V50 Engine Turbo : Coolant leak when giving starting help/aid?

[Xariez]

Hey,

So as the title says. I own a V50 T5 -04, and today when I went downtown to give starting help/aid for a friend that had a dead battery, I noticed a pool of coolant under the engine, originating from the coolant hose just outside the radiator on the driver side. Went back home, angerly ate dinner, then went out to troubleshoot.

I let the engine get warm, monitored the (now water) levels, no leak. Turned on the fans and set them to LOW inside the car, nothing. Set them to HIGH - still nothing. Went out for a test drive and drove both calmly and more aggressively, took turns and drove straight - and guess what, still nothing!

Now were it not for the fact I gave starting aid, I would be 100% entirely lost - but that is giving me some kind of suspect. Could giving starting aid have released some kind of "overflow" valve and caused all of this? I know it wasn't just condense or similar since the levels in the coolant expansion tank had decreased.

Thanks in advance!

[cheshired5]

Are you sure it was coolant and not water condensate from the AC?

[Xariez]

Originally Posted by cheshired5

Are you sure it was coolant and not water condensate from the AC?

As per my last line of text, the level had dramatically decreased from the coolant reservoir. AC was also turned off. Otherwise I would have suspected the same!

[cheshired5]

I was asking in case you may have touched, tasted smelled the liquid in the puddle to confirm rather than just rely on the level being low in the tank.

The expansion tank allows for fluctuations in coolant level so the only time you can accurately see the level of the coolant is on a stone cold engine.
If it's at max when cold and continues that way, there's no leak.
Keeping the coolant strength correct will help tracing if there is a leak though as it will leave a distinct residue.

[Xariez]

Originally Posted by cheshired5

I was asking in case you may have touched, tasted smelled the liquid in the puddle to confirm rather than just rely on the level being low in the tank.

The expansion tank allows for fluctuations in coolant level so the only time you can accurately see the level of the coolant is on a stone cold engine.
If it's at max when cold and continues that way, there's no leak.
Keeping the coolant strength correct will help tracing if there is a leak though as it will leave a distinct residue.

I did touch and smell it, but it's difficult (for me, atleast) to tell. Especially since the coolant is right now quite diluted with water. Did seem to be around MIN yesterday though, and half-way between MIN and empty when I got back home.

That said, at it's worst, there was a clear pin-hole stream leaking out. I don't know a lot about AC's, but I don't think they should be producing THAT much condensation if it did come down to that.

[Welton]

I have been warned about a weak coolant connection on the T5 but I haven't tried to find mine yet....

Basically there is a black plastic 'tee' piece below the air filter box and not easily visible, this plastic fitting can crack and leak coolant...which may then run down the hose and drip from the lowest point.

Be worth trying to check this first.

Also check the expansion bottle - these crack on the top surface, if you look closely there may be a 'crazed' pattern in the plastic where it's gone brittle, this problem normally causes air to 'fizz' from the top of the expansion bottle but it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that coolant could be lost from the same unit. If your's looks old/cracked then change it for a new Volvo one, they are really easy to DIY fit.

Oh and there is no way your jump-start help caused a coolant leak.

[Xariez]

Originally Posted by Welton

I have been warned about a weak coolant connection on the T5 but I haven't tried to find mine yet....

Basically there is a black plastic 'tee' piece below the air filter box and not easily visible, this plastic fitting can crack and leak coolant...which may then run down the hose and drip from the lowest point.

Be worth trying to check this first.

Also check the expansion bottle - these crack on the top surface, if you look closely there may be a 'crazed' pattern in the plastic where it's gone brittle, this problem normally causes air to 'fizz' from the top of the expansion bottle but it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that coolant could be lost from the same unit. If your's looks old/cracked then change it for a new Volvo one, they are really easy to DIY fit.

Oh and there is no way your jump-start help caused a coolant leak.

I know exactly which "tee"-piece you're talking about, and it did seem to be slightly cracked. I guess the main question right now though is not as much what caused it, but what made it fix itself.

[Xariez]

Originally Posted by Welton

I have been warned about a weak coolant connection on the T5 but I haven't tried to find mine yet....

Basically there is a black plastic 'tee' piece below the air filter box and not easily visible, this plastic fitting can crack and leak coolant...which may then run down the hose and drip from the lowest point.

Be worth trying to check this first.

Also check the expansion bottle - these crack on the top surface, if you look closely there may be a 'crazed' pattern in the plastic where it's gone brittle, this problem normally causes air to 'fizz' from the top of the expansion bottle but it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that coolant could be lost from the same unit. If your's looks old/cracked then change it for a new Volvo one, they are really easy to DIY fit.

Oh and there is no way your jump-start help caused a coolant leak.

Oh, and as for the expansion bottle, that one was replaced maybe 10kkm ago and is showing no signs of age as of yet.

[Bashy]

Try replicating the exact same as you did when you did the "aid", but with AC on this time and see what happens, it really does sound like condensate, even more so that nothing happened after your tests, I think maybe you'd turn the AC off as you may have thought that that would have messed with the tests, just surmising is all but your tests prove that there are no leaks, that's one thing we know for sure. It can be disconcerting seeing the condensate spill forth...

[Markos01]

Originally Posted by Xariez

I know exactly which "tee"-piece you're talking about, and it did seem to be slightly cracked. I guess the main question right now though is not as much what caused it, but what made it fix itself.

Might only leak when the part is cold and the crack is more open, it could close with the heat of a warm engine perhaps?