High water consumption

[Boo]

My car is getting through quite alot of water and the fuel consumption is also higher than usual. Just fitted a new exhaust which is still blowing no matter what I do and the car feels a little sluggish on acceleration. Tried running VAGcom on it until my cat chewed the cable Any ideas before I seriously contemplate selling the beast ?!

 

[s10mph]

Suonds like the head gasket has gone. Do you have toffee in the oil filler cap?

 

[Nath.]

maybe a dodgy seal or valve on the coolant filler cap

Any puddles or wet patches under the car ?

 

[Boo]

No puddles or anything but, I have a little oil leak from the filler cap. Might be the head gasket then. Great

 

[F2 Stu]

What sort of miles you doing before you have to top up? it might be leaking from one of the housings even though its not pissing out like niagra falls but only does it when its under pressure, check all the hoses etc dried coolant will stick out visually usually.

 

[Boo]

The hoses are all dry and there arent any wet patches at all. I did have some white residue from inside the oil cap a while ago but, put that down to it being an automatic car and only doing short journeys. Usually doing about 200 miles before the water needs topping up again and the stat is working. If its the head thats gone I should be able to change it but, will a polo set fit ? Cant seem to find an Arosa one at all.

 

[F2 Stu]

Virtually all the 8v MPi 1.4 engines found in Arosa's, facelift mk2 Ibiza's and mk4 Polo's are fundamentally the same, anything listed for the AEX & APQ engines will do fine. it might pay to have the head checked to see if its warped, the coolant loss might me a legacy of your overheating problems from last year.

 

[allallyouyou]

try www.vwspares.co.uk they will have it. Get on the blower.

 

[SoozArosa]

Mine went like this. I changed the fuel filter in mine and that seemed sort the problem out. Mine was from when I bought it though and there was loads of reddy pink dried up stuff coming from the water container hmm

 

[Cupra Kid]

Expansion bottles can crack around the middle and leak when under high pressure, cordys did this and lost a fair bit, i put a new tank on for a tenner and topped up coolant. Also radiator connections can do the same.

Given the lack of performance i would probably lead towards the head gasket, wouldnt imagine its a massive job on that engine and as Stu has said its appeared in plenty of models

 

[Boo]

Looks like I will be changing the head gasket then. May as well do the tappets at the same time. Shouldnt be too hard as I did the one on my mums punto - can see that there is much difference in it.

 

[F2 Stu]

Peice of cake really, save a bit of time and dont go to the bother of unbolting the inlet/exhuast manifolds.

 

[Cupra Kid]

But have the head checked and skimmed, dont want to refit it all for it to blow again a few months down the line.

 

[Boo]

Will do Thankyou for the help and advice gentlemen, I may need a little more advice soon !

 

[cardaft]

Have you had the water pump changed? They can leak without you finding any water under the car.

If the useage isnt too bad you could use something called FORTE RADIATOR STOP LEAK - link> http://www.forteuk.co.uk/Radiator_stop.htm

I have used this before when the headgasket went on my old Citroen, It had gone slightly and was using water, so i poped a bottole of this in and it cured it. I had it for 3 months after i used that and never topped up once.

It might not work for you, but its worth a go before you start getting the head skimmed!

 

[Boo]

I did a 420 mile trip this weekend and the water didnt leak until I had got home and left the car for a little while. Big wet patch on the floor ! The petrol seemed fine too. Did 428 miles on just over a tank of petrol. So it just seems to not like short journeys at all. Will do the gasket anyways and the tappets and check the water pump. Just means the car will be off the road for a while so looks like its alot of work to do after Edition38. Will have a look at that stuff in the link you posted cardaft will do for a little while thanks

 

[grotmeister]

not sure about the head gasket thing. When they blow, they dont get any better with time and i would expect a 400 odd mile journey to finish it off! did you see where the wet patch on the ground had originated? Sounds like a dodgy water pump to me...

 

[grotmeister]

oh yeah just another thought: I know its a bit obvious, but have you checked if your cooling fan is working? Its short trips around town that this gets used the most and will get very hot sitting at the lights; on the open road the wind does the cooling, also you mentioned you have an auto gearbox, the transmission fluid needs cooling and there should be an extra set of pipes going to the radiator. (not sure about this particular model, maybe someone else on the forum would have a better idea about this) Its worth eliminating everything before pulling the engine apart! good luck

 

[Fl@pper]

if it is as it sounds a head gasket (common mind too) don't push it too far as they cook and warp real easy

getting hard to find a decent head for one too

 

[F2 Stu]

I think the oil cooler is separate on Arosa's and not part of the radiator, if the headgasket was on the way out I think the 400 mile trip would almost certainly popped it in that distance so I think thats ok (for the moment). Remember the sporadic leak the cordoba had, it would slowly lose the coolant over 100's or miles then just gush out all at once when it was just sat idleing.