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Coolant issues, no overheating and can’t find leak

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Old Feb 18th, 2020, 03:57   #11
Stalledvolvos90
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Mechanic said most likely a head gasket. Need timing belt and water pump soon so trying to think how to go about it. A sealer could work then fail after I replace the belt and that would be a awful experience
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Old Feb 18th, 2020, 04:37   #12
Laird Scooby
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stalledvolvos90 View Post
Mechanic said most likely a head gasket. Need timing belt and water pump soon so trying to think how to go about it. A sealer could work then fail after I replace the belt and that would be a awful experience
The head gasket won't caue your fuel gauge to jump around like a frog on a hotplate.

If the cooling system has been pressure tested then it's not leaking past the head gasket.

Try a new cap, do NOT use a sealant and avoid the sort of mechanic that's tempted into snapdiagnosis.
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Old Feb 19th, 2020, 20:15   #13
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I second not using a sealant. I have been tempted in the past, but after recently picking up a fixer up car I can tell you they are bad news.
They companys claim it wont clog things up but trust me they do. Have you tried parking it over a large sheet of cardboard over night and seeing if you collect and drips?
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Old Feb 19th, 2020, 22:05   #14
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About 45 years ago I had a Triumph 2000 pressure tested by a dealer, me being away from home. No cause was found for the over heating. When I got home my local independent father and son auto engineers pressure tested and quickly found that the over heating was caused by the head gasket. It depends who does the test. How they do it.

In this thread there is no over heating. This rings a vague bell with another thread not a very long time ago ....

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Old Feb 21st, 2020, 15:56   #15
Stalledvolvos90
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[QUOTE=Laird Scooby;2601297]The head gasket won't caue your fuel gauge to jump around like a frog on a hotplate.

Lol! I know the coolant loss and fuel gauge are completely unrelated but it was stressful to have multiple things going on at once.
I have decided not to worry about fuel gauge because when I have the key at 2nd position the fuel gauge seems to give a accurate reading. I can live with its intermittent reading while driving.
If the pressure test didn’t force a pool of liquid I doubt I’ll find any drops on the ground but it can’t hurt to try again.
I decided before I resort to sealant I will get some test strips to 100% find coolant contamination. Until then I will just drive my other car.
I will look into engine swap or gasket repair and try and find the best option that suits me and my budget.
I still haven’t taken the timing cover off, I wonder if I’ll find coolant around the water pump. Probably would of leaked out of the timing belt cover though so it could be unlikely.
My girl loves the Volvo and she did say if your dog needed a $2000 operation you wouldn’t give up so don’t on the car... that’s a blessing so I’m pretty sure I won’t be getting in trouble for draining funds to keep the vo alive.
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Old Feb 21st, 2020, 16:01   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Laird Scooby View Post
The head gasket won't caue your fuel gauge to jump around like a frog on a hotplate.

If the cooling system has been pressure tested then it's not leaking past the head gasket.

Try a new cap, do NOT use a sealant and avoid the sort of mechanic that's tempted into snapdiagnosis.
When it was pressure tested it did show a leak so that would mean even if the cap was faulty there has to be a non visable Leake elsewhere. Going to get some strips and report back. I’m struggling to find the other thread with similar non overheating issues so I’m going to keep reporting just incase it helps another’s person in the future.
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Old Feb 21st, 2020, 18:33   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stalledvolvos90 View Post
When it was pressure tested it did show a leak so that would mean even if the cap was faulty there has to be a non visable Leake elsewhere. Going to get some strips and report back. I’m struggling to find the other thread with similar non overheating issues so I’m going to keep reporting just incase it helps another’s person in the future.
At least you can get the strips down under, can't here!

Hope it isn't that, i obviously misread your previous report as no leaks found on the pressure test.

Could be a minor leak round the water pump especially as the car sat for a while before you bought it. Something in the back of my mind says there is a link pipe from the back of the engine that goes into the rear of the water pump and has an "O" ring on it - might be wrong and thinking of another engine though.

If i am right and that "O" ring is weeping because it got dry in the heat it might be worth adding something to the cooling system - not a sealant but something to help reviev the rubber seals in the system.
Can't for the life of me think what it is though, glycerine, gelatine or some else -ine!
If i remember, i'll let you know!
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Old Feb 23rd, 2020, 15:04   #18
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Certainly on the redblock 940 there are places, both mentioned already i.e. the base of the expansion tank and the waterpump gaskets, which are adept at leaking from hot while the engine is cooling down. This leads to mysterious coolant loss which cannot be traced when the engine is fully hot or fully cold and which is hard to spot because the warm coolant evaporates quickly.

Another place to check is the heater pipes, valve and matrix which might not have been adequately checked with the pressure test if the heater was not on. Personally, I would rather fix a head gasket than a heater matrix on a late RWD Volvo!

Head gasket failure often results in pressure in the system being maintained even after the engine has cooled down and in my experience causes visible leaks on hose unions that wouldn’t normally leak.

Whatever it ends up being it is best to regard the cooling system on a car as a service item and a bit of investment now on a vehicle that is in otherwise good condition will ensure you have a reliable car for many years to come.
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Old Feb 26th, 2020, 10:00   #19
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So just another quick question. I do notice my coolant level will drop, sometimes especially lately when I open the cap coolant rushes back in. Trying to figure if my leak is still there. I know I went against the advice regarding the stop leak but I need to buy some time before I pay for a new head gasket.
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Old Feb 26th, 2020, 10:30   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stalledvolvos90 View Post
So just another quick question. I do notice my coolant level will drop, sometimes especially lately when I open the cap coolant rushes back in. Trying to figure if my leak is still there. I know I went against the advice regarding the stop leak but I need to buy some time before I pay for a new head gasket.
Sounds almost as if you have an air lock or another possibility i'll come to in a moment.

If it's an air lock, if you park facing uphill (even just slightly will help) for the next few times of using it, it will help the air lock to move to the highest point which will be the coolant expansion tank. You can then check the level cold the next mornign and top up if necessary.

The other possibility is the water pump has a leak on the suction side. This won't leak coolant out but air in. It will generate air locks which will cause excess pressure and blow coolant out of the expansion tank cap.
If this is the case, it's highly unlikely that the sealant will work as it needs to be forced into the leak to seal it - if the leak is incoming, it will force the sealant away from the leak.

Do you have any idea when the timing belt, tensioner and water pump were last changed? Also if it was before the pay-up period the car had, it would be a good idea to do them anyway.
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