Hello guys!

 

 

I have a situation, since i change the Engine, i decided to use the best of the best (available in the market), for this vehicle since I put many miles on it (mostly highway), once the new engine was perfectly running and no leaks of any type I decide to put a good coolant, I got the Mannol G12+, it is red, organic and comply with the manual specification required for this car.

 

Two local mechanics have told me not to use that one because they already use it and the vehicle started to leak, I ignore them and I went for what the manual says….  And  there are the leaks…

 

 

What do I do?

 

Do you recommend to use the powder stuff to stop leaks?

Or any quality stop leaks (liquid instead)?

 

Or to replace the coolant and to use  another?

 

I have this Concentrated Mannol AG13 which I could dilute with demineralized water (i dont know if it will continue leaking since it is the same brand but different version)

 

Or this Goodyear brand that i saw in a local store and have specification for diesel and  “seems” good quality

 

 

i need to stop this now i am scare it worse or to star entering to the cylinder...

 

what do you suggest?

3 minutes ago, Kharl said:

And  there are the leaks…

Where?

1 minute ago, Pete_Ex-Wino said:

Where?

oh, yeah, hahaha sorry! 🤦‍♂️

 

here are the leaks

 

So that's looking upwards towards the head/block joint?

Looks like you need a new gasket if it is. 

4 minutes ago, Pete_Ex-Wino said:

So that's looking upwards towards the head/block joint?

Looks like you need a new gasket if it is. 

but the gasket is new, has less than 30k km, i have been told several times here that that coolant causes that, i just ignore them because past bad experiience with them.

 

 

and other users with perfect running engine with the same situation after using that coolant.

Well, change the coolant and see if things improve. Much easier than changing the gasket!

 

Not a chance.

 

That muppet mechanic knew the job wasn't done right so he's blaming the coolant.

+1

 

5 hours ago, Kharl said:

Two local mechanics have told me not to use that one because they already use it and the vehicle started to leak, I ignore them and I went for what the manual says….  And  there are the leaks…

 

 

 

 

What do I do?

 

 

 

Do you recommend to use the powder stuff to stop leaks?

To answer your question you repair the leaks - end of!

 

You don't ponce around bodging with powders, liquids or OXO cubes, their place is for get you home breakdown repairs and they will do more harm than good if left in any length of time.

8 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

Not a chance.

 

That muppet mechanic knew the job wasn't done right so he's blaming the coolant.

I have heard from others not related to that mechanic. And i called to the store i got the coolant, he is a friend of mine, and confess that have hear more stories about that situation, mostly with old cars using others coolant then when switch to the g12, happens  that. 

7 hours ago, J.R. said:

To answer your question you repair the leaks - end of!

 

You don't ponce around bodging with powders, liquids or OXO cubes, their place is for get you home breakdown repairs and they will do more harm than good if left in any length of time.

The reason why i am trying to investigate a little before  jumping to replace the gasket is because once i repair the gasket that was in perfect shape and well and correctly tightened then the leaks came from a hose, i repair the hose then from the thermostat housing...

Two similar situations confirmed.

 

Anyway, thanks for the advice.

The photo looked like a head gasket leak but hard to tell, I agree find all the other leaks, I would pressure test the cooling system, if that reveals no leaks then I would retorque the head retaining bolts, I know that you are not supposed to but if they were not done correctly in the first place...............................

 

Someone may intervene to say that is wrong advice for a reason unknown to me, possibly liner related so wait a while as despite my instincts I would be double checking that what I proposed to do would not actually cause more problems

I'm going to side with everyone else who're saying "coincidence"; this is not an issue caused by fresh G12(+) coolant. BTW, whilst the Goodyear pictures state "no ethylene glycol", they also do not state OAT or G12(+(+)) standard.

44 minutes ago, J.R. said:

The photo looked like a head gasket leak but hard to tell, I agree find all the other leaks, I would pressure test the cooling system, if that reveals no leaks then I would retorque the head retaining bolts, I know that you are not supposed to but if they were not done correctly in the first place...............................

 

Someone may intervene to say that is wrong advice for a reason unknown to me, possibly liner related so wait a while as despite my instincts I would be double checking that what I proposed to do would not actually cause more problems

 

It is the wrong advice, because they're stretch bolts they snap very easily, one "ping" and it's all gotta come apart and getting the snapped bolt out of the block may prove impossible.

Thanks for that, for myself and for the OP.

2 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

 

It is the wrong advice, because they're stretch bolts they snap very easily, one "ping" and it's all gotta come apart and getting the snapped bolt out of the block may prove impossible.

 

Sep you have brought on my PTSD - we had this happen an Astra many moons ago - ended up taking the head back off, the bolt had snapped nearly flush with the block. Tried to knock it out with a punch no good - ended up drilling out and using a tap to clean the threads - The resultant swarf got in and scored the bores.

 

Bottom line - Use proper new headstuds

 

@Kharl Im wondering if the head itself is warped ? Did she get a heating ? Worth ruling in or out when the head is off. 

 

Would you be confident to take the job on yourself as it looks like you have very few trustworthy reputable mechanics over there.

 

There is plenty of help and advice here if you were prepared to take it on. Its a time consuming job but if you prepare properly and have the proper tools theres no reason you couldn't do it !!

 

 

2 minutes ago, VanhireBoys said:

 

Sep you have brought on my PTSD - we had this happen an Astra many moons ago - ended up taking the head back off, the bolt had snapped nearly flush with the block. Tried to knock it out with a punch no good - ended up drilling out and using a tap to clean the threads - The resultant swarf got in and scored the bores.

