Bah.

Well after gushing love for my Mk. 1 all over here for weeks she's given me a (hopefully) small issue to resolve. Probably just a test, like most women tend to do from time to time...heheh...

 

I noticed a small puddle on the floor last week - and it was very small. As we'd had rain, I thought it was just a bit of residual rainwater or something. When I dipped my finger in it, it looked colourless. I know some people might have tasted it - but if I had wanted to drink from puddles, I would have re-incarnated myself into this life as a cat...so I didn't do any further investiagtion other than a quick scout under the bonnet and under the car - at this point, I couldn't see any liquid anywhere.

 

Aaanyway - today, coolant low level light came on - flashing at me with a huge 'beeeeeep' - crikey, I nearly had a hernia. Stopping revealed the level to be nothing dramatically low, and with no obvious coolant gushing out.

 

 

Further inspection has revealed thus: Once removing the engine cover, looking at the right-hand side (as in the left side of the engine), down the side of the engine, there is a small coolant hose of about 20mm in diameter.

 

It's really hard to see - but it comes along from the front of the car, sort of with another bigger hose, and as it heads backwards it turns left 90 degrees, and then goes into the block. There is the usual factory hose clip there, and the leak seems to be at this joint.

 

I am ASSUMING that it is just a failing hose clip and joint, and that removal, cleaning of the metal fitting and re-fitting the hose (assuming it is not split) with a decent Jubilee clip, should sort it out. Right?

 

Or is there anything I need to know beforehand - like any particularly known problems etc. I don't know what the hose is for, other than it runs some coolant from somewhere to somewhere else

 

 

I bought a shed-load of new coolant today anyway, so I am armed with new stuff. I don't know how much coolant I will lose when I remove it - but actually, I've had the car 4 years now so it probably could do with a change by now.

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited 8 November, 201411 yr by Ray Luxury-Yacht

There is normally a y price on the left of the engine that cracks and leaks and it's a easy fix

You see, this ^^^^ is why I love this forum so much!

 

Thanks so much stig1 - this is exactly what it was that was leaking!

 

I whipped it off, and had a look - the plastic lip inside had started to break up a bit, and allowed the O-ring seal to fail because of that.

 

I re-fitted it temporarily with a new O-ring which allowed me to drive the car down to TPS to get a new unit.

 

£12 later and she's all sorted. Ready for winter now too with all new G30 coolant. Lovely Jubbly.

 

 

Thanks again my friend

Is yours a 20vt mate? Noticed a small leak on the right of the engine bay on mine on Saturday so hoping it's the same issue Do you have the part number of the housing?

Cheers

Is yours a 20vt mate? Noticed a small leak on the right of the engine bay on mine on Saturday so hoping it's the same issue Do you have the part number of the housing?

Cheers

 

Hello matey,

 

Yep it is a 1.8 20v turbo.

 

Your leak is possibly the same thing - the new part is S06A121132AP from TPS - £11.47 plus vat.

 

Hope this helps - let us know how you get on!

Great, cheers for that, I'll have a look at it at the weekend

Finally got around to changing the flange, was a bit easier than I thought it was going to be actually. On the one I removed the inner plastic lip for the seal was non existent so pretty confident this was the source of the slight leak. Looks to be all sorted

Finally got around to changing the flange, was a bit easier than I thought it was going to be actually. On the one I removed the inner plastic lip for the seal was non existent so pretty confident this was the source of the slight leak. Looks to be all sorted

 

Winner! So you had exactly the same problem as me.

 

Glad I could help, and double glad yours is now sorted, woohoo!!

I don't have a leak but interested to know where this pipe is located...is it near the coolant temp sensor?

I don't have a leak but interested to know where this pipe is located...is it near the coolant temp sensor?

 

Nope, this is the other side of the engine (i.e. the left side of the car).

 

It's not a pipe, it's a plastic housing which bolts onto the side of the block and has pipes running to it. It also houses the CTS.

 

There's a plastic locating ring inside the moulding for the sealing o-ring. This flange breaks up and allows the o-ring to become dislodged, and hence leak.