leakong radiator help please

[ricardo_smooth]

I changed mine about 3 weeks ago, radiator from euro car parts was very cheap for a new one

[maggiemilner]

hi all , so took car in he charged me 115 including vat, and cars running like normal now thanks god!!! thanks everyone and especially updown for offer of radiator  x x 

[Updown789]

No worries glad it's all fixed, now go enjoy it :P

[KenONeill]

hi all , so took car in he charged me 115 including vat, and cars running like normal now thanks god!!! thanks everyone and especially updown for offer of radiator  x x 

Result, oh and that's the sort of figure I'd have had in mind if I'd had to source the rad and fresh coolant.

[maggiemilner]

hi all, so more problems with this horrible car!!! since fixed its been absolutly fine, the day after new radiator, the temp light came on when i switched engine on but when i stopped and started it again it went off never to be seen again until today!! went to car this morning, and started it straight  away the light came on , checked the levels and they were a little above min, so toped up, went to shop and came back and its still on!!! i dont know what to do anymore , i actually can not afford to get it fixed at all this time , and ive already had so much done to it to stop this problem, its cold and raining really bad outside , could the cold be causing this? its still driving fine ! thanks again x 

[maggiemilner]

as soon as i put car on i had to put blowers on highest setting and hot to clear windows will this have had something to do with it?

[KenONeill]

hi all, so more problems with this horrible car!!! since fixed its been absolutly fine, the day after new radiator, the temp light came on when i switched engine on but when i stopped and started it again it went off never to be seen again until today!! went to car this morning, and started it straight  away the light came on , checked the levels and they were a little above min, so toped up, went to shop and came back and its still on!!! i dont know what to do anymore , i actually can not afford to get it fixed at all this time , and ive already had so much done to it to stop this problem, its cold and raining really bad outside , could the cold be causing this? its still driving fine ! thanks again x 

This thing's really putting you through the mill isn't it. :( :hug:

 

Still, particularly given that you've said it's cold out, this one may be free to fix. Wait until the engine is cold, then open the expansion bottle and look inside. You should see something that looks like a tuning fork pointing down into the coolant. Get a flat-bladed screwdriver, about a 5 or 6mm blade is best, and rub it down each prong 4 or 5 times. This should stop your false positive low coolant or over-heat warning.

 

Further good (relatively speaking) news. As long as it's not emitting steam from under the bonnet and you check the coolant about once a week, this is annoying rather than  actually serious.

[maggiemilner]

hi ken , yeah theres no steam etc, il try and do that later, lets hope its nothing!!  il just have to keep driving it and hope its nothing :(

[Updown789]

Mines been flashing and beeping at me ever since my hg went and i got crud in the expansion tank, if its level is ok either scrape it clean, or put up with it amd keep checking level regularly

[devonutopia]

More likely to be the sensor in the bottle?

[maggiemilner]

hi ken just rang hi all rang the garage who fixed radiator he said ive to take it down now and hel sort it he said a dodgy sensor as this is known with this car, but for a free fix hel just wipe the code and just to take in for new sensor when i have time/money . il update you when i get back 

[KenONeill]

hi ken just rang hi all rang the garage who fixed radiator he said ive to take it down now and hel sort it he said a dodgy sensor as this is known with this car, but for a free fix hel just wipe the code and just to take in for new sensor when i have time/money . il update you when i get back 

That's good of them. If cleaning the sensor as described doesn't work, a new header tank (expansion bottle) is about £15 including Clueless George's cut, and takes maybe 15 minutes to change.

If the garage has been changing computer settings, ask them if they've disabled anything else, because I know someone who had to do this, and the garage cancelled their lights on warning at the same time as the spurious coolant sensor one.

 

Oh and o/t but you're very welcome. You make me feel like I've acquired another niece, and one who's old enough and smart enough to be interesting.

[maggiemilner]

hi ken,  this car is gonna tip me over the edge  , so went to put fuel in before garage (car was at exactly right running temp) knocked car off , then put back on no bloody light took it down anyway he said must be a dodgy sensor or wire and if it happens again to take it in !! this cars gonna give me a mental break down!! thanks again for your help, no doubt il be back in a couple days with another problem haha x P.s you wouldnt want me as a niece you would be fixing my car all the time    x x

[KenONeill]

hi ken,  this car is gonna tip me over the edge  , so went to put fuel in before garage (car was at exactly right running temp) knocked car off , then put back on no bloody light took it down anyway he said must be a dodgy sensor or wire and if it happens again to take it in !! this cars gonna give me a mental break down!! thanks again for your help, no doubt il be back in a couple days with another problem haha x P.s you wouldnt want me as a niece you would be fixing my car all the time    x x

I'm not surprised.

 

The sensor works by measuring the resistance between those 2 prongs I described. Over time a deposit can build up on them increasing resistance as if the coolant level has dropped, but only when the coolant is cold. If we took every Briskodan that owns or has owned a Furbie 1 or an Octy 1 and stood them in a room arm's length from each other, then got you to throw in a tennis ball, I reckon you'd hit several people who've had this problem before it stopped bouncing!

 

(oh and I live about as far from Carlisle as you do from London).

[Updown789]

Dodgy sensor 100% my car doesn't ALWAYS do it but 90 percent of the time it does

[vindaloo]

http://myquickfix.co.uk/2011/10/skoda-fabia-vrs-temperature-beep-expansion-tank-replacement/

 

Found that article first search.

 

Tank is £15-£16 new from a dealer. NFP in buying used as the usual problem is the electrical sensor. (F stands for "flaming" or "flipping" BTW. )

[maggiemilner]

Hi all just wanted to update u all... I still have skoda used everyday lights still on but still runs perfect , iv also just bought myself a Renault Megan diesel 08 plate, I actually prefer to drive the skoda haha , just thought id let you all know its still running thanks again for all your help x x x

[KenONeill]

Thanks for the update; I was just wondering if we'd fixed it or you'd decided "good money after bad". :huggle:

 

Just check the coolant level about as often as you check oil and it'll run like that with the false positive for ever.

[Updown789]

And to update this, I sold MY skoda lol for the good money after bad reason

[SkodaFabiaOwner]

Probably not the most professional result, but 3-4 years ago I was regularly having to top up my radiator and I was dreading the cost of repair, so I stuck in some radweld in the hope it would see me through a few months and nearly 4 years later it is still holding strong and I haven't had to top up once. No idea if it's a good or a bad thing for the car, but it has been a good, cheap fix for me and has stood the test of time, hope it doesn't blow up now I've said this lol.

[TMB]

Probably not the most professional result, but 3-4 years ago I was regularly having to top up my radiator and I was dreading the cost of repair, so I stuck in some radweld in the hope it would see me through a few months and nearly 4 years later it is still holding strong and I haven't had to top up once. No idea if it's a good or a bad thing for the car, but it has been a good, cheap fix for me and has stood the test of time, hope it doesn't blow up now I've said this lol.

 

I had an Escort that had a leak at the bottom of the radiator when I first bought the car. I put some Radweld in and it lasted ten years without a single drop coming out.