another HG thread with symptons

[theblueflash 0]

feel i should start a new thread as ive very vague symptoms. ive only ever had one head go in my years of driving but that was a burst rad. i also want to keep this updated as ive just topped up the levels and reset the trip to keep an eye on how much fluid its really using.

so here goes.... the tank doesnt leak but needs topping with coolant evry so often. until i know exactly i wouldnt like to guess.

the oil drops as well but again there are no obvious leaks. and prob only drops from full to a 1/4 way off the min line in the same time the coolant drops. when i topped it up today there was a hit of mayo under the cap. not a lot but enough that id notice

the interior fogs up easily. i know its the wrong time of year to complain about this but bear in mind i have had some water ingress (leaking windscreen, rear window leak) both are sorted now and the a/c takes care of it. would an internal coolant leak cause this?

ive read another current hg failure thread and i also have been doing a lot of short trips recently. every day half mile at a time to current work. i can understand the slight mayo with shorter journeys but ive always had to top the oil and coolant up since i bought it. that was in april. and i was using it to do 45mins to 1 hr trips at a time. so i guess i have to ask am i still showing signs of a HG failure despite my current short trips in the car?

[p0u1 14]

how much miles do you do before you notice the coolent drop?

[theblueflash 0]

before my short trips started 1k? 2k? 3k? hard to tell. im only doing short trips for another week and a half but as ive always needed to do it i wanted to know if the signs were there? or does the vr lump tend to drink?

forgot to mention my engine temps seem pretty normal. 98 regular driving up to 102/104 with a lead foot. according to the mfa. tend not to look at the dial as it always reads 90 no matter how fast im going.

any of this actually abnormal or do i have autohypechondria?

[p0u1 14]

well they do tend to like there oil, mine uses 1L every 2-3k miles, but your coolent shouldnt be droping but if its only noticible over a time of 1k miles its most likely to be a small leak around the water housing, mine leaks a fair bit, there just not that well made, and i rushed the job abit :-p, but yea look round the water housing for coolent stains.

[p0u1 14]

and a slight bit of mayo would most likly be there is your doing short trips and letting the car cool before it gets the chance to get hot, take it for a drive and get in to 90c and keep it there for 15 mins then when your finshed check the oil cap and oil stick and see if you can see mayo.

[adam78 0]

if it fogs up inside could be the heater matrix?

[theblueflash 0]

if it fogs up inside could be the heater matrix?

i did think that but i guess until it lets go or it gets warmer i wont know as the windscreen and rear window were leaking for a while. there must be a lot of moisture behind the dash by now. what are early warning signs for heater matrix? just so i know for sure

[theblueflash 0]

and a slight bit of mayo would most likly be there is your doing short trips and letting the car cool before it gets the chance to get hot' date=' take it for a drive and get in to 90c and keep it there for 15 mins then when your finshed check the oil cap and oil stick and see if you can see mayo.

[/quote']

gotta do a trip to bournemouth thursday and back so that should be a good test. im confident there wont be any mayo but the levels bother me somewhat as they've always needed a slight top up here and there. will update soon

[p0u1 14]

yea do as alot of old car drivers do, keep a bottle of watter in the car :-p

[legvw 0]

Every performance engined car i've had requires topping up with oil, i suppose its just the nature of the engines.

Early signs of the matrix leaking would be a damp passenger foot-well, or drips falling from under the dash on the passenger side.

[p0u1 14]

well you have to remember the engines twice the size of a normal petrol engine, so it will be using more than the normal 1.4, i dont think you need to worrie about the oil, unless theres smoke pooring out the back.

[theblueflash 0]

well you have to remember the engines twice the size of a normal petrol engine' date=' so it will be using more than the normal 1.4, i dont think you need to worrie about the oil, unless theres smoke pooring out the back.

[/quote']

only in the mornings. but it is -5!!!

[p0u1 14]

yea but when you walk to your car you can almost feel water in the air :-p thats normal.

[theblueflash 0]

think i may have found the cause of my gradual coolant leak. the engine may well be using some on short trips but the snow helped highlight the area i assume its leaking from with a bright pink stain as i pulled into my driveway today. i have a pic but cant upload it until this evening. but its the very front of the car smack bang in the middle. im not getting under it in this weather so anyone fancy a guess as to the problem?

[rsweeney 40]

you can test if its an internal coolant leak if you smell it and its sweet but also insted of the carpets just being wet they will be sticky. have you checked the thermostat housing ? they are a weak spot and tend to leak

[VR6Pete 1,455]

Thermostat housing or oil cooler

[theblueflash 0]

as the coolant level doesnt drop that quickly im confident the amount on the ground is the onbly leak i have. there are no signs its coming from anywhere else. so if its leaking at the very front of the car am i looking at a faulty pipe/radiator???

[Gazbarber1982 3]

Trust me, if it was the heater matrix, you'd know about it. I've had 2 go on me in 3 weeks!! Both spew hot water all over your feet and the carpet in both front footwells would be very damp. I'm loosing a bit of water at the min. Very smal hole in rad. No drip's, just steam. Loosing a small bit of oil too from oil cooler!!!!!

[theblueflash 0]

ok. good news. all faults accounted for. the fogging inside was just the weather. possibly a bit damp inside where it has leaked but ive run the aircon constantly for the past few weeks and it seems to have dried out. i cleaned the windows as well and now dont need the aircon. the coolant does drop slightly but ive done 2.5k of med to long runs since topping it up and its barely dropped. the oil has been fine as well in that time and no mayo whatsoever. so happy days. changed the oil and filter as well today as it has done 12k since its last change. and a massive improvement i must say. much cleaner response and considerable change in exhaust note, not to mention faster. happy days