Where's it all going

Hey guys

I'm normally in the Disco section but have a problem with the other halves Aunts Freelander 51 plate 1.8.

It's loosing water and the cooling fans are coming on, I know these engines are bad for head gaskets but don't want to going ripping it apart until I know it's the problem.

There's no water under the car or around the engine and the carpets are dry, the only thing I can think of is would be the bottle. There's a lot of small cracks around the bottle just under the thread for the cap.

Could the water be escaping through the cap or I'm going to spend a weekend elbow deep in a freelander engine.

Cheers for the help

check for mayonnaise in the oil cap for a start

check the cap (or replace it). check the bottle for cracking around the neck. Then get a sniffer test carried out.

As above, but water pump gasket and IRD cooler are also prime suspects.

You must be losing a fair bit for the fans to come on, are you sitting in traffic for long periods

Small cracks around the the top of the bottle can sometimes indicate the gasket going, or overboiling. Mine did the same thing.

Oh, I do feel the opportunity for the removal of the head stands before you.

The tanks can crack and split with age, it's a polymer afterall.

Not always hgf related

Had a similar problem with mine, i.e. loosing coolant while running but no puddles etc. when parked up. I suspected the head gasket but a sniffer test sad it wasn't that. Anyway a week or so later, while sitting in a traffic jam, I saw steam coming up from under the bonnet (no overheating though). Pulled onto the verge and popped open the bonnet to see coolant p*ssing out from the radiator (behind one of the cooling fans) and hitting the exhaust which vapourised it. I can only assume that the hole in the radiator only opened up when the coolant was hot, allowing it to escape.

I had a new radiator fitted and I no longer lose any coolant.

Had the same thing, on a Td4, and it was the header tank that was leaking at high temp. Hence no water on the ground.

AA couldnb't find it, but LR Stratstone must have put a lot more pressure into it.

Oscar