Water loss.

My son has a problem with his TD5 which is an obvious interest to me because I have the same motor.
It drives normal for a couple of days and if he checks the water it is normal, then when he drives it the
temp gauge goes up towards the red and if he leaves it for a few minutes it drops to normal but there is
no water in the header tank.
He fills it with water and it runs OK again. Until it happens again a few days later.
I am not familiar with these engines so this may be some of the problem, but as you look into the engine
bay, on the RHS 3 hoses go onto a metal "T", this T looks like it has a bleed nipple, this loose and it won't
screw in to tighten??
Any ideas Guys?

Bubblehead07 said:

My son has a problem with his TD5 which is an obvious interest to me because I have the same motor.
It drives normal for a couple of days and if he checks the water it is normal, then when he drives it the
temp gauge goes up towards the red and if he leaves it for a few minutes it drops to normal but there is
no water in the header tank.
He fills it with water and it runs OK again. Until it happens again a few days later.
I am not familiar with these engines so this may be some of the problem, but as you look into the engine
bay, on the RHS 3 hoses go onto a metal "T", this T looks like it has a bleed nipple, this loose and it won't
screw in to tighten??
Any ideas Guys?

Click to expand...

Any chance of a pic or two of said T?

Where ever the leak is it must be fixed right away and not drive the car this way cos it will end up with a HG failure or "tenderised" injector o-rings, also the harnesses and electrics are suffering from the too high radiant heat.. once the gauge goes up from the middle the engine temp is above 120*C which is dangerous and with many bad side effects, that's why the ECU cuts fuelling too at that point

+1^

Hi Guys, thanks for the info. Not sure how to upload photos but going to try.
Any tips on how to attach photo please?

Bubblehead07 said:

Hi Guys, thanks for the info. Not sure how to upload photos but going to try.
Any tips on how to attach photo please?

Click to expand...

At the bottom of the "reply" box there is a panel marked "upload a file" you do it that way. Helps if the pic isn't too big. do it before clicking on "Post reply"

Hi Guys, I am making a bit of a hash of this, I haven't got a clue how to upload photos.
Too use to having an "attach" symbol!!!!!!

Her goes.

Wow. That was easy???????????

Bubblehead07 said:

Hi Guys, I am making a bit of a hash of this, I haven't got a clue how to upload photos.
Too use to having an "attach" symbol!!!!!!

Click to expand...

The trouble is the "upload a file" thing will immediately look in a plce you haven't put it so you are safest putting it on the desktop and navigating to there.
OR i think you can copy it and paste it in using Control + V but i'm not sure about that.
If you are on a phone then I can't help. i hardly ever use mine!

Bubblehead07 said:

Her goes.

Click to expand...

Yep that is the normal top hose with the orrible plassy bleed screw. You do know how to bleed the air out?
Cos it ain't obvious and I struggled with it for a while recently until a very wise man on here told me something that isn't in the manuals!

No, haven't got a clue, is the bleed nipple suppose to screw down tight?

If the bleed screw is loose and won't tighten then you have to replace the whole thing. Not expensive I'd have thought.
But if he just keeps topping up the expansion tank that will not get rid of the air in the system.
So first off, look like mad all over the engine for signs of leaks.
(Then get the head tested for signs of a blown HG although at the mo I am more in favour of it just being the leaky bleed screw.)
You'll have to change the T anyway, so do that then top up the system, unclip and hold the expansion tank about 4 to 6 inches above its normal position, (many balance it on the batt box) and bleed the air out from the screw, then rev the engine as there is a valve in the system that prevents water from circulating until you do this thus trapping air in the system. (This is the wise man's tip.) Keep on bleeding it.
Keep doing this and eventually you'll lose all the air and the level in the tank will stay constant. It took me about 5 goes before I got rid of it all when I changed the pump recently.

Bubblehead07 said:

No, haven't got a clue, is the bleed nipple suppose to screw down tight?

Click to expand...

Yes, absolutely.
If it isn't doing this it'll let air in and water out!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You unscrew it to let the air out while bleeding the system, when coolant flows steadily from it with no bubble showing you screw it back down tight but no so tight you bust it!

Thanks Stanleysteamer, much appreciated.

By the way, has the engine got to be running at the time?

Bubblehead07 said:

By the way, has the engine got to be running at the time?

Click to expand...

You start with the engine off, do it until you can't get any improvement then get the engine running and as I said rev it a bit to open the valve that lets the coolant circulate all the way round, then carry on bleeding with the engine running. Just at tickover. It may still take a few goes of topping it up when cool, as well.

Thanks for all your help Stanleysteamer