Water leak. please help me find it

[Welly]

Good idea Puggy

[biglamb]

You guys are tops. as it has been passisting it down all day here. i will be doing the flush tommorow. I have got a 5ltr pot of antifreeze, so it looks like its all of in. im gonna flush with water first and then fill up properly. I suppose i can do the thermostat at the same time. it cant hurt. im on a mission. cheers.

[teamster1975]

Fingers crossed for you lamby!

[biglamb]

slight development here guys.

Yesturday, before i did the flush. i did about 90 miles and the light flicked on once. so when i got home i topped up. but it only took about half what it usualy takes after a 50 mile run. But as i was looking to topping her up i was checking how hard the flush would be. so i had the engine running and the bleeds open. so i thought thats why it didnt take too much. Any way. i then went to work as normal. and no light apeared. 25 miles to work and then 25 back. normally the light flicks on as i get to work, and then on the way home, about 5 miles in its on to stay. but no light all the way home. so i got home and went to bed. This morning i checked the level when cold and it was normal. just where it should be. I really am scratching my hed now.

So, i got the antifreeze, and i know there is none in the system anyway, so ill flush anyway. It cant harm. I fashioned a header tank out of my old cap, and it was pants. it just leaked. but then without the springed preassure seal, i suppose it would. So mk2 was made out of another cap wich happend to fit. from an old jerry can. That was as good as it was gonna be.

As steve found on his, i also have no drain on my rad. So off came the bottom pipe. Im not scared of the mess or getting wet. I love it. Good job really. So empty system, all bleeds open. i fill er up. Filled up engine running. so far so good. But a waited an hour for the stat to open and all the water to drain from the tank, ready to fill up. But it never came water temp sat at 90. so i agve up and went for a drive. Just 5 miles. temp shot straight down to 75-80 ish after the 1st mile and was then constant. gets back and checks the level. Doh! i should of let it all cool down. i got blasted with red hot water. nice.!! So due to that little accident i lost a far bit out of the top due to the pressure. So i thought sod it, draind the system again. Started again and filled with antifreeze this time. Lovely stuff. All seems ok. git the 5 lts of halfraurds finest in and bled it up. all seems ok. Pushed a fair but of water through the bleeds befor the antifreeze came through then locked them off. Just gonna let it all settle, while i have my dinner and type you all this diary extract. (i bet ur all board stiff reading it) Then im off for a drive to see whats what. and then ill check my levels again. and top up if neccessery. I pressume any excess water is spat out somewhere. So once again fingers crossed for no orange leaks. But to quite honest i think the last time this car was bled, iw was not done correctly, and that has caused the water loss, not a leak. My theory is that, it has been filled, but none has gone past the stat, and therefore the tank has not emptied. I have never really gone fast enough, or sat in traffic long enough to heat the engine up enough to open the stat. but on the few occations it has it has take the water, Hence the drop in tank, and the warning light. And if then i top up when the engine is cold, Same again. not getting past the stat. But the first time i topp up with a warm running engine, with bleeds open. no water drop / loss on the next journy. Sound good to me sherlock. Or maybe im talking cack, and the pug fairies have fixed it for me. Answers on a post card.
Right enough rambeling from me. You all have a nice day, and ill let you know the results later. Hopefull i wont type as much next time.

[DaiRees]

Good essay!

Hope it's sorted for ya

[Welly]

If the top and bottom hose are hot then the stat IS opening - worth checking. You would not be able to drive more than 4 or 5 miles with the stat closed - the stat normally works rettyclose to it's seat and constantly opens/closes as the temperature dictates.

Sounds like the system could have had air in before?

[puggy]

hope its cured for you and it was as simple as a air lock, just one thing
though ,i could be wrong ,but thermostats always open once running
temp is reached it allows the flow of water to the radiator so it can
be cooled,stats are used to keep the water around the engine so that it warms
up quickly and the internal heating can be used once warm it has got to flow
to the rad to cool or will eventually evaporate and result in cooked head,i
doubt even a pug runs cool enough for this system not to apply.
Fingers crossed you have cured it

[puggy]

bugger bugger bugger !!! bloody quick
of the mark that welly chap

[teamster1975]

Sounds like you've had a result lamby, fingers stilled crossed!

[mjb]

gets back and checks the level. Doh! i should of let it all cool down. i got blasted with red hot water. nice.!!

Owwwww! The 406 pressure cap actually has a half-open position where it'll vent under much less pressure (you'll hear a hissing on a warm engine) which is useful for not being scalded. I learned to use it the hard way too...

[biglamb]

Well i checked the levels again this morning, when the enigine was cold. and after a sucsessful 50 mile round trip to work n back last night with no light, i was hopefull. Result perfect water level. so i hope and honestly think iv sorted it. There was some antifreeze residue around the base of the filler cap, but i expected some leakage from the cap as the leve found its self. So all is looking good.!

Thank you all for your help and advice on this thread.

next project is the full service. Ill start a new thread for that. but i should be fine on that. lol i hope.

I also bought a none smoker kit, the centre console storage. im sure i have seen a how too thread here some where on this. ill be doing that soon too.

[mjb]

I also bought a none smoker kit, the centre console storage. im sure i have seen a how too thread here some where on this. ill be doing that soon too.

How much are they? A big problem with the V6 is that if I forget to open the ashtray lid to hold everything in place, I end up with my wallet, fags, lighter, etc floating around one of the footwells! A closing door would be very nice!

As for how to fit, just use a flathead screwdriver to lever it out from where the ashtray panel meets the gearstick, detach the ashtray light and pull it out before slapping the new one in place... Easy

[biglamb]

sorted.
i fit it today when i was stuck in traffic. it litlery took 3 mins and no tools. and as a bonus i found £6.35 and 3 Euro 25 cent underneath the ashtray, plus some unspeakable dirt, grime and filth. but a kfc wet wipe sorted that. As for the price, the stealer wanted £22 ish inc vat or £33 ish in vat fitted. it really does make a difference and is quit big too.

[Welly]

as a bonus i found £6.35 and 3 Euro 25 cent underneath the ashtray

Sorry biggy - we have a tradition on here that whoever finds money in there 406 has to share it amongst the other members.

Rules are rules

*looks forward to receiving 26 pence in the post*

[biglamb]

Oh no!!!
disaster strikes.!!
Just when i thought i had fixed it. The bottom plastic hose at the bottom of the radiator decides to detach itsself from the rad!!! on the m62 with a tonne of trailer behine me. Throwing £16 worth of halfrauds finest antifreeze all over the 1st lane. Doh! Silly me. as i have no drain tap on me rad it ried ti detatch this plastic pipe from the rad to drain the system. but try as i might i couldnt. So i gave up and pulled the hose that goes into it off instead. looks like all my tugging did moer than i first thought.
luckily i pulled over and no real harm was done. And as i had loads of water in my boot from before i was able to do a quick is roadside repair. Clever me. How bad it this?!! i so thought i had fixed this.
so now i have to do it all again. as i have no antifreeze now. Doh! so just to be damn certain i have bought a few pipes and a new thermostat, to install as im on the job.
At the local stealers getting me bits, the chap said that a common cause of water loss on theses hdi engines in that the enine cover supports snap and the vibrating rattling result of an engine cover rubs the top of the stat housing through, just enough that a pressured system can loose and amout of water as steam through the resulting hole. so for £6 im changing that too.

Im sorry to all who are finding this a bid boring. But its like a diary of my troubles and it helps me look at them logically by typing them down. So the ramblings continue. Hurrayy!