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Punto 1.9 D W loosing coolant

Hi folks, your much needed advice please:

I have a problem with my Punto loosing coolant and wanted to know the checks to carry out. Here's the symptoms:

  1. Coolant needs topping up every 50 miles or so.
  2. In car heaters have been blowing cold sometimes (dired result of low coolant I think)
  3. When car overheats - all systems seem to react accordingly, i.e. light on dash, power dies, fan kicks in (all be it a little late).
  4. This happens on both long and short journeys, although now I'm keeping mileage to a minimum until this is sorted.

Here's what I've done:

  1. Treated with Radweld 1 week ago, but level has dropped again
  2. Checked for head gasget problems but cannot see it is that, as in no 'mayonaise' on the oil filler cap, cannot see water on the dipstick and no signs of water vapour coming out of the exhaust.
  3. Had a machanic check the radiator for leeks but to no avail.

Has anyone got anymore suggestions please before I fork out for a new head gasket?

Reply to
Matt Watson
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Just a thought, how about the heater and its valve + hoses? Maybe it is leaking coolant into the carpet. Sometimes Fiat use plastic faced on the underside and on the noise underfelt, so there are no obvious symptoms. Happened to me, the underfelt can hold quite a lot of water.

Reply to
ato_zee

It is probably your water pump.

PK

Reply to
peter.kidwell

Check out your termostate, if it doesn't open your engine won't be cooled, so it starts boiling and trows out coolant. To check turn of the radiator cap and start the engine, keep looking at the coolant if you see any moving bubbles ( if you see them the thermostate opens, this will take a while) if not , replace. another thing, if you refill, set your heater on hot so the air can get out, this can give also problems. wilco

Reply to
w&k

Obviously you must immediately stop and let engine cool if it is about to overheat (keep watching that temp gauge). Have you checked insied oil filler cap? If this has yellow/grey sludge in it then that would indicate water getting into oil and head gasket needs doing. But hopefully its just a small leak in one of the hoses or the radiator. Have you looked around the engine bay and under car for dripping fluid/wet patches?

Reply to
Cosmic

Radiator leaks, as well as hoses, usually show up as dried anti-freeze, but if you keep topping up with water you won't have much antifreeze left. Leaking water pump is not uncommon, but as the system is pressurised even after a short run, drips on a dry road, when you stop, should show roughly where it's coming out. Bubbles in filler, caution when removing cap, can be a sign of cylinder to coolant system leak, but usually you get some white exhaust smoke when you start up, particularly if you have only stopped for a short period and the engine is still warm. Often overlooked is inside the car, heater matrix, heater valve (a well known source) or hoses. Water soaks into carpet, and effectively disappears, most soundproofing being plastic coated on top.

Reply to
ato_zee

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