Coolant Loss

[loz1971]

HELP! My car has developed a strange loss of coolant, there isn't any split hoses,and there isn't any puddles under the car. I know the first thing you'r thinking is head gasket, but that was changed only a couple of months ago when the number one spark plug decided to 'pop' out of the head!on the A30 and there isn't any water in the oil and I can't smell exhaust gases in the coolant (when its there)
The strange thing is that it never runs hot and never actually loses all of its coolant.I have changed the radiator cap and exspansion tank at the weekend, but by today (wednesday) the coolant level has dropped.
Any help you can give will be appreciated as always.

On another note, the acceleration hesitation I was suffering from a while ago came back whilst I was driving through france 5 months ago. Took it to a French Peugeot garage and he knew what was wrong straight away!! the coil pack was knackered! he very kindly sold me another one (ouch that was exspensive!) and the car now runs like new again, expect that the coolant is vanishing. Maybe he did something to the car!?!!

[mjb]

My money's on the radiator, especially if it's a petrol.

Took me ages to figure out that my tubby's rad was shot because the only clues for months were everyone's cars seemed a bit smokier when I pulled up behind them at lights (it was actually steam from my rad) and the undertray was damp. No drips or anything, just a frightening loss of coolant. Have a look for any coloured stains on the radiator and if so try some radweld and look at fitting a replacement

[muffindell]

May be the heater matrix is leaking, check the front foot wells for damp.

[teamster1975]

Have a check around the thermostat housing too for any staining; if it is leaking around there you'll have a pool of coolant in the cubby hole beneath it.
You may have guessed, I've got the same problem!

[bangernom1cs]

HI,
I had the same problem a few years back with my 1.9. using a pint or two each week etc.
Tried a new rad, thermostat housing etc. Drove me nuts until one day when on the ramp......
Eventually it was traced to a small plastic water jacket buried on the back of the engine block, where the metal pipe which goes along the inner wing meets up. Its near the turbo and like the rocker covers uses cheap plastic which degrades quickly and becomes brittle with heat with the usual consequences. £9.00 quid later and its used no water ever since.
Worth a try?

Tony

[loz1971]

Hello Again,
Fixed the coolant loss, turned out to be the rad and the engine block water jacket! but now all is well and the coolant stays in the engine like it's supposed to

Thank you for your advice again, as always very helpful. the only other thing relating to the coolant is the temprature that my D8 runs at, it has always settled at about 70c on the temp guage, is this the normal temprature?? When refilling the coolant as described in the Haynes manual the temprature goes up to 93c and the fans kick in as they should, but under normal driving with the aircon on auto it never goes above 70c.
I have tried driving with the aircon off and it still stays the same. I changed the thermostat a short while back because I thought that might be the cause but no change. Am I worrying about nothing?
also when the aircon is on are both the fans supposed to run at the same time?