Patrick_Devlin Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Looks like the HG is gone on the car, although I'm not too sure... Took the car into the garage for a service and MOT last week and also to check out a possible coolant leak. The car had been off the road since September. Anyway, the guy tells me that the rad is stuffed and suggests a re-core. OK I thought... Picked the car up on Saturday and drove a whole mile home at low speed (50mph tops) and low boost and find out the rad is leaking when I get home I take it back to him and he says that the seal between the core and bottom tank is leaking. This morning he rings me to tell me that the radiator people are suggesting that a Head Gasket leak may have caused it to 'over pressure' . There is also a sign of some oily gunk in the rad hoses. Obviously I dont want the head gasket to have gone. Cant believe it has given the cars recent usage (does this have anything to do with it???) Can I have your opinions please folks? Are there any tests that can be done to confirm failure? Cheers and fingers crossed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Most unlikely to be the head gasket. Any MOT test place should be able to sniff the air space above the coolant in the rad for hydrocarbon content using their 4 gas analyser. If you don't have MOT because you are in Ireland ring around for a garage with either an HC gas analyser, or a combustion gasses in coolant sniffer kit. Snap On make them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Do you have any other classic symptoms? Creamy gunk on the oil cap/dip stick for instance. Is the coolant/water discoloured / oil film on it? How old is the car/what mileage? I know this isn't entirely relevant, but I wouldn't expect BHG unless you've done a lot of miles or really cranked up the performance etc. It's not gotten too cold where you are has it? Plenty of antifreeze? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_y3k Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Do you have an auto ? Garage told me my HG had gone, but we managed to find out that it was the Tranny fluid cooler thats in the rad had cracked and thats where the oily gunk was coming from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bedlam Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Well you can't check anything till you got another rad in there. Once in like the others have said oil and water mixing..water out the exhaust system when at normal running temp.hose's very hard went at running temp.and even then it could be the water pump thats went. Some garages just love to jump on the Head gasket thats at fault nice pay outta the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Matt has a auto TT rad for sale here, could be worth a pm? Pm'ed as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_Devlin Posted January 26, 2005 Author Share Posted January 26, 2005 Thanks for the replies guys, I'll get onto the mechanic now and ask him to carry out a few more tests. The rad should be back today from being fixed so I'll ask him to do a bit of sniffing and to check tranny fluid cooler. Fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TLicense Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 I take it back to him and he says that the seal between the core and bottom tank is leaking. This morning he rings me to tell me that the radiator people are suggesting that a Head Gasket leak may have caused it to 'over pressure' . There is also a sign of some oily gunk in the rad hoses. Me thinks he's talking bollox. Unless you've got a super stiff spring on the rad cap then it should vent out of there as steam way before the pressure build up to crack a rad itself, especially a new. Sounds like the rad people are trying to get out of any kind of warranty. Tell him that you've had it tested and it's not got a blown HG, and that it was just the rad that was sub-standard. I know that's jumping to the conclusion that it's not got a blwn HG, but that's no worse than the assumption they made that it had. Hope you get it sorted.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_Devlin Posted January 26, 2005 Author Share Posted January 26, 2005 Tony, The radiator has had a new core... when it was looked at again, a leak was found at the bottom of the core between the core and the bottom tank! OK, the Rad Man might say that its the HG to cover his back, but at the moment the rad is back with them being fixed, hopefully properly this time!!! We'll wait til tomorrow to see if things work OK when it's all put back together again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeb Posted January 26, 2005 Share Posted January 26, 2005 I had a rad re-cored. Was fine for 13 months (had a 1 year guarantee), then started leaking from the joint. Drove the car in to the place to show him the leak. First thing he said was 'your head gasket must have gone and the rad cap must be faulty'. Took the rad in for them to recrimp with new seals etc. He pressure tested it and found it was leaking at well under 1 bar. Anyway, when he got it apart he found the cause was the plastic end cap had cracked and split on the face to the core. I argued that they must have caused it when the crimped the new core on, or that the paint they had used made the plastic go brittle and crack. In the end he got me a new radiator at cost price, as it was only just out of warranty. I am talking Celica rad, not Supra. Just assumed they might have the similar plastic top and bottom caps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_Devlin Posted January 27, 2005 Author Share Posted January 27, 2005 The rad cap is under a year old, so I'm waiting for that excuse. The mechanic knows that I'm running 1.2bar so I'll make sure the rad people have presure tested it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffvalenti Posted January 27, 2005 Share Posted January 27, 2005 Patrick, mikeb is talking pressure in the rad, not boost pressure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_Devlin Posted January 27, 2005 Author Share Posted January 27, 2005 Oops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_Devlin Posted January 27, 2005 Author Share Posted January 27, 2005 Well, I've just had the garage on the phone and the news is good. The rad has been repaired and he's carried out tests on the cylinders and 'chemical block' test and he can find no evidence to say the HG has gone, and there is no longer any evidence of coolant leak! Fingers crossed that all will be ok... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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