More VW Polo problems.....

[raflad67]

Good news is my car still starts great having changed the battery.

Bad news is, the coolant warning lamp came on so I quickly returned home and have not driven it since. Some brown - looking fluid beneath the car is probably something to do with it?

Mate says coolant probably frozen and should not drive the car as engine will get too hot as it looks for the non-existant coolant. Let it thaw and see if warning lamp still on?

Any advice once again very much appreciated.

By the way, I am gonna try and get this sorted, get it thru it's MOT and get rid, internet site said they will buy it for £400, little less than I would like but can't be ar$£d with it anymore.

Cheers

 

[Martin Blank]

Is there any coolant still in the coolant reservoir?
Usually a clear plastic tank NOT to be confused with the brake fluid..........
If not pop to Halfords and buy some or MT with a plastic bottle and get some AL39 mix. 50/50 water/AL39
Top up said tank, run engine observe light/leaks.
If its a leak from the radiator matrix.......the honeycomb bit, slop in some radweld if its just a small one otherwise you'll need it welded/repalaced.
If its a pipe union tighten as necessary, if its the pipe radweld may work or again replace.
If you've just been topping up with water for a few years and the antifreeze has all gone if it got cold enough you might have popped a core plug when the engine froze. Usually round disk like objects mounted into the cylinder head along the sides. Look for leaks here........tap lightly with hammer may re seat once thawed.
If its none of these and your coolant is till low/missing check oil in sump to see if its got white scum or looks like mayonaise.........if it is looks like you belw a gasket and have coolant in your oil.

Hope this may help

 

[raflad67]

Is there any coolant still in the coolant reservoir?
Usually a clear plastic tank NOT to be confused with the brake fluid..........
If not pop to Halfords and buy some or MT with a plastic bottle and get some AL39 mix. 50/50 water/AL39
Top up said tank, run engine observe light/leaks.
If its a leak from the radiator matrix.......the honeycomb bit, slop in some radweld if its just a small one otherwise you'll need it welded/repalaced.
If its a pipe union tighten as necessary, if its the pipe radweld may work or again replace.
If you've just been topping up with water for a few years and the antifreeze has all gone if it got cold enough you might have popped a core plug when the engine froze. Usually round disk like objects mounted into the cylinder head along the sides. Look for leaks here........tap lightly with hammer may re seat once thawed.
If its none of these and your coolant is till low/missing check oil in sump to see if its got white scum or looks like mayonaise.........if it is looks like you belw a gasket and have coolant in your oil.

Hope this may help

Just had a look under the bonnet and there is brown looking liquid over the engine. Plastic tank intact although when I screwed the top off it seems as tho a smal seal is broken and a spring loaded type thing was not in straight either.?

Was thinking off sticking anti-freeze into it and seeing what happens?

Any more advice apreciated? Cheers

 

[Martin Blank]

Seal in lid and springy thing are usually the overheating/excess pressure release.
If this has gone it may be because the seal went and there wasn't any pressure in the system. This helps with the cooling and stops contents boiling off.
Get a new cap if you can and refil.
If your going to try it without a new cap or seal keep an eye on the anti freeze mix you put in while the engines running as it will be forced out.....thats the brown sh#te all over your engine is the dirty old antifreeze and the corrosion from your cooling system.
Also make sure you get any air out if you boiled off the system by filling then squeezing hoses to displace air bubbles.
If your that unsure speak to a friendly MT fitter or GSE guy at your unit they may be willing to give you a hand.

 

[raflad67]

Seal in lid and springy thing are usually the overheating/excess pressure release.
If this has gone it may be because the seal went and there wasn't any pressure in the system. This helps with the cooling and stops contents boiling off.
Get a new cap if you can and refil.
If your going to try it without a new cap or seal keep an eye on the anti freeze mix you put in while the engines running as it will be forced out.....thats the brown sh#te all over your engine is the dirty old antifreeze and the corrosion from your cooling system.
Also make sure you get any air out if you boiled off the system by filling then squeezing hoses to displace air bubbles.
If your that unsure speak to a friendly MT fitter or GSE guy at your unit they may be willing to give you a hand.

