Coolant Loss

[Cupra Kid]

Noticed the other day that my cordoba had lost a significant amount of coolant after a day of hard driving on an air field. The engine is running fine and it has since done 700miles and lost no more since i topped it up. There is no sign of oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil.

Any ideas where it could of gone?

Cheers

 

[Cordoba Cruiser]

cordy driver

your car could have put the water out through the expansion tank, by means of the pressure relief valve in the cap if the water temp/pressure got a bit high.

check your antifreeze level mate as if its a low percentage mix the boiling point of the water in your system is lowered

 

[Cupra Kid]

Cheers for that buddy i thought it was a fully sealed system, didnt realise it could escape if the pressure got high.

I've since topped it up with a litre of coolant from halfords so its back at the right level for the mean time. Its in for a full service next month so i'll get it changed to the propper coolant then

 

[m0rk]

check your end tanks on the rad, it's probably rotten

 

[Cordoba Cruiser]

radiator systems have to have a means of getting rid of pressure when getting hot normally above 110 degress, the water expands when boiling and makes pressure inside system.
if it didnt have a valve it would blow the radiator to bits

 

[F2 Stu]

The expansion tank would bulge out of shape first.

 

[m0rk]

yeah, when my thermostat jammed on the van as I was 'giving it plenty' it didn't release any pressure, just cracked the expansion tank

 

[Cupra Kid]

the expansion tank is still in one piece, it was only replaced a year ago, its not lost anymore in the last 1000 miles or so, i will check the radiator tonight.

 

[F2 Stu]

my money is on the end tanks being corroded, mine was well on the way out when I switched to the shorter rad

 

[Cupra Kid]

Top marks for those who suggested it might be the radiator leaking, they were 100% spot on! Seems to have corroded and leaked where the cooling pipe goes into the top of the radiator. Is this a whole new radiator job? If so how much?

 

[F2 Stu]

Like that?

I once read somewhere you could pick one up from GSF between £50-60