water loss
 

hI I WONDERED if anybody has had this problem did a journey about 3 mls this morning on returning to my car i had lost alot of water i topped it up retuned home topped it up again as expansion tank empty i have put 2lts in it and it just dissapears with or without motor running . I do have a little bit on the floor but not enough to the ammount i topped up .temp gage staying normal no visible signs of leaks checked in the v has its a 2002 2ltr no water checked oil no visible signs of water the engine sounds good no undue rattles so dont suspect water pump i cant at this moment get the car raised to get the under tray off for closer inspection as ive just had a knee replacment SO iff any body as any sugestions i would be gratful many thanks Rod

Rod,

Start by carrying out the 'demist test' to check that your radiator fan is working on its slow speed.

Simon

The favourite spot on the V6 is the thermostat housing, which sits in the V.
A lot of water can escape because of leaks here.! It will evaporate because of the heat so you might not see a lot, but there will be evidence if you check the centre of the engine.
Another way water can escape is from the filler cap. They get tired after a number of years, and can let water out, which is also difficult to trace.
Water pumpr, engine oil cooler, radiator and expansion box, as well as the two pipes running to the oil cooler in front of the engine below the radiator, are also fav. spots!! Check all hoses, hose clamps and plastic parts as well.
Lastly the water pump often leaks, usually to be seen only near the pulley, where the water runs out.
Write the type of engine in your avatar, so we know if 4 or 6 cyl!
Lastly don't overfill, it will always spit out excess water in the system. The correct level is quite low.!
Check often!! and fill only when cold.
If your fan is not working, you will also loose water. It should come on at around 100 degrees plus.

water loss
 

thanks for that info the fan is working has it should no signs in the v i poked a rag in it no signs of water a all without the engine running i can pour a 2ltr bottle of water in the expansion tank and it dissapears imediatley so i would suspect hose ,rad, core plug or expansion bottle holed so 2ltrs in should in theory be 2 ltrs out but its not i dont know were its going many thanks Rod

The water is lost, either to the outside, or to the inside of the engine.
Check if you have mayo under the oil filler cap. If not, and if the oil is clean and not the looks of a coffee with cream, the loss is to the outside, and you are chasing a leak!
If a leak, go through all the points above, one by one, starting with the water pump. Check for any trace of water or discolouring near the pulley.
Then take all the others in turn.
Park on a piece of cardboard, and check if any water is spilled when parked.
Which model 75 have you got???

hi the oil is clean no mayo and the level is has it should be has i said in the post i am losing a bit externaly but not the amount i am putting in i have not been able to put on ramps or take the under tray off but looking from the top motor its only damp to the left side of rad not totally wet my motor is a 2002 v 6 20 ltr automatic 75 it has to be a major leak as it empties right away but thers not much coming out to whats being put in i have felt under exp/bottle bone dry all hoses seem to be dry i am at a loss at the moment thanks Rod

Hello Rod,

I see from an earlier post of yours that on 5th July you had the coolant changed by Horner's of Manchester. I bet you have an air lock because they didn't follow the specific MGR filling/bleeding procedure for the KV6. We've come across this before.

Simon

I reckon there is an outside possibility that a former MGR garage, now Xpart, may employ MGR trained mechanics that have actual experience of working on MGR products, using MGR procedures.

Or even more remote, you may find that you are not the only person in the entire universe to know how to drain and refill the cooling system on a V6 75 or ZT.

Your utter contempt for anyone who works within the bounds of the motor trade is absolutely astounding Simon :getmecoat:

In answer to the OP's question, if your car is consuming water in the sort of quantities you describe, then there is either a major external leak, or the jacket water is being consumed internally.

As as you are not experiencing cross contamination of jacket water and lube oil, are there any signs of steam emission from the exhaust?

Brian :D

If it's not the thermostat housing, the fan, the water pump, the filler cap or an airlock … it MIGHT be the radiator (the plastic elbows get brittle over time), an inlet manifold gasket (the escaping water tends to sneak away following the contours of the engine so you don't notice it) or any one of your hoses, hidden away as a lot of them are under loads of other stuff.

Apart from that the cooling system on these hardly ever goes wrong.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Bwahhaha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha,:D ROTFL:D