Hi All, I know this is a topic that seems to have been covered a million times but my vRS has become a problem child.

It was losing a small amount of coolant and I would get the odd whisp of steam from the back, I diagnosed a leaking EGR Cooler (confirmed with off car pressure test) and a small water pump leak. I replaced both and thought my work here was done. However it now seems to have made losses worse, this time from the reservoir, so yesterday I did a 90 min motorway drive and by the time I got to my destination the coolant warning light was on and there was no coolant in the tank. I had concerns the tank was on its way out and popped out and bought a pattern part from NAPA (I have already ordered an OEM one but I am waiting for it to arrive), fitted the NAPA part with new cap and thought my work was complete (again).

On the way home, despite topping it up before I left, I only made it about 75mins before the warning light came on and, you guessed it, no coolant in the tank.

I have been doing some diag work at home before I get it to my mates where we can get it on a lift and so far this is what I have noted,

• No smell of combustion gasses in the coolant tank

• No Milky residue in the oil

• No oil in the coolant

• No steam from the exhaust

• Lots of coolant around the expansion tank, wheel arch liner, subframe and pooling on the ground.

• Checked for hot air in the cabin and can confirm its really very hot

I am going to pressure test the system and isolate the charge air cooler and pressure test that, but wondering if the hive mind has any other ideas about what might be going on, I have searched and read what feels like most of the forums around this topic and I struggling to get my head around what it might be.

Thanks.

Did you use a new pressure cap when you replaced the expansion vessel? - Ignore, I should have gone to specsavers! - I see you did.

Edited 22 June22 Jun by Warrior193
correction

So I spent some time at my mates tonight and got it on the lift, no leaks externally. However the main radiator is not getting hot and the pipes for that also remain cool. There is coolant in the pipes but it’s not getting circulated.

We’re going to test the front electric water pumps but I melted my code reader in two and my mates is form 1960 I think, so he’s going to bring one back form his work (he’s a mechanic) so we can see if that’s working.

Also suspect a possible issue with the thermostat, so making progress but more questions than answers.

Going to replace the charge air cooler and thermostat anyway and then see where we get to. I’m not driving it anymore until I get a resolution though.

At this rate I might as well replace the engine and be done with it lol.

12 hours ago, Sharpy64 said:

So I spent some time at my mates tonight and got it on the lift, no leaks externally. However the main radiator is not getting hot and the pipes for that also remain cool. There is coolant in the pipes but it’s not getting circulated.

We’re going to test the front electric water pumps but I melted my code reader in two and my mates is form 1960 I think, so he’s going to bring one back form his work (he’s a mechanic) so we can see if that’s working.

Also suspect a possible issue with the thermostat, so making progress but more questions than answers.

Going to replace the charge air cooler and thermostat anyway and then see where we get to. I’m not driving it anymore until I get a resolution though.

At this rate I might as well replace the engine and be done with it lol.

Hopefully it will be the circ pump.

Does sound like a water pump failed. Not unknown for the impellers to disintegrate. Only other thing I can think of is a clogged rad or major airlock somewhere. Not sure if the main is electrical or belt driven on yours but it does sound like one or both have failed.

Alasdair

Just now, Alasdair1 said:

Does sound like a water pump failed. Not unknown for the impellers to disintegrate. Only other thing I can think of is a clogged rad or major airlock somewhere. Not sure if the main is electrical or belt driven on yours but it does sound like one or both have failed.

Alasdair

Its got 3 pumps, one mechanical (but with the electric shroud), that one is brand new and appears to be functioning as expected, there is an electric one that feeds the egr cooler I think and you can hear that one running and the final electric one is under the oil filter housing and that one makes no noise at all, so leaning towards that one being an issue.

Hope its fairly easy to get to. Might be worth checking egr cooler one as well. It may be running with no impellers left.

Alasdair

Just now, Alasdair1 said:

Hope its fairly easy to get to. Might be worth checking egr cooler one as well. It may be running with no impellers left.

Alasdair

Thats a fair shout, its is sounding a little "gritty". Thanks.

Had one years ago that wasn't leaking but for some reason letting air into system and emptying expansion tank. I assumed HG failure but no exhaust gases and leak down test was good. Hope you get to the bottom of the problem.

Alasdair

6 minutes ago, Alasdair1 said:

Had one years ago that wasn't leaking but for some reason letting air into system and emptying expansion tank. I assumed HG failure but no exhaust gases and leak down test was good. Hope you get to the bottom of the problem.

Alasdair

The biggest saving grace for me is I do all the work myself, I cannot imagine the cost of doing all of this at a garage, spent 3 hrs diagnosing alone yesterday. I intend to document the process I went through and hopefully the solution once its resolved to hopefully help others, although there seems to be so many similar issues around cooling systems!

Same here do everything myself if I can. All my cars are old and average garage bill would be more than there worth plus if you do it yourself you know its been done right with no missing washers and everything put back etc.

Alasdair

Are you able to read live temperature data when it dumps the coolant?

13 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

Are you able to read live temperature data when it dumps the coolant?

What is annoying is that I cannot replicate the condition when stationary, but I did have the temperature showing on the infotainment screen on one of the trips and it never waivered from 90degs.

Just didn’t sniff test, up to full temp and on power for 3 mins, liquid stayed blue. So hoping that’s a positive sign.

I had this on a ckfc engine - it was the casting of the intercooler - failed and leaked into no4 cylinder - got worse until car was hard to start.

Easy to diagnose - 2 pipes in the top - fill it with antifreeze and block one pipe - rig a pressure tester to the other - pump the pressure and wait 30 mins

Pics

24 minutes ago, Touchoftheclutch said:

I had this on a ckfc engine - it was the casting of the intercooler - failed and leaked into no4 cylinder - got worse until car was hard to start.

Easy to diagnose - 2 pipes in the top - fill it with antifreeze and block one pipe - rig a pressure tester to the other - pump the pressure and wait 30 mins

Thanks, does seem like a common failure point! I’ve not been able to get back to the car last few days but hopefully will sort it next week!