Is220d coolent leak

[Amer]

Hi guys I’m new here sorry if I make any mistakes.

I have a 2008 is220d sport 97k Miles which I recently purchased,the car drives spot on but last couple of weeks I have noticed coolent spray on the engine (white chalky residue)I gave it in to my local mechanic and he checked the car over and told me the coolent spray is coming from the expansion tank out of the overflow pipe and there is smoke for a few mins then stops.

i noticed the expansion tank only has plain water and not antifreeze and there is some coolent loss,I top up about a litre every few days.

is this the dreaded head gasket,the mechanic didn’t seem to know and kept the car for a week.

please help he didn’t do a coolent test I don’t think.

I read so many things like it could be reservoir cap or thermostat.

Im so worried as I need car for work and don’t really have money for big repairs.

thanks in advance for the help.

[jackcramerr]

Hi Amer

Clearly head gasket. Don't spend or waste time on any other part. Even though plain water is bad and you will get the rad rusted in no time and thus it should be flushed and proper coolant put in.

 

Someome else might give better suggestion but if you really want to keep the car, check egr valve and see if it is clean. Not sure how anyone can verify dpf as well but my theory is that blockage of these cause diesel engines to die or develop head gasket issue.

Now you can be lucky and it can be expension valve but on japanese cars, a faild expansion valve generally tends to remain open.

Diesel are the most dangerous cars in the world. If you have kids, think of their future. Next car should not be a diesel. Many people here will object but watch a documantery called Dirty Money.

[johnatg]

I'm afraid I agree with jack. Almost certainly the head gasket has failed.  The fact that the coolant is just water rather shows that this has been the case for some time.

It is catastrophic to run a car with plain water coolant - a rusted rad is the least of the worries - it will corrode the engine internals in no time. 'Antifreeze' is not just there for stopping the coolant freezing - it plays a vital role in preventing corrosion in the engine

[Amer]

Hi thanks for the reply,can I use head gasket sealers like k seal or steal seal etc,would these work for the time being until I can get some cash together.

thanks once again

[olliesgrandad]

Hi Amer, 

Sorry to hear of your woes. You say this is a recent purchase. Did you buy it privately or from a dealer - if so was there any warranty with it? 

The fact that there was no antifreeze suggests that the seller was aware of the problem when they sold you the car.... If bought recently from a garage without warranty then please read up on your statutory rights... 

[Amer]

Hi the car was bought private on autotrader not sure if they knew about it,I also didn’t pay much attention to the coolent as the car drives fine no loss of power and no smoke just a little on start up,can I use a sealer would that work.

thanks 

[The-Acre]

36 minutes ago, Amer said:

Hi the car was bought private on autotrader not sure if they knew about it,I also didn’t pay much attention to the coolent as the car drives fine no loss of power and no smoke just a little on start up,can I use a sealer would that work.

thanks 

You can be fairly sure the seller knew if there wasn't any proper coolant.  Some people have success with sealers but it can never be a long term solution.  If you look at reviews a product called Blue Devil seems to top the list, not sure how easy it is to get in the UK though. I suppose in the short term you've got nothing to loose by trying.

[jackcramerr]

Private sale, nothing much you can do.

I am afriad nothing will fix a mechanical fault. Your money will go down the drain. But try it and let us know of the outcome.

What made you buy diesel, just wondering? Is it lower tax? 

 

[GS300h2014]

I had this same problem of losing coolant on a 2004 Corolla diesel just this week. There were no obvious signs of leakage, the exhaust was clear & the dipstick showed the oil as a normal black colour.

The expansion tank cap seemed ok but I thought I would replace as a first measure. I bought a genuine Toyota replacement on eBay for £14 …. problem solved!

I've had the car from new & I know the cap had never been replaced; I guess your situation could be different.