For the fast time since owning the car I had to put in three cups of water into the water three months ago. This took the water line up to the max level

Before adding the water the temp light turned on when I turned the car on and after adding this water it went off striaght away.

I just double checked the water level yesterday - Its fairly cold here in London - I noticed it was back at the min level.

Now the question is do I top this up or leave it until the temp light comes on.

Also should I be concerend that I have had to add water since then - I have done at most 1 K miles since last topping up.

When cold my fabia level was just above min, when hot I think the level changes.

You may have nothing to worry about....

Tony

The MPi engine has a bit of a rep. for losing coolant, which can then lead to all sorts of problems. Check for leaks around all the coolant pipe connections, and check the condition of the coolant hoses themselves (they can sometimes rub through!). Also, see if there are any leaks around the head gasket area (near the bottom of this pic) AFAIK, most MPi engines should have had their head gasket changed under warranty, but you never know...

Just out of interest, did the gauge show high before the coolant temperature warning light came on? A gradual loss of coolant (which is what it sounds like you have) ought to be preceded by the temperature gauge steadily rising...

Oh, and make sure you add the proper coolant mixture (AKA 'anti-freeze') to your car - tapwater won't do except in emergencies!!!

[edit]BTW: the coolant level is always only just above MIN on my wife's 1.4MPi when it's cold, just like on tonystop's, and it's never been a problem - may be something of nothing...[/edit]

Has had a slight loss of coolant lately. If the temp gauge stop working, have a dealer check it out. Mine is at this moment in for a change of temp.sensor and housing! Could be fatal if the crack gets big enough for major coolant loss...

Thanks guys.

Yes the head gasket was replaced under warrranty two years ago.

It may be nothing but I just want to have some peace of mind!

Can someone please describe where the head gasket is on the car - I saw the picture above but couldnt make it out?

Thanks guys.

Yes the head gasket was replaced under warrranty two years ago.

It may be nothing but I just want to have some peace of mind!

Can someone please describe where the head gasket is on the car - I saw the picture above but couldnt make it out?

You can't actually see the head gasket, but you can see some bolt heads at the bottom of that photo, which are where the cylinder head and cylinder block meet (the gasket is sandwiched in-between to keep things airtight). If there are any signs of leaks in that general area you could have a problem, but if the gasket's relatively new, you ought to be OK. As far as topping-up goes, you should do it BEFORE the light comes on in future if at all possible. Like the oil warning light, there's a slim chance that something bad's happened by the time it comes on, so it's best to check the level frequently and top up (or not) as required...

HTH

I did notice some liquid around the edges there - I just didnt realise there wa the head gasket!

It definitely looks like oil to me around the edges there and it looks like old oil to me as well - Its dark black and feels old .

Its very slight and soesnt seem to be a problem - There is no oil leaks on the car - But how can I test this?

How can I test whether its water or oild leak there and whether it is ongoing or from the previous reinstallation of the head gaskett?

How can I test whether its water or oild leak there and whether it is ongoing or from the previous reinstallation of the head gaskett?

If it's black, it's almost certainly oil. Best thing to do would be to wait for the engine to cool, wipe off as much of the oil as you can using a bit of detergent, and then see if it comes back. But I wouldn't worry too much - if there is still a problem with the head gasket, it will most likely turn the coolant black too. Assuming the coolant's it's correct red/pink colour, you shouldn't have too much to worry about!

Yes - The coolant is pink - And in fact the correct pink colour! No signs of balck at all