Coolant light flashing red and loosing coolant/water

[h4mza]

I was driving on motorway for about an hour until I thought I stop at services for food. As soon I parked up I heard a beep noise and noticed coolant light flashing red. I checked the expansion tank and it was very low, below minimum so topped up with water to max and light went away. Temperature needle however stays at 90 always and it was at 90 at this point too so I assume it's not overheating. I drove to home with no issue. Couple of hours later I start the car up and immediately the light comes back on flashing and the coolant level has dropped below minimum. I'm now confused to what is happening. I suspect I may have a leak but not sure. Could someone help.

[sepulchrave]

Yes, your head gasket is leaking and the cooling system is over-pressurising causing it to blow coolant out of the expansion tank, the cure is to replace the head gasket if it's a 1.4 MPI or replace the head gasket and fit ARL bolts if it's a PD130.

[felicia16v]

Could be leaking. . The places to check are usually the heater pipes where they go thru the bulkhead, water pump,the rad itself. If it has the correct pink antifreeze in it you should see a pink stain where its been leaking from.

[h4mza]

It is a VRS 1.9 TDI and the expansion tank is full of water, no pink antifreeze so quite hard to tell where it's leaking from. I guess I have to add some antifreeze to check for stains. There is no gunk inside the expansion tank or oil cap area.

[sepulchrave]

It is a VRS 1.9 TDI and the expansion tank is full of water, no pink antifreeze so quite hard to tell where it's leaking from. I guess I have to add some antifreeze to check for stains. There is no gunk inside the expansion tank or oil cap area.

 

There wouldn't be. The clue is if the system is still pressurised in the morning before you start it.

[vindaloo]

NO PINK ANTIFREEZE?

 

Antifreeze/Coolant should be obviously PINK/PURPLE or BLUE. If it's wishy washy or completely clear then I'd suggest it's rather old.

 

Wherever the car is parked, try leaving cardboard sheet under the front end passenger side of the radiator and check for leakage later on. There's a switch/sensor down there somewhere, plus it's one of the spots the rads can fail.

[Juka]

If it's a vRS, try checking out this thread and notice the symptoms, the main one is if under your expansion tank everything is wet!

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/160076-coolant-loss-head-gasket-failure-95000-mile-19-tdi-130-vrs/#entry4449837

 

If so, do as sepulchrave said, change the head bolts one at a time with new ones (although I fitted new OEM ones, not the PD 150 ARL ones).

[buscseip]

Hi,

 

Could be broken pipe, but it is a common problem with this engine.

 

My fabia have had the same problem recently.

 

Check spark plugs if one of them brown, than this is the problem for sure.

 

New head gasket plus adjust on liners.