white smoking and dissappearing coolant

just noticed this. wispy white smoke and coolant level just a little low. is me head gaskets innit?

rasheed said:

just noticed this. wispy white smoke and coolant level just a little low. is me head gaskets innit?

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Doubt it. Sounds more like a crack somewhere or a leaking inlet side water gallery. If water was leaking into the combustion chamber from the head gasket it would pressurise the coolant. Sounds more like it is being sucked in from the inlet side via a crack or failed gasket on a gallery. Take the plugs out, the one recieving the water will be clean. Work from there.

a crack? oh wow. thanks for the tip though, will do as you suggest.

wammers said:

Doubt it. Sounds more like a crack somewhere or a leaking inlet side water gallery. If water was leaking into the combustion chamber from the head gasket it would pressurise the coolant. Sounds more like it is being sucked in from the inlet side via a crack or failed gasket on a gallery. Take the plugs out, the one recieving the water will be clean. Work from there.

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The one getting pressure washed as he says might be visible but it probably is gona be a head gasket unfortunatly from them **** liners they have.

Just make sure tho it aint brake fluid getting sucked into the manafold from a fooked servo, you should know from the smell and loss of fluid.

rasheed said:

a crack? oh wow. thanks for the tip though, will do as you suggest.

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Simple diagnostic tips are. If there is water in the oil, water is leaking into a low pressure oil return. If there is oil in the water, oil is leaking from a high pressure oil feed. If you get steam but no pressuring of the cooling system it is odds on that water is being sucked into the inlet side. A cracked head or water heated manifold. Or a duff gasket servicing a joint between those components. If you get steam and undue pressuring of the cooling system, odds on it is a head gasket. These are not specific to any particular vehicle but general observations that help you decide where to start looking. If you take the plugs out and one is clean, that is the one recieving the water. If water is being sucked into a cylinder then on combustion in that cylinder gases will be forced into the cooling system pressurising it. If you have no excessive pressurising of the water system ( water being forced out of overflow) it is unlikly to be a head gasket.

david451 said:

Just make sure tho it aint brake fluid getting sucked into the manafold from a fooked servo, you should know from the smell and loss of fluid.

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Umm. I don't think its brake fluid. No smell and level's ok. Are you saying it can get in the engine from a faultly brake servo / master cylinder or such? Sorry, if this is an ignorant question. Learning as I go.

wammers said:

Simple diagnostic tips are. If there is water in the oil, water is leaking into a low pressure oil return. If there is oil in the water, oil is leaking from a high pressure oil feed. If you get steam but no pressuring of the cooling system it is odds on that water is being sucked into the inlet side. A cracked head or water heated manifold. Or a duff gasket servicing a joint between those components. If you get steam and undue pressuring of the cooling system, odds on it is a head gasket. These are not specific to any particular vehicle but general observations that help you decide where to start looking. If you take the plugs out and one is clean, that is the one recieving the water. If water is being sucked into a cylinder then on combustion in that cylinder gases will be forced into the cooling system pressurising it. If you have no excessive pressurising of the water system ( water being forced out of overflow) it is unlikly to be a head gasket.

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Thanks a ton. Well there's no oil in the water. As for water in the oil, do I need to dump the oil to check? As per dipstick, colour and consistancy are fine. Had to top-up maybe 1/2 a litre which is probably not a big deal. Need to check about overflow. I am getting a bit of steam and the coolant level has definitely dropped. I just thought it was going into the engine and hadn't considered it might also be overflowing under load. Its so hot right now I run with full a/c and I've been attributing the little drips under the car to condensation run-off. Will try to collect a bit and see if it smells of coolant. I still haven't been able to get at the plugs (will do it and some other jobs this weekend) so I'm not ready to pronounce but thanks to you fellas I do have some idea now where to look.

rasheed said:

Umm. I don't think its brake fluid. No smell and level's ok. Are you saying it can get in the engine from a faultly brake servo / master cylinder or such? Sorry, if this is an ignorant question. Learning as I go.



Thanks a ton. Well there's no oil in the water. As for water in the oil, do I need to dump the oil to check? As per dipstick, colour and consistancy are fine. Had to top-up maybe 1/2 a litre which is probably not a big deal. Need to check about overflow. I am getting a bit of steam and the coolant level has definitely dropped. I just thought it was going into the engine and hadn't considered it might also be overflowing under load. Its so hot right now I run with full a/c and I've been attributing the little drips under the car to condensation run-off. Will try to collect a bit and see if it smells of coolant. I still haven't been able to get at the plugs (will do it and some other jobs this weekend) so I'm not ready to pronounce but thanks to you fellas I do have some idea now where to look.

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If it aint white smoke comming out the exhaust you have to look elsewhere, leaks from pipes radiator, water pump etc.

rasheed said:

Umm. I don't think its brake fluid. No smell and level's ok. Are you saying it can get in the engine from a faultly brake servo / master cylinder or such? Sorry, if this is an ignorant question. Learning as I go.



Thanks a ton. Well there's no oil in the water. As for water in the oil, do I need to dump the oil to check? As per dipstick, colour and consistancy are fine. Had to top-up maybe 1/2 a litre which is probably not a big deal. Need to check about overflow. I am getting a bit of steam and the coolant level has definitely dropped. I just thought it was going into the engine and hadn't considered it might also be overflowing under load. Its so hot right now I run with full a/c and I've been attributing the little drips under the car to condensation run-off. Will try to collect a bit and see if it smells of coolant. I still haven't been able to get at the plugs (will do it and some other jobs this weekend) so I'm not ready to pronounce but thanks to you fellas I do have some idea now where to look.

Click to expand...

If water is in the oil you may see water droplets on the dipstick or the oil will be milky. If you overfill the header tank the engine will eject the the excess water, this is what the expansion tank is there for, the water level changes as the motor heats up and the water expands. Always fill to level with engine cold. All engines will give off steam on a cool humid morning when first started and before reaching running temp. This is normal and just the water vapour in the air being drawn in and turning to steam through combustion. However the engine should not produce steam when it is up to running temp. Or at least very little, if heavy steam is evident at running temp you have a problem. Follow the proceedures outlined earlier to find it.