hi everyone i drive a 03 plate octavia and its starting to have problems when i start it its telling me its over heating but the engine is cold there is a water leak from somewhere but i cant see . Where are the comon places for leaks on the tank any help would be great

Edited 23 January, 201214 yr by amytrev

If you are getting a red flashing temperature sign when you start the car it is actually the low coolant alarm. This is normally caused by the two metal prongs in the expansion tank getting mucky which breaks the circuit. Try taking the top off the expansion tank and give the two prongs a scrape with a screwdriver.

Well worth trying; the prongs in question are obvious when you open the pressure cap, and it took me about 30s, 2 years ago.

Unless you actually have a coolant leak, in which case you're looking for rusty or white crystaline staining, probably around a pipe join or a core plug.