 

Bottom line - Use proper new headstuds

 

@Kharl Im wondering if the head itself is warped ? Did she get a heating ? Worth ruling in or out when the head is off. 

 

Would you be confident to take the job on yourself as it looks like you have very few trustworthy reputable mechanics over there.

 

There is plenty of help and advice here if you were prepared to take it on. Its a time consuming job but if you prepare properly and have the proper tools theres no reason you couldn't do it !!

 

 

 

It's worse these days, stretch bolts are rock hard and can't really be drilled out, spark erosion is often the only option but you can sometimes weld a nut or bolt onto the snapped thread.

 

Best avoided all round, better to replace the old bolts one at a time with new ones.

 

It is possible that the new coolant is really a penetrant in disguise but it's far more likely that the head was not skimmed before refitting.

 

If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing twice, amirite 😉 

i have not had time to do a deep search, but i found this...

http://au.rrforums.net/forum/messages/17004/6510.html?1387146113

 

it is very similar to the situations,

 

let me tell you that my situation is the less severe of the others i relate, others users have told me severe leaks in all hose, joint, and gasket, just like the link says, my case is only in the gasket.

17 minutes ago, VanhireBoys said:

 

Sep you have brought on my PTSD - we had this happen an Astra many moons ago - ended up taking the head back off, the bolt had snapped nearly flush with the block. Tried to knock it out with a punch no good - ended up drilling out and using a tap to clean the threads - The resultant swarf got in and scored the bores.

 

Bottom line - Use proper new headstuds

 

@Kharl Im wondering if the head itself is warped ? Did she get a heating ? Worth ruling in or out when the head is off. 

 

Would you be confident to take the job on yourself as it looks like you have very few trustworthy reputable mechanics over there.

 

There is plenty of help and advice here if you were prepared to take it on. Its a time consuming job but if you prepare properly and have the proper tools theres no reason you couldn't do it !!

 

 

No, never overheated, extremely nice and smooth new diesel engine i got, no a single smoke.

8 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

It's worse these days, stretch bolts are rock hard and can't really be drilled out, spark erosion is often the only option but you can sometimes weld a nut or bolt onto the snapped thread.

 

Best avoided all round, better to replace the old bolts one at a time with new ones.

 

It is possible that the new coolant is really a penetrant in disguise but it's far more likely that the head was not skimmed before refitting.

 

If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing twice, amirite 😉 

"penetrant" i have heard that word just a few minutes ago while talking about this, he said...

 

that coolant, i feel it is like too strong , it penetrates too deep.

 

(not an expert, but those are his words)

1 minute ago, Kharl said:

"penetrant" i have heard that word just a few minutes ago while talking about this, he said...

 

that coolant, i feel it is like too strong , it penetrates too deep.

 

(not an expert, but those are his words)

 

I was being sarcastic, it's snake oil thinking in reverse, what made you decide to change the coolant please?

16 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

I was being sarcastic, it's snake oil thinking in reverse, what made you decide to change the coolant please?

oh, ok.

 

well, new engine, i use regular oil and regular coolant, for a week, once everything was ok, (no leaks or anything that needs repair) then i put the good quality one, for the first week i put regular 10w40 oil, no leaks, then i switch to quality good 10w40 oil, no leak, then drain and rrefill new oil again to make sure no trace of the old oil nor the regular oil is left.

 

with the coolant, i fill ed with regular green coolant, after a week i switch to a quality violet european coolant (a Carrefour brand one), after a month perfectly working with no single leak... then i decide to find the coolant specified in the manual then i found the Mannol g12+ at a good price then i flush and pour it in... after TWO DAYS i immediately notice a leak... but i just decide it to ignore it because then it stop... since that moment the leak was random, small leak two weeks later then stop, then a month later then stop, then a lot of leaks,, that scare me, took a picture then i uploaded here (that was two days ago, but to day the car has no leak.

 

also i have notice the leaks also come when i open the reservoir...

 

 

what i am reading on the internet, the ethil gycol used in the G12 could be the cause.

This is the third different coolant in a MONTH? Do you not have anything better to do with your time?

 

You don't even live in a cold climate for crying out loud.

10 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

This is the third different coolant in a MONTH? Do you not have anything better to do with your time?

 

You don't even live in a cold climate for crying out loud.

Yes, the third different coolant in the first month after the new engine.

 

Would you use the most expensive coolant in a new fitted engine without having 100%sure it is leak free?

 

For testing purpose i think it is a wise measure to use temporary fluid in order to check everything is ok.

 

What i want to highlight here is the fact that i used two coolants and i got the leaks immediately after using the third. because i have very little free time i come here to ask instead visiting workshops in my country and because i need a reliable car because when the car is down i am loosing lot of money.

Quote

It turns out that the 'Advanced' coolant is manufactured using an Organic Acid Technology (OAT) corrosion inhibitor pack. The previous anti-freeze used an Inorganic Additive Technology (IAT). Evidence supplied to the retailer by the manufacturer admits that the OAT inhibited coolant is known to cause leak problems even in engines that do not use wet liners. The major fault with the inhibitor being that it attacks, amongst other things, silicon compounds. The most commonly used base compound for gasket sealants is silicon.

 

 

done.

1 hour ago, Kharl said:

done.

 

Wow, why is there silicon sealant in your head gasket joint?