Ever had a Car water leak?

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 18:42

The water only appears to leak when the car is running. Otherwise it is fine and stays where it is.

Anybody had one before? How did you fix it?

Have you used a leak repair kit?

Markynotts · 22/11/10 - 18:58

I had a car with a water leak a few years ago. It turned out to be the water pump which in turn blew the head gasket, or at least that was what I was told. But then it was a Rover 200 and they were prone to things breaking.

Waj_100 · 22/11/10 - 18:58

Do you mean the water level drops with the engine running but is correct when not running or you can see water leaking when the engine runs but not when it is stopped?

If it is the former that is perfectly normal.
If it is the latter then if the leak is around the fan belt area you may have a leak from the water pump.
What car is it?

dropout · 22/11/10 - 18:59

Crack an egg in the coolant system.

You could also check to see if your expansion bottle cap is on tight.

valkay · 22/11/10 - 19:01

If it is a leaking radiator I use "Radweld" if you can still get it. Years ago I had an old car so I put a raw egg in the radiator, and it never leaked again.

Waj_100 · 22/11/10 - 19:14

valkay wrote: »

If it is a leaking radiator I use "Radweld" if you can still get it. Years ago I had an old car so I put a raw egg in the radiator, and it never leaked again.

The problem these days with repair solutions such as Radweld is that if you have a radiator leak more often the coolant bottle where you fit the sealer is a long way from the radiator so the sealer might not reach the leak before it gets absorbed.

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 19:44

Waj_100 wrote: »

Do you mean the water level drops with the engine running but is correct when not running or you can see water leaking when the engine runs but not when it is stopped?

If it is the former that is perfectly normal.
If it is the latter then if the leak is around the fan belt area you may have a leak from the water pump.
What car is it?

But I have to top it up every day.

I don't think that is normal... or is it? but you are right, it only drops when I am running the car.

Finglonga · 22/11/10 - 19:46

Need more information including make and model of car as some are more prone to others. Is the coolant just vanishing is it making a particular area damp on the engine, are the carpets inside the car damp?

Could be a split pipe, jubilee clip loose, porous radiator or heater matrix, water pump, case the head gasket, or worse case a porous engine block(rare).

Had loads of water leaks over the years including all the above.

*edit* Sounds like it could be the head gasket.

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 19:51

Finglonga wrote: »

Need more information including make and model of car as some are more prone to others. Is the coolant just vanishing is it making a particular area damp on the engine, are the carpets inside the car damp?

Could be a split pipe, jubilee clip loose, porous radiator or heater matrix, water pump, case the head gasket, or worse case a porous engine block(rare).

Had loads of water leaks over the years including all the above.

*edit* Sounds like it could be the head gasket.

According to this:

http://www.whatprice.co.uk/car/maintainance/car-cooling.html

it is not the head gasket.

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 19:56

It could well be an 'early warning' of head gasket failure. But then, it could be a great deal of other things, too. Nobody is going to be able to give you much of a diagnosis on the information you're offering so far.

Can you at least tell us whereabouts the coolant is emerging from?

Finglonga · 22/11/10 - 19:58

What makes you say that?

That site is old as it mentions the radiator cap which modern cars did away with in the early 90's. Hope for your sake it isn't the head gasket but no visible leaks and having to "top up" that often point to it.

Plus looking at that site it states large amounts of white smoke flowing out of the exhaust. Basically that is rubbish and you may not even notice steam. Check your oil filler cap as it may have emulsification(white gunk) on it and that is another sign of head gasket failure.

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 20:26

Finglonga wrote: »

What makes you say that?

That site is old as it mentions the radiator cap which modern cars did away with in the early 90's. Hope for your sake it isn't the head gasket but no visible leaks and having to "top up" that often point to it.

Plus looking at that site it states large amounts of white smoke flowing out of the exhaust. Basically that is rubbish and you may not even notice steam. Check your oil filler cap as it may have emulsification(white gunk) on it and that is another sign of head gasket failure.

I just talked to somebody who told me that it's not the head gasket.

My oil filler cap doesn't have any white gunk on it.

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 20:27

Kablamo wrote: »

I just talked to somebody who told me that it's not the head gasket.

