V40 Coolant Leak

[Phandy]

Hi, I have had to top up my coolant twice now in the week I have had my 2003, 1.8 V40. Clearly I have coolant leak. I have traced the leak to the bottom of the radiator. I have the sport model so, the inner front spoiler trim is doing a pretty good job of catching the coolant. Here is a picture:



I had a look at my lower hose clip whilst I was down there. Here it is.



My knowledge of mechanics is not vast, so I always welcome advice.

1) Without conducting a pressure test, my initial thought is that I will need to replace the radiator. Is that correct?

2) As longs as the lower hose clip holds until i can replace it, is the worse that can happen is that my car might run low on coolant, and possibly overheat? Obviously I will keep an eye on it in the meantime.

I have read the warning post on what happens if the clips does go. Clearly I am going to replace it ASAP.

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by Phandy

Hi, I have had to top up my coolant twice now in the week I have had my 2003, 1.8 V40. Clearly I have coolant leak. I have traced the leak to the bottom of the radiator. I have the sport model so, the inner front spoiler trim is doing a pretty good job of catching the coolant. Here is a picture:



I had a look at my lower hose clip whilst I was down there. Here it is.



My knowledge of mechanics is not vast, so I always welcome advice.

1) Without conducting a pressure test, my initial thought is that I will need to replace the radiator. Is that correct?

2) As longs as the lower hose clip holds until i can replace it, is the worse that can happen is that my car might run low on coolant, and possibly overheat? Obviously I will keep an eye on it in the meantime.

I have read the warning post on what happens if the clips does go. Clearly I am going to replace it ASAP.

There is obviously a leak as you have had to top the coolant up and it appears to be the radiator. Only solution is to change the radiator. It is a straight forward job to do and the radiator can be removed without disturbing the A/C system. Once the radiator is out, it is a good idea to blast the A/C matrix with an airgun to blow the debris out of it. It is surprising how much collects in there.
If you do not disturb the hose clip it will last until you change the rad - assuming you do it fairly soon. Replace the clip with stainless steel and a quality one at that.

[Phandy]

Evening ITSV40 . Thank you for your reply. I plan to purchase an OEM radiator tomorrow. I have heard good things about these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2319216459...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I will check with my VIN to make sure I get the correct part from EuroCar parts. If I had a lot of spare cash i would purchase a genuine Volvo radiator.

It is deja vu: I retired my S60 a week ago as it required a new radiator. If was the final straw on that car.

I have a saved link for a Volvo distro for the clips which I copied from another thread. Thank you for the tip regarding the A/C matrix .

[bobthecabbage]

From what I can see if the clip, it looks fine.

If its much worse underneath then I'd go with the suggestion to replace it.

I'd suggest a branded high torque stainless steel clip.

Obviously Jubilee is one brand.

As for the radiator I would be inclined just to radweld it or if its quite a bad leak then K-seal seems to work well for difficult leaks.

Obviously leak stoppers are contraindicated in some vehicles and are not a gold standard solution but if the vehicle is low value and may not last more than a couple of years before something else terminal kills it then it may not be worth replacing the radiator (if you can avoid it).

If the radiator is disintegrating or otherwise not suitable for repair then obviously you have no choice.

You may find a local company that sells radiators rather than ordering one online. Not sure what the price differential would be but if its the wrong one it may be easier to sort out.

I would not bother on a vehicle of this age to worry about genuine parts. Volvo over price everything massively and a pattern part may out last the car!

The only thing I would go genuine on is things like engine mounts and suspension bushes and even then only if I couldn't find a quality brand such as lemforder.

[Phandy]

Hi Bob, thank you for your reply. The clip did not look as bad as some of the other users clips on the lower hose clip thread. I will replace just to make sure. I did note the Jubilee brand.

Re the radiator. The price on the above link is 66 pounds, so it won't be too much of a hit. I was tempted to use K-Seal, but as I have only just got the car, I want to make sure I have some confidence in it.

You'are right, I don't want to spend too much money on a car I don't intend to keep for too long. I had to buy the V40 as my S60 barely made it to the end of the road: it was an emergency purchase.

In the future, I would like a 1.9 D or one of the T models, with full leather and the winter pack. I don't mind investing money in a car I really want.

I like the car though. My main priority is a safe car.

[Jebus]

You can get UV dye to stick into the system, which will help tracking exact location of leaks easier, but if have already found it would change the radiator get some good quality hose clamps onto the weak areas.

Personally would make sure that you flush the coolant system out, and refill with Volvo Branded coolant ideally at the proper 50/50 mix, will be better for the engine and keep a good eye on everything for a while.

[bobthecabbage]

For that price if it's not to difficult to replace the radiator then that's what I would do too!

I think on mine that replacing the radiator might be quite a big job so I'd think twice.

[Phandy]

Hi Jeebus, thank you. Yes, I intend to do a full coolant flush when I replace the radiator.

[Phandy]

Hi Bob, you're right the radiator can be a big job on some Volvos. On my S60 T, I was quoted 3 hours labor from one Garage and 4 hours from a Volvo Indy just to replace the radiator.

In my 1.8 V40 it looks like a simple job from the guides and videos I have been watching. I purchased my Haynes manual this evening so I will get 'some' assistance from that.

[ITSv40]

Originally Posted by Phandy

Hi Bob, you're right the radiator can be a big job on some Volvos. On my S60 T, I was quoted 3 hours labor from one Garage and 4 hours from a Volvo Indy just to replace the radiator.

In my 1.8 V40 it looks like a simple job from the guides and videos I have been watching. I purchased my Haynes manual this evening so I will get 'some' assistance from that.

It really is a straightforward job to change. There is very little holding the radiator in. The four setscrews holding the top brackets - the black brackets you can see with the bonnet open - can be seized and a b**ger to undo. Bottom hose clip may need hacksawing off, but apart from that fairly obvious when you get into it.

I have been a great fan of Haynes manuals for the past 40 years, but do not expect too much from it. Although they say it covers the P2 models - it was written for the P1 and does not list all the changes between phases. In many respects the P2 is a very different car so Haynes has very limited relevance.