coolant loss

[Dieter H. Marschall]

Good morning all,
In my Stag I have installed a header tank with a warning buzzer. When I got the Stag out of hibernation, the buzzer went off. So I topped the header tank up. Due to bad weather here I then left the Stag in the garage for four weeks. When I took it out again yesterday, the warning buzzer went off again.
Where might the cooolant have disappeared to? I cannot see any traces of coolant on the garage floor ...
Best wishes,
Dieter - from Germany.

[BrettS]

Is there any coolant in the V?

[Dieter H. Marschall]

No, outside the engine I cannot see any coolant ... Dieter.

[DJT]

Have you checked the sump oil level? If leaking internally, the level will have risen.

[Dieter H. Marschall]

But do you think coolant can flow into the oil sump, if the engine was not turning over? Dieter.

[JeffW]

Hi Dieter

What's the level in the radiator? When I swapped out my water pump I refilled the radiator and topped up the expansion tank. Then after a drive the expansion tank was empty and I needed to top it up a couple of times to get it back to the level it was at before the swap.

Jeff

[stagwingnut]

Heater valve can leak , check for wet carpet

[richardthestag]

Your workshop pixie is drinking it, qlycol is good enough for 1980s Austrian wine and the Pixies think they are onto something.

Seriously, pressurise the system when cold and monitor it, if the pressure remains stable then revert to mythical critter theory. if the pressure drops then finding the leak on a pressurised but cold system should be straight forwards.

[petrolhead2]

I did just this and thought I had sorted it when two of the hoses started to blow bubbles. Checked again still pressure drop seemed dry everywhere so friend came with boroscope and we looked under inlet manifold and all dry. Then noticed weep from heater hose back of left head so tightened it and seemed ok. Pressured up and still dropping and no sign so looking at radiator from front noticed fluid pouring onto exhaust and eventually traced that to leak from water transfer housing!! Unbelievably one of the bolts was only finger tight!! Presumably this had been disturbed by fettling the heater hose. Final insult was now bottom rad hose leaking. I had just replaced all the hoses but not fitted the clamp properly. So now the pressure sltill drops slowly and I hope replacing the water transfer housing gasket will sort that. The only saving grace is that it all happened in the garage and not on a motorway in the rain. I’d already done the inlet manifold gaskets as there was a small but visible leak and it seems dry now.So much for preventative maintenance by an me. This car was driving around prior to me getting it in January and engine runs well

[Dieter H. Marschall]

There is no coolant in the V. Nor is there coolant on the garage floor. But the rhs carpet is damp (not wet) and shows the typical blueish discoulouring by the coolant. So if I do not magae to get the heater valve tight, I will simply disable (and maybe empty) the heater. As the typical "summer only" driver I do not need it anyway....
Thank you all for your help!
Best wishes,
Dieter - from Germany.

[jbuckl]

There is no coolant in the V. Nor is there coolant on the garage floor. But the rhs carpet is damp (not wet) and shows the typical blueish discoulouring by the coolant. So if I do not magae to get the heater valve tight, I will simply disable (and maybe empty) the heater. As the typical "summer only" driver I do not need it anyway....
Thank you all for your help!
Best wishes,
Dieter - from Germany.

I found wd40 can help the heater valve to reseal and work without leaks for quite some time too…. 4 years.

can supply an extractor tool and seal and cap head screw if needed.

pm me if you want.