HELP: Loads of white foam on top of coolant and rapid loss of coolant

[hugh130]

I have a mk1 fabia vrs and have just recently had the coolant all drained and replaced with the correct G12 coolant. A week on and I am loosing coolant very quickly (I've had the coolant light come on 2 times in 4 days). Also on top of the coolant is a large amount of white foam and when I undo the coolant cap a huge amount of pressure is released and the coolant comes right up to the top and spills out no matter how slowly i release the pressure. HELP WHAT IS GOING ON?

[valvedoctor46]

Might just have had a couple of airlocks after the new coolant was put in. Was it ok before the coolant change ?

[hugh130]

Before the coolant was replaced it was full of oil so I took it back to the garage I got it from still under warranty and they said it had an oil leak that had been fixed but they sent the car to mindland VW where they said there was no head gasket issues and they just replaced the coolant. Although I take whatever the garage I got the car from says with a pinch of salt as they are ******s. The car has never overheated. 

Edited 23 February, 2017 by hugh130

[KenONeill]

Well, if it's not overheating, and you're not getting steam from the engine bay, or white smoke once the engine's been running about 10s, I'd say it's not HGF.

 

I'd suspect that the cooling system hasn't been bled properly. So, does the heater still work well?

[hugh130]

Heater didn't blow anything but luke-warm air before the coolant change because the heater matrix was clogged up but now it blows blow cold and hot air fine. What is the white foam on top of the coolant and why does my coolant disappear? Also any reason why my coolant rises up so much when I undo the cap?

Edited 23 February, 2017 by hugh130

[sepulchrave]

I'm afraid I'd say it is HGF.

[Mike97]

I would say head gasket if its pressurising the system but as its just had the coolant changed it could be an airlock somewhere and the foam could be a detergent the garage used to clean the oil out.

[sepulchrave]

Nonsense, head gasket all day long, it had already blown, changing the coolant was trying to stick a plaster on a gaping wound. Lying idiots. Take it back.

[hugh130]

Call me an idiot if this is wrong but surely if there was a build up of pressure from HGF when I turned the car off the pressure would go back through the head gasket and I wouldn't be left with pressure in my coolant after the car had been left for a long time? Also there is no white smoke coming out the exhaust. Could it be a knackered water pump causing the foam from churning air and then the high pressure in the coolant tank forces the coolant out of the over flow causing a loss of coolant or even just needs a new cap on the coolant tank?

[Mike97]

Sounds like the head gasket has gone and it is pressurising the system then chucking the water out of the header. It will not seep back in as the leak will be very small and its the extreme combustion pressure finding the leak but not enough pressure to push it back. I had a vw van do the same it leaked between the cylinder seal and a water way no oil in water just the header tank blowing water out no white smoke i drove back home near on 200 miles constantly stopping to refill the water. Stripped it the next day and it was still pressurised when i took the cap off. Any garage should be able to do a sniff test on the steam to see if it has signs of combustion gasses in it. The foam i recon is were they have tried washing the oil out.      

[sepulchrave]

1 hour ago, hugh130 said:

Call me an idiot if this is wrong but surely if there was a build up of pressure from HGF when I turned the car off the pressure would go back through the head gasket and I wouldn't be left with pressure in my coolant after the car had been left for a long time? Also there is no white smoke coming out the exhaust. Could it be a knackered water pump causing the foam from churning air and then the high pressure in the coolant tank forces the coolant out of the over flow causing a loss of coolant or even just needs a new cap on the coolant tank?

 

Ok, it's wrong.

 

You're in denial, you've been sold a lemon and you need to chuck it back at the dealer. You only have a limited time before you're stuck with it.