Last night I had the dreaded need to put more coolant in, put in almost a litre (but to be fair I hadn't checked/topped it up for a few months) and so today working out where it's going.

Drove to work as normal, and at work took a look inside the bonnet and underneath, firstly, no water geyser so don't think it's a split hose, etc. Checking underneath I couldn't see much. After an hour checked again and can see a damp patch on the ground and the slow drip of water which looks like that's whats happening. Not fast but something slow when it's warm. Took a quick picture but this looks like where it's dripping/creeping to rather than the source.


This is to the front of the aux heater, so my initial thoughts are possibly on one of these two water feed pipes/joints but somewhere hidden further up.
Tomorrow I'll try and strip it/find where it's leaking from, but any hints or tips greatly received. I'm thankful it's just a slow leak at the moment but want to get this sorted sooner rather than later.

 

Try Radweld, forby a leak like yours on my car last year sorted I just repaired a drip leak in my Charnwood multifuel burner fire. Well I had to try it and instead of an awkward welding job it worked.

 

An idea of your pipework under the car :

and the workshop manuals from the usual place might five you more info - tfb's a good bet for an ask Andy !

 

from memory the part of the water pipes from the aux heater to the engine block are metal and seem to remember seeing some fairly rusted ones.
The only way to be sure is get the car up on ramps and get under there with a torch.

There is a cage around the aux heater which is fairly easy to remove, but do a bit of visual investigation first

Regards
Richard

 

Per your picture that drip leak is too far outwith the heater pipes. One thing that does drip or run down there is the scuttle drain water after leaving the pipe just above there. So is the drip in your picture water or coolant.
Not sure what side your on there but it must be cam belt side.
But if it is coolant it would be advisable to check out water pump.

 

As always, appreciate the help guys, I decided to brave the howling bitter wind this morning to try and track it down.
Obviously, cold overnight, so got it up on axle stands, had a crawl under and can at least eliminate some things.

The picture I took was from passenger side (RHD car for the UK) so the wheel you see in the distance is driver side, right hand of car. So, yep it's too far forward for the AUX heater, thanks for the pic QinteQ handy to have a reference picture to work from, traced the pipes and on my RHD model the AUX heater is on the passenger side of the car but it's pipework feed under and towards the driver side, so pipework from there although rusted (tfb, yep defo rusted!) no problem. So the water I was seeing was at the left/passenger side of the car, away from any of that, also away from water pump, etc. (I had a new water pump fitted about 6 months ago when I got new timing belt done)

So all that inconclusive, so I took it for a good drive, let it get nice and warm, so temp gauge up to just below half as per normal, get it home and start to have another look underneath, engine running too. Still not a ruddy thing! No drips, leaks or anything.

Goggs, that's what I'm wondering now, if that's the drain and it was just water I saw, difficult to tell, it certainly didn't have a strong smell or anything that I'd expect from coolant, but then again I don't think it does from the bottle in mine, so I'm going to add antifreeze next time to be sure. To confirm it's opposite side to belt+pump (passenger side here in UK).

So i'm now a bit stumped. I'll leave it an hr and go check again, see if any drips, but water level exactly where I left it when I added water the day before, no more drips.
(BTW also checked oil filler, no cream just nice diesel smelling black oil!)

Will post back as always, and keep the ideas coming just in case, as always eternally grateful to you guys, I'm always bowled over by the friendly advice from here, I must owe you all a drink or two by now!

 

Two points there. Coolant is more likely to leak when engine and coolant is cold due to expansion of metal. And cover your rusty pipes in grease to prevent further damage.
As to the beer, I'm on hoppy, tasty, Hatherwood Amber Ale no 3 tonight courtesy of L*dl cos its cheap. Cheers to your offer.

 

Thanks Goggs, I'm still rather puzzled!

I'd topped it up a few days ago, checking it tonight and it had lost a little (I had filled it just to the top of the ridge in the middle of the expansion bottle. It is now just below the ridge of the bottle) so I do appear to be losing coolant, but slowly.

Checking underneath, in the engine bay, etc, I just cannot locate a leak anywhere, but at the same time I'm not getting cream in the oil filler or any oil/gunk in the water that would make me think gasket or similar.

(The puddle under the car is only occasional, and tonight I tasted it, it's a clear liquid and it had no strong taste, so I think it is just the drain. It certainly wasn't the rusty colour liquid in the expansion bottle)

So now i'm stumped, I'm thinking get it along to the garage and get it pressure tested and find out for sure what they make of it.

 

If you have an Auxiliary heater watch for any steam coming out of the exhaust tubing or water drips where exhaust flexy tube goes into the main body. If the heat exchanger fractures fully, your coolant ends up on the road.

 

Yeah, have the aux heater, haven't seen any steam coming out, it does give a little smoke but normally just at first start and very diesel-smelling so think that's just natural.
Would that water drip at first start after a couple of minutes or after a while?

Such a frustrating little problem this one!