Rad leak

Please some advise

Hi guys got a slight problem with my 1993 110 200tdi.
green coolent coming (well looks like) coming out of my rad fins and droping down on to my bumper dont think it is to much, lost bout half a bottle after a 300mile, lots of traffic straight drive. Should i buy some sort of radiator seal that i throw in or do i need a new radiator.
Oh and after the drive when i opened up the coolent bottle there was no pressure what so ever dont know if this is of any help just thought it was a bit weird

Oh and the temp gauge read normal when i was stuck in traffic for bout an hour so shes not overheating.

Get a new rad, whatever you do will only delay the inevitable and could cause serious damage if it overheats.

New rad for my TD5 was £80 delivered from Paddocks. No brainer.
Diesels dont like to be overheated so bite the bullet and replace the rad.
As BigVic says you are only delaying the inevitable and it may fail at the most inconvenient of times or worse cause expensive damage to your motor.
Take the opportunity to flush out (forwards and backwards until water flows clear) the engine and the heater matrix before you fit the new rad. I would put some domestic central heating sludge remover in the system for a few days before flushing and you'd be surprised the amount of crap that will come out.

As i thought thanks guys iv just called my local and hes onto it (pricing me a new one up)

new rad again.

Try running it depressurised.

My rad was leaking so I depressuried it (ran the cap locked but not tightened down) until I got a new rad, I didn't get a new rad for months I now have it and I have still not fitted it.

Everything runs 100% perfectly, no leaks, no overheating... One day I might even fit the new rad, but that will be a long time away, i.e. once all the critical stuff is done.

sounds like a plan thanks discomania ill try it

not always advisable - they are ran pressured for a reason, as it greatly reduces the chance of hot spots dut to the coolant boiling in small patches, causing airlocks.

You will probably get away with it for ages though

boydy1989 said:

not always advisable - they are ran pressured for a reason, as it greatly reduces the chance of hot spots dut to the coolant boiling in small patches, causing airlocks.

Click to expand...

Have you seen the speed at which the pump moves the water? Small patches of boiling?

The reason its run pressurised is because they can increase the boiling point by about 20deg (20deg C above the rate at which the coolant would boil so this could be a fair bit hotter than waters 100deg C). This means that water at say 120deg C can belt around the system but isn't boiling.

So by unpressurising your system, you will remove the pressure on any holes in the rad and it may very well stop leaking (as mine did). If your engine got as hot as say 135deg C then it could now boil, considering your stat is probably a 82 (it could also be a 88 or 90) stat then you would need to be doing some seriously heavy duty towing or crossing the sahara etc... to get the whole system up this hot.

I would stick a bit more glycol antifreeze into your system just to get the boiling point as high as possible, and leave it be and see how it does.

well iv sent it to my local mech and he said hell have a look at it today and see if he can get me a new rad if not then ill try it depress and see how it goes wont be doing any towing in her so as you say sould be fine.

well thanks for all the advise guys really appreciate it.

Well thanks for the help guys my new rad is now fitted cost me 160, thought it was a bit steep but hey had to be done(app the 200tdi rads are quite expensive)

Any way cheers again

replace no matter wat a mate delayed replacing the "P" gasket

£500 later and a day with me fixing it (free) he wishes he replaced the 50p gasket

CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE

dave