Sudden Coolant Loss - Please Help

[FrostyB]

Hi All

I have a 1997 diesel that was fully serviced by an approved Bongo dealer approx 6 months ago. They checked the coolant system and put in anti freeze. The van has been idle over the winter and brought back into service a couple of weels ago for its MOT (passed first time!!). I have driven around 250 miles over the past few days and this evening, after parking, I noticed a major leak of coolant running out - about half way back. The van hadn't overheated and there was still some left in the header tank when the leak stopped.

What can I do? I am currently in Portland, Dorset and don't know of any local garage to take it to.

Thanks in advance

Jane

[mikexgough]

Have you been using the Air Conditioning?....if so it is probably water from the condenser dropping onto the ground after your parked up..

Check the coolant tomorrow morning, use a pencil or lolly stick or similar as a dipstick......it should be 20mm or 3/4 inch from the bottom of the stick, remember to keep the "dipstick" vertical though....

[nfn]

Don't drive it. First, to be fully certain that it's coolant, let it cool down. It's slightly unusual that you still have coolant in the header tank given that it was running out of the bottom of the van -- but the header tank level should eventually drop as the engine cools.

You should be able to spot a big leak if it's from a hose, or possibly the rear heater matrix (if it's originating from the middle of the van). The rear heater matrix can be bypassed -- but you'll need to have a mechanic fix the leak. Make sure they follow the system bleeding factsheet on this site, or watch the Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRAKOSxgbKo
Replacing a hose or bypassing the heater matrix shouldn't take a mechanic too long, and is not difficult -- it's the bleeding bleeding that's specific to bongos and must be followed.

[froghandler]

Hi

This does sound very similar to my experience.

When my rear heater matrix went I was about 2 miles from home. I'd pulled over having been alerted that the temp had risen and seen what looked to be a good flow of liquid coming out about halfway down the van on the drivers side. I didn't know what this was at the time and there was still plenty of coolant in the header tank.

We drove about a mile to pull onto a layby to have a proper look to determine the problem and decided it was deinitely coolant. After about 20 mins we drove the last mile home, and on arrival there was still some coolant in the header tank but it still looked a steady flow coming from halfway down the van and did take a while to totally drain, which I was quite surprised at.

We've a full side conversion so haven't bothered replacing the heater matrix and temporarily bypassed it ourselves and bled it before taking it to a garage to be permanently blanked off. I was cheeky and insisted on doing the bleeding myself - they were quite happy with this as they'd so much work on

[Umm]

Had a similar experience, coolant alarm stopped me from starting and found the coolant about halfway underneath and header at min. Found that the pipe at top of head, bleed hose had perished and leaked.

Si

[PJ1]

Same topic different place. I also have also had minimal coolant loss. I did about 10 miles then parked up then found I'd water coming from (about 1/2 pint) the tank overflow. The level has dropped in the tank and the coolant is clear. It hadn't overheated and when there is no coolant loss when it's cooled down or when stood. Could it be a problem with the cap or somethig more sinister? Does anyone know of a Bongo specialist in the Solihull / West Mids area?

[mikexgough]

Interestingly MHO engineering in Japan are doing a survey just now on coolants and how they evaporate over time, bearing in mind the time scales they use for coolant changes, they see many vehicles go from High to Low over a period of 1 year in the Japanese climate....with no coolant losses...just hot/cold cycle evaporation and the survey is covering Nissan/Mazda/Subaru/Toyota/Daihatsu/Suzuki, I look forward to their results.

As for the threads coolant losses, careful investigation is needed to assertain where and how any losses are occurring....best to start simple with the usual suspects.....hose clamps, hoses for small leaks, radiator seams etc.... but do bear in mind my previous comment about Air Con use in these hot days as water will fall from the condensers when you are stationary after a run, from the centre front of Bongo and around the rear heater location on the offside which can give the impression all is not well......if your temp gauge is modded to work via the factsheet or Mason then you will see the engine getting hot .... and as the Original poster said the Bongo didn't overheat and there was still coolant in the header tank..... I think further information is needed

[stuc]

Yesterday after about 8 miles and air con on i fuelled up at garage and a bloke pointed out steam from front end. I pulled to side lifted bonnet but steam had stopped. Could smell coolant but no leak so drove straight back home and swopped cars. When i came back and bongo was cool i removed cover and there was coolant on underside of cover and down rear of radiator. I ran it up to temp till bottom hose was red hot but no leak to be found. is this a similar problem. Bit worried as i have just done matrix and stat.

[TechnoTurkey]

Re the last post, I bet your rad has a vent pipe by the radiator cap - this isn't needed on the Bongo and can be blocked off.

I had exactly the same thing on mine.

[stuc]

It has and that looked like the area it was coming from. Is it known to spit coolant out of here?

[TechnoTurkey]

Yep, the factory radiators do not have this and some aftermarket replacements do.

Put a bit of rubber pipe on it with a bolt jammed up it and a couple of jubilee clips to hold it all tight.

If the system ever needs venting under pressure then this will happen through the header tank without problem.

I am certain that this is what caused your coolant loss as exactly the same happened to me...

[wonkanoby]

and check the rad cap is 1.1 bar as i recall

[nfn]

Same topic different place. I also have also had minimal coolant loss. I did about 10 miles then parked up then found I'd water coming from (about 1/2 pint) the tank overflow. The level has dropped in the tank and the coolant is clear. It hadn't overheated and when there is no coolant loss when it's cooled down or when stood. Could it be a problem with the cap or somethig more sinister?

This sounds different to the original post, and worst case scenario could have been caused by pressurization of the coolant (i.e., a leaking head gasket). Could also just be that the expansion tank was overfilled. You should investigate or have someone else do it, and check the coolant level often.