Losing coolant and fumes found in cooling system, head gasket blown?

o5ka

Active Member
Feb 15, 2017
9
0
Hi,
Have recently had coolant leak and trusted local garage told me It’s blown head gasket as they found fumes in coolant.
Looks like coolant being pushed out by pressure created by fumes in cooling system.
Anyone had this issue?
Is there any chance that this is something else than gasket?
 

adam davies

Active Member
Dec 30, 2019
338
138
Is there any gunk in the oil filler cap. My friend had an issue loosing coolant and bubbling in the coolant tank. Turned out to be an intercooler leak.
 

BillyCool

Active Member
Jan 16, 2020
645
244
Leicestershire, UK
Hi,
Have recently had coolant leak and trusted local garage told me It’s blown head gasket as they found fumes in coolant.
Looks like coolant being pushed out by pressure created by fumes in cooling system.
Anyone had this issue?
Is there any chance that this is something else than gasket?

Can you give us more vehicle details?

Where is the coolant leaking from?
 

BillyCool

Active Member
Jan 16, 2020
645
244
Leicestershire, UK
What about fumes in coolant? Does it happen when matrix is clogged? Have had that blue liquid turning green when testing...

I know of some people who have had positive tests due to presence of gases, possibly due to the EGR cooler or similar influencing the coolant. I can't say for sure but I know it isn't 100% cast iron proof of HG failure.

If you have milky oil or steam coming out of the exhaust then HG is likely.

The heater matrix over pressure and venting via the header tank cap only happens during/directly after a DPF regen when it's super hot and the blocked matrix stops it cooling properly. Any idea whether your coolant loss is all of the time or once in a while?

You can kinda do some tests/fault finding to see if the matrix is a potential issue. It's a known issue with the TDI's.

Just trying to save you going down the HG route before you have to shell out £££'s.
 

ibiza1.8t-cupra

Active Member
Jan 27, 2020
53
20
Could be the oil cooler, if that engine has one, above the oil filter, if these go you can get the oil water transfer, symptoms the same as head gasket failure. A cheap easy part to replace
 

Rooster

Active Member
Oct 27, 2018
1,188
326
Yorkshire
Combustion gases in the coolant unfortunately suggest head gasket issues, if it was just contaminated engine oil/coolant then as suggested that would point to the oil cooler. I've just had to replace the Corrado oil cooler at 25 years old!
 

o5ka

Active Member
Feb 15, 2017
9
0
I know of some people who have had positive tests due to presence of gases, possibly due to the EGR cooler or similar influencing the coolant. I can't say for sure but I know it isn't 100% cast iron proof of HG failure.

If you have milky oil or steam coming out of the exhaust then HG is likely.

The heater matrix over pressure and venting via the header tank cap only happens during/directly after a DPF regen when it's super hot and the blocked matrix stops it cooling properly. Any idea whether your coolant loss is all of the time or once in a while?

You can kinda do some tests/fault finding to see if the matrix is a potential issue. It's a known issue with the TDI's.

Just trying to save you going down the HG route before you have to shell out £££'s.
Obviously motorway driving is drinking a lot, day to day driving is not bad but still.
 

BillyCool

Active Member
Jan 16, 2020
645
244
Leicestershire, UK
Obviously motorway driving is drinking a lot, day to day driving is not bad but still.

If you're losing coolant on a regular/daily basis then somethings not right.

With a blocked heater matrix you only really have the issue/loss every 200 miles or so when the car does a DPF regen.

Hope you get sorted.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I think that without knowing the skills of the garage that you (OP) used, as you have an engine that is known to be able to have heater issues potential and EGR cooler possible issues and even an oil cooler being a possibility, if that car was presented to a general makes garage with "ejecting coolant" issues, they might just be defaulting to HG gone! I hope so for your wallet, good luck,I'd be heading towards a good local VW Group Indie ASAP.
 

o5ka

Active Member
Feb 15, 2017
9
0
Well, have had head gasket replaced...consumption is much worse now!! Is it normal after head gasket replacement?? What cause this?
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
A very outside possibility:- that garage did diagnose this correctly, has done a good job of replacing a failed HG but failed miserably when it came to purging any or all trapped air when refilling the coolant - in which case this dropping coolant level will settle down once it has self purged itself - or is coolant being ejected from the header tank still?

Edit:- or just another issue that you didn't notice which the HG was failing, like the EGR cooler leaking - does the cabin heater work okay?
 
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