Strange Water Loss - Head Gasket?

[Fox 3]

The 309 I've recently acquired was sold with suspected head gasket failure.

 

I topped up the header tank and have covered over 150miles now, obviously with no pressure cap on and avoiding staying stationary for too long!

 

Yesterday I put the cap back on to see how much water it was 'loosing', drove about five miles and carefully released the cap, no hissing, no pressure and also no water...

 

Now this got me thinking, the car drives great, pulls well and does not kick out any white smoke or steam. The oil and water are fine, and it starts up first touch.

 

Is it possible it could be a hose leaking when under pressure? Or could it burn off that much coolant without clouds of steam from the exhaust?

[johnhenry 20]

I've recently been in the same boat man

similar performance/conditions but it was the HG.

 

the thing to do to see if its a headgasket is to fill the expansion tank right up to the brim and run it with the cap off, if bubbles come up then its 99% head gasket (garages use something very similar to this test called a sniffer test if you want to get it done at a garage)

 

I found with mine that due to a combination of the guy (living in coventry) had been running it without antifreeze & the harder water had corroded/scummed up the channels so i can also say that if you've recently purchased the car then if its from up north then this could be the reason. *ive just seen you live in yorks. so this might fit

 

my thread 'possible head gasket' should be on this page or the next if you fancy reading it to see other peoples suggestions/helpful advice

hope this helps

Edited August 31, 2010 by johnhenry

[Masekwm 2]

I thought it always bubbled?

[Tom Fenton 1,548]

If it is using water at that kind of rate, there are three places it can be going potentially,

 

1 into the cylinders and out the exhaust

2 into the sump via knackered liner seals

3 externally through a leak/split hose/crack

 

For it to lose the lot in 5 miles it is a pretty substantial leak so if it isn't in the sump, and isn't on the floor, it is probably going down the exhaust.

 

Another method is to fill it up cold, put the cap on tight, then start it from cold. If its the gasket it will pressurise the water system straight away, within say 10 sec of running, assuming the exp tank cap isn't knackered.