Cheers once again.

Have refilled and ordered a new cap and hopefully get it later. Will do the squeezing thing in the daylight tomorrow. I do hope this is the last of my problems. If this is the 'only' thing wrong with this then I will (hopefully) get it thru it's MOT and trade it in for a new problem err I mean car.

Cheers

 

[raflad67]

Cheers once again.

Have refilled and ordered a new cap and hopefully get it later. Will do the squeezing thing in the daylight tomorrow. I do hope this is the last of my problems. If this is the 'only' thing wrong with this then I will (hopefully) get it thru it's MOT and trade it in for a new problem err I mean car.

Cheers

fitted new cap and refilled as i say, and also squeezed pipes as you said. ran car for a while and all seems ok.....thanks

 

[sparks will fly]

what colour was your coolant as if it was brown which i think you said, that would make me think you may have a headgasket problem. after you have run your car for a bit check the coolant colour and if it has gone brown then new gasket required.

 

[gray]

what colour was your coolant as if it was brown which i think you said, that would make me think you may have a headgasket problem. after you have run your car for a bit check the coolant colour and if it has gone brown then new gasket required.

Or it's been in there for many years !

Run it with the top off and see if you see any bubbles, and have a sniff, see if you can smell oil/fuel in the water, although by what you say, it's probably the rad cap not fitting and letting the water boil at a lower temperature (Boyles Law!)

Might be an idea to stick a hose in the top and flush through any gunk, via the bottom hose - off, and refill with coolant (once the weather warms up again !)

Good Luck

Gray
(Also just bought a new battery - not from Halfrauds !) DT_Xtremez_25:

 

[John Lloyd]

When did you last fill the coolant? If not recently, and you have not replaced the cap, the water temperature/pressure must have risen above the pressure relief valve maximum (spring under the refill cap).

Water blown over the top of the engine points towards over pressure within the cooling system.

Possible points of concern

1. Thermostat failed, radiator not in system when engine at temperature.

2. Blocked coolant path within system.

3. Water pump failure, no coolant flow.

What is the vehicle age/mileage?

 

[raflad67]

When did you last fill the coolant? If not recently, and you have not replaced the cap, the water temperature/pressure must have risen above the pressure relief valve maximum (spring under the refill cap).

Water blown over the top of the engine points towards over pressure within the cooling system.

Possible points of concern

1. Thermostat failed, radiator not in system when engine at temperature.

2. Blocked coolant path within system.

3. Water pump failure, no coolant flow.

What is the vehicle age/mileage?

Car is a VW Polo P Reg 110000 miles given to me by my father-in-law who seems to mention he had problems in all the areas I have had recently once I have paid out to get them fixed!

Incidentally, thermostat checked at last service as he believed it didnt have one - it did!

It looks a rusty colour tbh, didnt smell of oil. Some of the bits inside the cap were broken.

So i put some water in to check if it was leaking and it was ok, refilled with antifreeze, squeezed the pipes, ran the car and warning light does not appear. Was thinking about emptying it out, washing thru a few times then refilling - is that an easy task? - ie unplug, drain etc?

will drive to work tomorrow, only a couple of miles tho but will take it for a wee drive too but not too far!

cheers

 

[raflad67]

what colour was your coolant as if it was brown which i think you said, that would make me think you may have a headgasket problem. after you have run your car for a bit check the coolant colour and if it has gone brown then new gasket required.

hope not!

as soon as i put water/coolant in it turned a murky rusty colour but other people say it is probably all the gunk? is this possible too? would flushing it thru a few times then refilling be a wise idea?

as i say, MOT then if ok trade in for a few hundred quid if not - had an offer of 200 quid! better than nowt!