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Losing rad fluid


marsh

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Hi I was hoping someone could help with my 2001 disco its been losing radiator fluid steadily for a while now and ive topped it up ever week or so then it started losing it quicker i put some rad weld in and had it pressure tested and it maintained good pressure... then i did a 1.5 hour motorway journey and i lost loads can someone give me a bit of advice what the problem might be, i can service it change oil and stuff but this is a bit over my head so id appreciate some help cheers

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The most common problem is leaking where the plastic end tanks are crimped into the radiator, you should see pink traces of fluid on the fins if this is the case. Secondary / less likely causes are a leaking expansion tank cap, split tank or chafed hose. Finally, what you really don't want to find is a leaking head gasket or a crack in the block, both are possible. What did you pressure test, just the rad or the whole system, and did you do it hot or cold?

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When I had a leak in my 2001 Td5 it took a while to track it down .

It turned out to be from the top corner of the rad and only became visible when I removed the plastic cowling around the rad - then I could just see the pinkish stain .

If possible you should also try to have a look from underneath the engine - one leak I came across was only visible from underneath .

If any hoses have been disturbed lately and the same spring type hose clamps refitted I would examine then closely ; when I refitted the engine following a clutch change no less than 4 of those ****** spring clamps would not seal properly and had to be replaced .

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I had a leak some time ago, turned out be the pipe that crosses the chassis in front of the engine.

Water gets trapped between the engine under tray and the pipe. It slowly rusts and develops pin holes that leak coolant slowly.

Worth checking.

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When mine did this it turned out to be the seals on the waterpump between the pump and the PAS pump. There is a weep hole inside the casing. If you get underneath and look up at the housing you may see it dripping off the bottom of the alloy mounting though it will not be obvious where it comes from. If so then a new pump is probably in order. I recommend using OEM spec one though as it is a bit of a beggar to change and the first pattern part I bought didn't even line up properly.

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Hi marsh,

You have quite a few options to choose from - here's my two penneth !

I had a situation where the engine would get up to temperature, then dump the coolant on the floor. It turned out to be the factory clip on the bottom hose had broken in half. This break couldn't be seen as it 'engine side' and I only found it after stripping off the grill etc and leaving it idling on the drive for 30 minutes until everything had expanded enough for the leak to start.

Regards

rdw

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