My oil filler cap doesn't have any white gunk on it.

Like I said - it could very well be the early signs of head gasket failure. You won't necessarily have the white gunk yet.

You really need to give us a bit more to go on, though.

A321 · 22/11/10 - 20:29

Waj_100 wrote: »

The problem these days with repair solutions such as Radweld is that if you have a radiator leak more often the coolant bottle where you fit the sealer is a long way from the radiator so the sealer might not reach the leak before it gets absorbed.

It used to f*ck your radiator up that stuff. People wouldn't get a proper repair and just keep on pouring that crap in. Eventually there's no water circulation whatsoever.

Finglonga · 22/11/10 - 20:31

horns wrote: »

You really need to give us a bit more to go on, though.

Yep, like make, model and where the water is leaking from . . .

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 20:36

Found a very minor one in my car just 3 weeks ago. It turned out to be a loose fit/washer.The only reason I knew about it was the heater was playing up so it could have been going on for months during the summer without me knowing.:o

Waj_100 · 22/11/10 - 21:26

Speaking as a mechanic of 40 years experience....white gunge in the oil filler is nothing more than condensation, caused by using the car for only short journeys (the engine not getting hot enough).
If there was a head gasket problem you would be putting a couple of litres or more in the tank every few miles or shorter and there would be white smoke coming out the exhaust (steam).

My guess is that if the level only drops a little, you may be overfilling the tank and causing the excess to get forced out giving the impression of a leak.
If the level stays in the tank but seems lower, run it without topping up and see if it has found it's level.
If you still aren't sure gert it tested at a garage.....a chemical "sniffer" test will check for exhaust gases in the cooling system which will prove a head gasket problem or dismiss it.

rusty123 · 22/11/10 - 22:11

No, but I once had a passenger leak water in my car.

squirts mum · 22/11/10 - 22:19

Had the same problem 3 weeks since, but we were having overheating as well, couldn't see where the water was leaking from but we were toping it up every day for a couple of days having had head gasket problems in the past on a previous car, it was straight in the garage. Dodgy water pump, £160 good as new no more problems.

shirlt9 · 22/11/10 - 22:37

squirts mum wrote: »

Had the same problem 3 weeks since, but we were having overheating as well, couldn't see where the water was leaking from but we were toping it up every day for a couple of days having had head gasket problems in the past on a previous car, it was straight in the garage. Dodgy water pump, £160 good as new no more problems.

Exactly same here..have had the head gasket go on aotorway before..so didnt hesitate when this car started leaking water and overheating a little..new pump..mine was £220 fitted but I know if head gasket goes then startes costing £600+..would go get it checked a small job can soon turn into a large one..

Bedsit Bob · 22/11/10 - 22:57

Kablamo wrote: »

But I have to top it up every day.

Can you see where the water is going to, or is just going down, with no obvious sign of where it is disappearing to

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 22:58

Maybe you could tell us a little more, like what sort of car it is? And perhaps where the water is leaking from?

I mean, guessing games are fun and all, but it would rather help.

[Deleted User] · 22/11/10 - 23:24

Bedsit Bob wrote: »

Can you see where the water is going to, or is just going down, with no obvious sign of where it is disappearing to

Exactly. Just going down with no obvious sign of where it is going to.

Bedsit Bob · 23/11/10 - 11:38

Kablamo wrote: »

Exactly. Just going down with no obvious sign of where it is going to.

If it's not leaking out from anywhere (no water under the car when it's been parked for a few hours), and it's not boiling off (Does your temperature gauge always read normal

) then it's going into the engine, and that's pretty serious.

[Deleted User] · 23/11/10 - 11:50

Start the car up leave it tick over then look under your car to see if there is water dripping

if there is it sounds like the water pump

the water pump would only leak when the car is ticking over
that is probably why you havnt seen a pool of water under your car

[Deleted User] · 23/11/10 - 11:59

id bet on a split pipe somewhere , head gasket you would know about

the water system is pressurised when hot so you may have a mist of water escaping so that you cant see the leak , try having a look at the engine bay whilst the engine is hot and still running, i had a pain in the ass water leak on my car where it was leaking from the water cooled turbo, took ages to find that

Hey there!

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Ever had a Car water leak?

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