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Octavia slow water loss.

I've got an Octavia 1.8 (5 valve per pot Audi engine) which is losing a bit of water, maybe 1 litre a month in the last 2 months. Immediate thoughts were a cooling system leak, but no apparent leaks have been found. Next came grim predictions of a head gasket leaking, now I'm hoping it may be a water pump leak.

So, is there any way of checking for the leak without dismantling everything? I'm due to do a cam belt change soon anyway, is is wise to change the water pump then, just as a preventative measure, even if the water pump is not leaking (and is the water pump near the cam cover - I've never had this car aprt?)

Or, could this be natural wastage?

Thanks for any thoughts. Alan.

Reply to
A.Lee
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Put a match to it.

Dr. Bizarro

Reply to
Dr. Bizarro

Look for the unapparent ones, I had a similar problem, it turned out to be an abraded pipe at the back of the engine that had the tiniest pin prick leak, but when the system was stinking hot and under pressurise leaked at the rate of a few drips per second.

Tom

Reply to
Tom Burton

Try to beg/borrow/hire a pressure tester. (If it helps, it's standard issue to AA patrols.) It really does show up the tiniest leak, and you can do it when the system is cold so you can look in every nook and cranny without getting burned!

1 litre a month is not natural wastage IMHO.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

Won't help - it's covered in water.

Reply to
Ian Dalziel

Could even be the expansion tank cap seal. As for natural wastage..it's certainly far more than my Capri uses and that has no expansion tank.

Reply to
Conor

Unexplained coolant loss. It's old hat now but is still worth reading:

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Reply to
Lin Chung

I would also be looking at a faulty cap on the reservoir tank, they do go home with age.

PDH

Reply to
Paul Hubbard

Water pump knackered. It will be changed when they do the cambelt, but make sure any rollers/tensioners are also changed.

Reply to
ray

How do you come to this conclusion? Is it a known fault with this engine? I'll be doing it myself, and was in 2 minds whether to change the water pump at the same time, I probably will now. Yes, I already have the tensioner. Ta Alan.

Reply to
A.Lee

Plastic Impellers falling off is far from unknown, leaks also, but of course it could be leaking from somewhere else, get a pressure tester on it, cold first. Blow it up for 20-25psi (healthy system will cope with this fine), and if that doesnt show anything again with the engine near operating temp.

The w'pump, tensioner and rollers MUST be changed as a set on this engine as they are fairly notorious for throwing belts, and there's alot of valves to replace if it does! I would also suggest you reduce the interval to no more than 50k also.

Tim..

Reply to
Tim..

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