[sumeethaldankar]

Hi guys,
My 800 (97 carb) is having a peculiar problem with the coolant level.I had flushed the radiator and topped it with fresh coolant a few days ago.The coolant was at the Full mark.After around 100-150 kms of driving i observed the coolant level has come down below the full mark and was more or less between empty and full.I had checked this when the engine was cold.

Today after a short trip of around 6-7 kms i got back home and decided to check the coolant level again.To my amazement i found the coolant level a little closer to the full mark and i spotted signs of coolant coming out at the plastic cap of the coolant container.The cap was still shut.

Any suggestions what this could be due to? I have gone through the suggestions of some of the posts here,i don't see any whitish marks on the oil cap,i ocassionally find a sort of sweet smell coming when i start the car but it is very irregular.In fact i am not even sure whether it is sweet smell or something else.Also i don't see any signs of leak of the coolant overnight.

Kindly advise.


thanks

[sumeethaldankar]

Guys my coolant problem is still not solved even after i showed it to a garage.The guy actually said that it is normal for the coolant level to go down after some time but i find is fluctuates every 40-50 kms of driving.

I have observed some coolant coming out of the resovoir cap(below pic).I hope this does not mean the engines consuming the coolant.Guys please suggest.

[Mehul1100]

Originally Posted by humyum

Hey guys have a 1998 800(i guess everyone knows it by now for the amount of problems my car is giving).Run 63800 km carburated.Since around 3000 km i have been noticing that every 700 to 800 km the coolant container which is present in the bonnet becomes empty and i have keep refilling it again and again.There is no coolant in the oil nor any oil in the coolant.There is no visible smoke from behind too.
Opened the bonnet and got it checked with the mechanic.There was no visible leaks anywhere.He was thinking that maybe the tube which carries water from the coolant container to the radiator must be leaking and cut the pipe and fixed it tightly.
But still the coolant consumption continues.I have one more doubt.Whenever i open the bonnet to check the coolant level in the coolant container the coolant container cap is always open and i always close it back and everytime i check again its open.Can all the coolant just evaporate from the container if the cap is open?chances of the coolant spilling out are nill as maybe even if it spills than half of it will be gone and not the entire coolant

Try changing the head gasket of your car, it will solve the problem, I had same problem with my Padmini.

[PAVAN KADAM]

This might be the case of

1) Engine fan not working
2) Thermostat not working.
3) Radiator cap worn out - Better to replace with an MGP
4) Coolant tank cap has a rubber, if missing, coolant will leak out.
5) Radiator leaking somewhere.

Get them checked and you might have your problem solved.

A coolant can never go anywhere.

[SirAlec]

just check various rubber hoses. one of them is very small below the carb. and also the elbow and gasket at the same place is very susceptible to leakage. this is a common culprit in old cars.

BTW any chance you also have a heater in in.

[monster2]

Hi Team,

I would Suggest just fill in some Fuel and let your Car Heat up that is for some time and for quick heating start it with the A/C Switched on, Check with the Radiator Fan is switching on, If it is not don't worry, zeroing out the the Radiator leaks, your thermostat sensor is blown out which is hardly 200 bucks, So cheers this is quiet common. The Coolant gets burnt only if the Radiator fan is not working properly that is low or not working at all which leads to head gasket leakage, which is I am sure not ur case as its not dry.

Thanks

[sumeethaldankar]

Thanks to all who have replied.

Originally Posted by SirAlec

just check various rubber hoses. one of them is very small below the carb. and also the elbow and gasket at the same place is very susceptible to leakage. this is a common culprit in old cars.

BTW any chance you also have a heater in in.

I have no heater and i can find traces of coolant coming out from the resovoir itslef.

[sumeethaldankar]

Hi,
Happy new year to all of you.I have checked the radiator cap it really seems fine with the spring having enough tension and the coolant reservoir cap has the rubber thing still intact.

I do find the coolant coming out from the reservoir cap and do no think any of the pipes are leaking.So still stuck with the same issue.

[Ashok Naik]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Hi,
Happy new year to all of you.I have checked the radiator cap it really seems fine with the spring having enough tension and the coolant reservoir cap has the rubber thing still intact.

I do find the coolant coming out from the reservoir cap and do no think any of the pipes are leaking.So still stuck with the same issue.

Hello Mr. Sumeethaldankar,
I am also facing the same problem. My drive is a 2005 model BS3 800 AC. The coolant level seems to be falling after 500 kms. Normally coolant is changed every 2 years. Radiator fan is working fine. No overheating.

But I noticed a few air bubbles in the radiator for 2-3 seconds after a cold start. Replacing the head gasket is a complex job and I do not understand why a car that has run only 50k needs a head gasket replacement.

There is a thin layer of oil molecules floating on the surface of the coolant, though. Can you tell me what may be wrong?

Thanks

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Ashok Naik

Hello Mr. Sumeethaldankar,
I am also facing the same problem. My drive is a 2005 model BS3 800 AC. The coolant level seems to be falling after 500 kms. Normally coolant is changed every 2 years. Radiator fan is working fine. No overheating.

If the car is not overheating, then first check for leakages, especially in the rubber hoses. If you read the first post on the thread, then the same problem was sorted out by tracing and replacing a leaked hose.

Also check the engine oil. A brown-milky colour of the engine oil tells that coolant is being mixed with engine oil at some stage. In this case, the problem should be attended with urgency. I sincerely hope it is just a leak.

