[JohnPaul]

I check my B-max oil and water every week as I do about 30,000 miles a year and after owning a Rover K Series I'm paranoid about coolent !!!!This morning I was due to drive into town to get an MOT. On the way I stopped to get some windscreen wash and top the washer bottle up. To my horror the coolent in the expansion tank was almost gone. I bought some bottled water and topped it up. Its not dropped again after 15 miles . . . . Although obviously something is wrong . . . . but has anyone had same problem ??

 

[Hadrian1]

How much water did it take to top it up ?
I must admit I rarely check mine.
Has the water been drained at any time I wonder, and not topped right up again ?
Also check inside the oil filler cap for any yellow sludge.

 

[Hywel S Wales]

I did have a small coolant leak (ecoboost engine) a year back. A faulty gasket was to blame, but was repaired under warranty.

In my case, because my car is garaged, I could see a wet patch under the car so was able to get on it before it got worse.

 

[JohnPaul]

Hi . . . Coolent is checked every week and has been fine for the 2 years I have owned it. the oil looks fine and the coolent is clean . . . I'm amazed there is no evidence of coolent anywhere on my drive or on the shield under the engine. I filled the expansion tank from empty to MAX level. Frankly I'm baffled.I'm gonna put a new thermostat on it just in case that was sticking closed. This is bringing back memories of my old rover and my daughters Mini

 

[Hadrian1]

I wouldn't even know where to find the thermostat on a modern car.
Going way back in time, thermostats were often a problem, as were points.

Those were the days, when cars had starting handles..., and you could buy
four spark plugs for £1. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

 

[Hywel S Wales]

I'm not missing changing the points and cleaning the spark plugs regularly though !

 

[Gremlin]

I wouldn't even know where to find the thermostat on a modern car.

the ecoboost has two thermostats!

 

[K1ZMO]

Hi JohnPaul, I have the same problem 1.6 tdci coolant just disappears? No evidence of a leak. As you say oil is fine. I have a feeling it could be the water pump but the engine is so tight in the b max its hard to see anything.

 

[cianpars]

Possible leakage in the cylinder head gasget perhaps then.

 

[Hadrian1]

Possible leakage in the cylinder head gasget perhaps then.

I think if that were the case, there would be a creamy deposit in the oil filler cap. (?)

 

[rustbucket]

Not in every situation, you only get mayonaze in oil cap if water comes into contact with the oil. If the water is leaking into the cylinder directly it just turns to steam.

 

[K1ZMO]

I mean leaking out of the pump casing and evaporating not leaking into the engine which would make the oil milky

 

[Hadrian1]

In my experience with cars in the long distant past, once the water pump starts leaking, you'll be
in no doubt as to where it's coming from.

 

[TheInstructor]

Rustbucket I have never known a water leak through the head gasket to only ever result in steam being ejected, it has always shown itself with emulsion in the oil somewhere.As for the 1.6 tdci leaking water, but not being able to find where from, then my only suggestion is......
It isn't leaking!!! What may well be happening is that during your drive is:
You are checking the water level just as you thermostat has opened and the engine is cold, if that makes sense. The tank on the bmax isn't an expansion bottle it is recirculating tank. So as the engine cools and warms it takes the fluid it needs as and when. If you have overfilled the tank when it pressurises, just be careful it doesn't start pushing water out of the tank or other weak points.

 

[rustbucket]

Hi Theteacher

I have had to replace the head gasket on two VW Polo's that had no sludge in the top cap (oil) that over pressurised the expansion tank and a loss of coolant. The first thing I did was replace expansion tank cap as they have known to fail. Finally took out each spark plug and found that the pot (cylinder) that had a blown gasket was very clean and I mean very clean and the spark plug was also so clean that it was obviously not right. On both polo's when the head came off the gasket was blown between coolant channel and the cylinder with signs of erosion in the block at that point. The coolant was turning to steam in the cylinder, there was not a noticeable power loss only coolant loss and a clean steam cleaned cylinder and spark plug. As said earlier oil sludge is not always present for a head gasket failure.

 

[K1ZMO]

I put some K seal in the coolent and it seems to have stopped losing coolant.