Losing Coolant - head gasket ?
 

hi All advice please, :-). Volvo p1800E

I seem to be losing coolant, you can see from expansion bottle (About 12-15mm drop each time I run the car)
Checked around no leaks anywhere,
oil filler cap does have water droplets in the cap and on the tappets, Im not sure if this is because the car only gets stared, lately every fortnight so does not burn off condensation or is part of the issue,
Oil on dip stick is nice and clean ( no water signs )and has not dropped from same level a year ago,
Could this be a head gasket issue with the water channels in head being burned through exhaust so wouldn't just disappear out the back ? !
Car did have Head gasket done in 2017

Any advice please
Thanks

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/COMBUSTIO....c100005.m1851

Try something like this or idealy if you have access to a compressor a pressure tester

Just ran the car with the expansion bottle top open and I am getting bubbles coming from engine ! :-( looks like the gasket has gone

There's another current thread about overheating in which there are instructions on how to expel all the air from the cooling system on these cars. You can improve that further by raising the front of the car very high in the air.

That aside, you know not to fill the expansion tank to 'Max'? If you do, it will just expel coolant when hot. You fill it to exactly half way between max and min.

powen;

" bubbles coming from engine " is a result of a hot-spot where Coolant is actually boiling...this suggests system may not be pressurized or not burped of all air...I'd check pressure when hot, which might involve some creative plumbing...operating pressure is set by and regulated by Pressure Cap on Ext Tank.

See also: https://www.sw-em.com/Cooling_System...r_pressure_cap

Good Hunting!

Thanks All for your comments the bubbling in the expansion tank occurs when just starting the car from cold ! so not hot or over heating - I took this to be an issue with the head gasket and exhaust gas getting into the water system or vice versa and the car then burning the water out the back ? hence no view of where the water is going, as I said I do have antifreeze that can be seen in the rocker cover, its only just started and ran fine before this issue so would not think it would be bleeding. interesting points you have made though and more knowledge thanks :-)