heater unit. I can't see any obvious leaks in the engine bay

if your worried about the heater leak,pop the bonnet & you will see 2 pipes on top of the heater box join these 2 pipes so it bypasses the heater then moniter your coolant for a week if it stops dropping it proves heater is the problem.
i picked one up at the driffield show a couple of weeks later loads of 2nd hand ones for sale £35 and you get to look inside them to see how tidy & free of mud they are,its normally the mud that kills them as it did to mine.
pretty easy to fit as well.
Hope this helps

pat murphy said:

if your worried about the heater leak,pop the bonnet & you will see 2 pipes on top of the heater box join these 2 pipes so it bypasses the heater then moniter your coolant for a week if it stops dropping it proves heater is the problem.
i picked one up at the driffield show a couple of weeks later loads of 2nd hand ones for sale £35 and you get to look inside them to see how tidy & free of mud they are,its normally the mud that kills them as it did to mine.
pretty easy to fit as well.
Hope this helps

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Great advice. Thank you very much

I had similar issue last year ,so I bi passed the matrix with a length of hose until I sourced a new to me matrix,and with the warmer weather you won't miss the heater any way lol.....its not too bad of a job to change the matrix plus its an ideal oppurtunity to clean the heater box out( mine was full of crap)....I also replaced the foam padding while it was opened up..

muckmuck said:

I had similar issue last year ,so I bi passed the matrix with a length of hose until I sourced a new to me matrix,and with the warmer weather you won't miss the heater any way lol.....its not too bad of a job to change the matrix plus its an ideal oppurtunity to clean the heater box out( mine was full of crap)....I also replaced the foam padding while it was opened up..

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Will have a crack at it this weekend. Thanks bud