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Coolant leaks - again

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Paschal   
Tue Apr 17 2018, 12:12pm
Joined: Feb 09 2011
Member No: #375
Location: Meath
Hello fellow C6 drivers! I hope life is good with you all. I also hope I'm not duplicating a sticky thread. I recently posted a reply to a potential owner singing the praises of the C6 and you know what follows that!

Anyway I've struck trouble again and would appreciate your thoughts. Problem started while I was stopped after driving in traffic, left engine running to keep the cabin warm then I heard a "puff". Got out to check and to shorten it transpired that I had blown a hole in the top of the cooling rad.

Got recovered to favourite garage turned out he could fix it by making a plug (like rawlplug). Got all happy again made two 200km trips with no apparent loss of coolant.

Now after a few short trips I have coolant flooding out over the end of the engine ( left side as you look in from the front) which seems like it might be the coolant outlet housing aka thermostat housing again. I'm worried that the root cause might be a leaky cylinder head gasket. So please has anyone been down the cylinder head gasket road (and if so have would you care to share he experience - how long without food, hair loss etc..) and has anyone had a second (or more) spontaneous failure of the coolant outlet housing? Or anything similar even.

Also can you confirm my suspicion that not having had an overheating warning does not mean that it didn't get too hot?
travlician   
Tue Apr 17 2018, 01:38pm
Joined: Jan 22 2011
Member No: #350
Location: Paradera
As for the overheat warning, it will not work with a coolant leak because the temperature wont be able to reach the temperature to trigger that warning (App 115 degrees centigrade, well over boiling temp if not pressurized). I had my radiator leaking after a force DPF regeneration, the top cracked and could not be repaired.
C6Dave   
Tue Apr 17 2018, 05:39pm

Joined: Oct 01 2009
Member No: #1
Location: Northumberland
If it's at the left side (looking from the front) it could also be the water pump.

Has that been changed when the timing belt was done?
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Paschal   
Tue Apr 17 2018, 07:03pm
Joined: Feb 09 2011
Member No: #375
Location: Meath
Thanks for that. I believe that it has but I think my leak is coming from a point that looks like it can only be the coolant outlet / thermostat housing. I was hoping to learn if anyone has found it necessary to replace that part a second time as I replaced it about 5 years ago.
gmerry   
Wed Apr 18 2018, 08:24am
Joined: Dec 11 2009
Member No: #21
Location: Scotland
Hi Paschal, I started a post several years ago documenting age/mileage of thermostat housing failures. Some like mine were on cars only about 6-7 years old and lowish miles.

On that basis, 5 years might indeed just be a case that the 2nd thermostat housing has failed.

In your case, I would replace the thermostat housing, leak test the complete cooling system and then instal a low level warning switch into the reservoir tank (covered in a sticky).

Until you have done all that, I would not worry too much about a blown head gasket.

Best regards
GMerry

PS, also a good idea to test the pressure cap and make sure it relieves pressure at around 1.4 bar - from memory
Paschal   
Wed Apr 18 2018, 07:47pm
Joined: Feb 09 2011
Member No: #375
Location: Meath
Thanks gmerry for the upward looking and encouraging comments. I've decided to bring it to my local M.D. and to let them find and repair the leak and to go on from there as you suggest. Fingers crossed for the gasket - very crossed!
cruiserphil   
Thu Apr 19 2018, 08:56am

Joined: Jan 24 2010
Member No: #38
Location: Celbridge
Hello Paschal,

If you had head gasket trouble I would expect to see excessive pressure inn the header tank.

Best regards,

Phil C.
 

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