Regards,
Saket

[Ashok Naik]

Originally Posted by saket77

If the car is not overheating, then first check for leakages, especially in the rubber hoses. If you read the first post on the thread, then the same problem was sorted out by tracing and replacing a leaked hose.

Also check the engine oil. A brown-milky colour of the engine oil tells that coolant is being mixed with engine oil at some stage. In this case, the problem should be attended with urgency. I sincerely hope it is just a leak.

Regards,
Saket

Thanks Mr. Saket,
My observations so far-
1. The coolant level is dropping either due to spillage from the top of the plastic bottle or due to some leakage in the rubber hoses. But I never find anything on the floor after parking.
2. There were air bubbles in the radiator for 2-3 seconds after a cold start in the morning. After that there were no air bubbles at all for the next 3 minutes. I turned off the engine after that fearing I might burn myself from hot coolant.
3. A very thin layer of oil can be seen floating on the surface of the coolant in the radiator.
4. The car has run 50k kms.
5. Some days ago engine oil was leaking and the tappet was changed.
6. The car not serviced for 2 years! But no over-heating, ever.
7. Should I go for compression test? Somewhere on this forum I has read that compression tests should not be carried out on old vehicles.
8. No milky brown colour of engine oil or white crystals on top of the dipstick in the morning.

Kindly refer to my post on-http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/134621-do-i-need-change-head-gasket-2.html
Thanks,
Ashok.

[Captain Slow]

Originally Posted by Ashok Naik

Thanks Mr. Saket,
My observations so far-
1. The coolant level is dropping either due to spillage from the top of the plastic bottle or due to some leakage in the rubber hoses. But I never find anything on the floor after parking.
2. There were air bubbles in the radiator for 2-3 seconds after a cold start in the morning. After that there were no air bubbles at all for the next 3 minutes. I turned off the engine after that fearing I might burn myself from hot coolant.
3. A very thin layer of oil can be seen floating on the surface of the coolant in the radiator.
4. The car has run 50k kms.
5. Some days ago engine oil was leaking and the tappet was changed.
6. The car not serviced for 2 years! But no over-heating, ever.
7. Should I go for compression test? Somewhere on this forum I has read that compression tests should not be carried out on old vehicles.
8. No milky brown colour of engine oil or white crystals on top of the dipstick in the morning.

Kindly refer to my post on-http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/134621-do-i-need-change-head-gasket-2.html
Thanks,
Ashok.

also check the engine oil. A brown-milky colour of the engine oil tells that coolant is being mixed with engine oil at some stage. In this case, the problem should be attended with urgency. I sincerely hope it is just a leak.

Are you sure its oil in the coolant reservoir? First thing replace the coolant with fresh coolant/distilled water. Run the car for a while and see if you still see oil.

Your engine oil is 2 years old. Might want to replace this. When replacing the oil check if any coolant/water is mixed with the oil.

Check for any leaks. Most leaks are so small that it leaks only when the engine becomes hot. I have a car leaking few drops when the engine becomes hot.
The leak was isolated to the radiator joint. (where the plastic bottom and metal join)

Ideal way to check for leaks, Raise the car on a lift and keep the car idling for a while. If there are any leaks you should see them soon.

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by Ashok Naik

Hello Mr. Sumeethaldankar,
I am also facing the same problem. My drive is a 2005 model BS3 800 AC. The coolant level seems to be falling after 500 kms. Normally coolant is changed every 2 years. Radiator fan is working fine. No overheating.

But I noticed a few air bubbles in the radiator for 2-3 seconds after a cold start. Replacing the head gasket is a complex job and I do not understand why a car that has run only 50k needs a head gasket replacement.

There is a thin layer of oil molecules floating on the surface of the coolant, though. Can you tell me what may be wrong?

Thanks

Wow this was 5 years ago and i don't even the car with me any more. Suggest you take it to a good mechanic and let them diagnose the issue. I was told by a mechanic that if the coolant level exceeds between the mid day mark of the reservoir it will spill out . You can also get your radiator caps and coolant caps changed to see if that stops the leakage. Best show it to a trusted garaged.

[Ashok Naik]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

Are you sure its oil in the coolant reservoir? First thing replace the coolant with fresh coolant/distilled water. Run the car for a while and see if you still see oil.

Your engine oil is 2 years old. Might want to replace this. When replacing the oil check if any coolant/water is mixed with the oil.

Check for any leaks. Most leaks are so small that it leaks only when the engine becomes hot. I have a car leaking few drops when the engine becomes hot.
The leak was isolated to the radiator joint. (where the plastic bottom and metal join)

Ideal way to check for leaks, Raise the car on a lift and keep the car idling for a while. If there are any leaks you should see them soon.

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Wow this was 5 years ago and i don't even the car with me any more. Suggest you take it to a good mechanic and let them diagnose the issue. I was told by a mechanic that if the coolant level exceeds between the mid day mark of the reservoir it will spill out . You can also get your radiator caps and coolant caps changed to see if that stops the leakage. Best show it to a trusted garaged.

Thanks Captain and Mr. Sumeethaldankar,
As you pointed out by Captain, exactly close to the joint joining the plastic bottle and the radiator metal part, there seems to be a coagulation of dust and coolant.
Most probably the gasket seems okay because there are no signs of over-heating.
I will surely visit a trusted garage. Happy Holi.
Regards,
Ashok.