<span class="highlight">radiator</span> issues
Submitted: Monday, Aug 30, 2010 at 20:56
ThreadID:
81061
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Replies:
4
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krambergamo
hi there, my
radiator keeps losing water. i lent my hilux 1996 diesel 4x4 for 7 weeks and car driven in not difficult conditions. it was also making a whistling noise near the
radiator after i switched off the engine. after i put in 3 litres to fill the
radiator, it has not whistled.
after a flush and refill the other day, and a short trip, there was dripping of coolant from the
radiator (at the bottom). cap dry, no water in the overflow, no hose ruptures. today, no leaking after running for a while. i took it to the local mechanic and he suggested that it has a cracked head. note also, the
radiator is less than 1 year old.
i'm confused. ideas?
Reply By: SDG - Monday, Aug 30, 2010 at 22:30
Monday, Aug 30, 2010 at 22:30
Get a pressure
test at
radiator joint. They are also able to
test for carbon dioxide (or is it monoxide) in the water which indicates a blown head.
Look at your dip stick. Milky colour indicates water in your oil meaning head leak.
These are usually free
You may be lucky and just have a leak in your
radiator.
AnswerID:
428978
Follow Up By: SDG - Monday, Aug 30, 2010 at 22:31
Monday, Aug 30, 2010 at 22:31
Friend had same problem. Had a core
breakdown, resulting in a small leak.
FollowupID:
699699
Follow Up By: Member - peter f (VIC) - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 00:43
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 00:43
diesel oil doesn,t go milky like a petrol engine ,thats what I have experienced
its much harder to pick it up
mechpete
FollowupID:
699704
Follow Up By: SDG - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 01:04
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 01:04
I learn something new every day.
I guess oils really aint oils
FollowupID:
699705
Follow Up By: krambergamo - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 07:43
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 07:43
thanks for the advice. not sure if they have the pressure
test facility where i am (arnhem land remote community), but i'll
check it out. i had checked for the milky oil, but as peter says, no milky colour, but that doesn't mean not blown head.
what about some barzleak (sp?) if it is potentially a blown head? does this work for diesel?
FollowupID:
699706
Follow Up By: Member - Chris & Debbie (QLD) - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 19:48
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 19:48
Peter,
Can you explain why the diesel engines you have seen which have had the oil contaminated with water not gone milky?
I can say as a diesel fitter I have never experienced this.
Chris
FollowupID:
699758
Follow Up By: Member - peter f (VIC) - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 20:58
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 20:58
gooday ,
when we ran 6.5lt GMCs they had a problem with porous blocks and
it was difficult to see the contamination of the oil , not sure why .
mechpete
FollowupID:
699771
Follow Up By: fisho64 - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 23:14
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 23:14
ditto the milky oil-Ive never heard that. Diesel oil isnt that much different from petrol, in fact in many cases you can use the same.
FollowupID:
699789
Reply By: Roughasguts - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 08:17
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 08:17
With the
radiator cap off and engine idling from cold, do you get frothing from the
radiator ? If so blown head gaskett.
AnswerID:
428987
Reply By: WATTS2C - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 08:53
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 08:53
we had a similar issue - albeit a ford petrol. turned out a fine hairline crack in the head which was fixed with some liquid metal by our mechanic - after a year still going fine...
AnswerID:
428990
Reply By: howesy - Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 23:08
Tuesday, Aug 31, 2010 at 23:08
When my hilux got a cracked head the water was being pumped out to the overflow. You say yours was empty.
13-15psi in a
radiator/cooling system and 450psi in the cylinders. Stands to reason that that a cracked head would pump air (less dense) into the cooling system displacing the water. At least thats what it did to
mine.
I would be looking more at the soldering on the core has failed. If that does turn out to be the case and you get it fixed and it does it again then maybe you still have a cracked head and the constant maximum pressure in the cooling system all the time promotes early failure.
Just my experience but you may want to
check it out and checking for exhaust gasses in the cooling system is great advice but if you get a very faint reading just barely there dont worry too much flush out
well and retest.
AnswerID:
429069