Radiator Cap

[rhume]

Hi,

Have been loosing fluid from cooling system with no obvious drips or leaks. Have had a test done for Hydrocarbons in cooling system which was negative so don't think it is head gasket. Am going to change radiator cap. Does anyone know the correct spec or part nos. The one that is on at present has 1.2 on it but don't know what this relates to.

This is a 2004 3L diesel

Cheers,

Richard

 

[solarman216]

just pop into your local motor factors with your reg and they will get you the correct part, Rick

 

[Kishada]

Even a genuine one from Nissan is only about a tenner!

 

[briggie]

in my humble opinion its pointless getting a used one , as the rubber seal may be perished ...... new ones are cheap and easy to get hold of

 

[zippy656]

Water pump can leak very little, just an idea

 

[R1cho]

there is also a pipe that comes off the water pump that has a jubilee clip on that can come loose, this can leak with no signs as it leaks straight on to the engine and evaporates

 

[rhume]

Thanks for the replies guys.

This has really got me stumped. The garage put a replacement cap on till I could get a new one from Nissan or a factors.

Drove the car for about 10 miles yesterday and I have had to put a litre of antifreeze in it this morning. Was not convinced about cap anyway as I would have expected there to be signs of water under the bonnet if it was being vented from the expansion tank or radiator cap and there are non.

Garage said they ran the car for 1 hour in the garage and lost no water so it appears to happen only when engine is under load.

The pipe dropping onto the hot engine and evaporating sounds promising. Will go and have a look at that next.

Cheers.

 

[rustic]

Also check your interior heater matrix, wet carpets etc.

TIP...
Always carry a 6" length of 15mm copper pipe and a couple of jubliee clips.
Reason... if the matrix leaks, you can by-pass it from the pipes under the bonnet.

OK you will freeze your ****s off but you can still get home.
Had this on a Sierra, luckily it was a company car, as they had to take the whole dash out to do it.

Thinking about the Series 2 LR, the smiths heater just sat there on the passenger side with 2 little doors on, easy to get to.
Some Series 2's never had them fitted anyway.:doh

best regards,

Rustic

 

[danielj]

You sure water pump is ok? It's not always easy to see water leaking from the pump. Any water around the top of the radiator. Is there a sponge strip of foam between the top of your rad and the front panel and if so is it wet?

 

[rhume]

HI,

There is no water around top of radiator, the carpets are dry inside and the heater works well. With the amount of fluid it is using would you not expect to see fluid on the drive?

cheers
Rick

 

[danielj]

HI,

There is no water around top of radiator, the carpets are dry inside and the heater works well. With the amount of fluid it is using would you not expect to see fluid on the drive?

cheers
Rick

Had serious water leak on mine for a good while and couldn't figure it out as water seem to be evaporating and didn't seem to leak much when stationary on the drive. Had water leak that serious twice, once due to water pump and other due to leak at top of rad. If it's not either of those in your case then suggestions of the other members on here should help throw a bit of light on the subject. Good luck with it.

 

[Kishada]

One of my heater hoses that runs over the injectors has clearly had an issue at some point before I got the vehicle.
It's been cut and someone has put a joiner in.
This is totally concealed under the intercooler and the coolant would be evaporating straight on to a hot cylinder head with a leak there!

 

[geoffdown]

there is also a pipe that comes off the water pump that has a jubilee clip on that can come loose, this can leak with no signs as it leaks straight on to the engine and evaporates

might not have that pipe u talk of as it a 3l not a 2.7tdi they might be differnt not sure:thumbs

 

[rhume]

That might explain why I was having some difficulty in locating it. The 3L engine bay is like a tin of sardines. Everything is pretty packed in. Reminds me of our V6 Ford Cougar where removing the alternator was like doing keyhole surgery.:lol
Cheers R

 

[firebobby]

I know in the past, if I had a coolant leak on a vehicle, you would smell the stuff if it was being burnt off

 

[rhume]

Stupid question I know, but what did it smell of ??

Burnt toast? Daffodils? Old Spice?

Mine just smells of old engine

 

[ssteve]

Hi,

Does anyone know the correct spec or part nos. The one that is on at present has 1.2 on it but don't know what this relates to.

This is a 2004 3L diesel

Cheers,

Richard

1.2 should be the pressure (bar) but someone may have fitted a incorrect one in the past
motor factors will know correct pressure

ssteve

 

[Terrano]

Water pump can leak very little, just an idea

Mines leaking a bit now, not much but just enough to piss me off, I started to notice a flow of wet stuff underneath but couldn't see anything obvious and checked the coolant and noticed it needing topping up, topped it up and checked it again a couple of days later and it needed topping up again, so I put it up in the air and took the sump guard off to see coolant dripping from the black part of the viscous on the water pump.

 

[firebobby]

Stupid question I know, but what did it smell of ??

Burnt toast? Daffodils? Old Spice?

Mine just smells of old engine

Depends what you have been putting in your radiator:augie

 

[rhume]

The news is all bad

Well,

I finally gave up with the muppet in the first garage I took the car to as he kept delaying and delaying sorting the problem out with the water leak. At first told me it was not leaking and I must have imagined it!! Missed a day of work and a skiing trip with his faffing about.

Took it to another 4x4 specialist and the results are back. Exhaust gases in the cooling system so its the gasket or the head thats gone. I had guessed as much as started to get steam from exhaust in reasonable quantity. Strange thing is that there is no sludge in oil filler cap.

Obviously hoping it is just the gasket but suspect that bloke who sold me the car knew there was a problem so might have cooked the engine. I fear that this is going to be financially painfull. Also sump is rotten so needs replacing.