Losing Coolant...can;t see from where

hancym · Dec 25th, 2011, 19:02

My 2004 XC90 T6 is losing coolant about a quarter litre every 70-100 miles or so. There is not visible leak, either drips or weeping around the radiator or crystallisation of the coolant from an evaporated radiator leak. Oil is clear; no error codes and not signs whatsoever of any engine hiccup or lack of performance. Anyone have any thought?

pdrvolvo · Dec 26th, 2011, 09:42

I had the same problem with the same vehicle a couple of months ago but there were tell tale signs of a leak.It turned out too be a hairline crack in the expansion chamber where the coolant flow return pipe enters the chamber at the top was cracked and the water was weeping from this joint and running down the tank and dripping off the bottom so was not readily visible from above.I can only presume this damage had occured some time previous when i had the cambelt changed.Any way a new expansion chamber off ebay for £20 sorted the problem and was very easy too fit.

peter.

TJB25 · Dec 26th, 2011, 18:39

Hi I had a leak and could not detect where it was coming from att first due to it dripping into the skid plate. it was from the bottom radiator hose the jubeliclip had made a slight tear in the hose when it was originally fitted.

budvar · Dec 26th, 2011, 20:25

Hi Hancym i had exact same problem, turned out to be a faulty radiator cap. cost about £10 from unipart.

hancym · Feb 13th, 2012, 10:26

Checked everything and had two different garages have a look around in case I was going nuts! Still losing about 1 pint every 300 mile.

WHERE IS IT GOING?!

hancym · Dec 10th, 2012, 13:48

Just to update on this. Still losing coolant another two garages looked at this can CANNOT find any problem . Now losing about 1 litre of coolant every 100 mile. Engine working fine so not dissapearing internally. Must be leaking out but difficult to find now the drive is more or less constantly wet during winter.

Anyone else have any thoughts as I've check out all the options suggested.

timh30 · Dec 11th, 2012, 15:52

Is there any sort of UV tracer dye you could put in. By then shining a UV light (cheap from Maplins if you need one), you should hopefully see where it is leaking from ?

Maybe something similar to this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RING-AUTOM...item43ab29c68f

60041 · Dec 11th, 2012, 22:39

A litre every 100 miles is a serious leak and should be visible. The problem is as in most leaks, it will only happen when the engine is hot and the system is pressurised; and, because the system is hot, it will evaporate very quickly.
Sykes Pickavant make a cooling system tester that would be helpful here, it would be worth seeing if you could borrow one from a tame garage as they are very expensive to buy. They work by pressurising the system with a small pump up to 7 or 8 psi, at which point any external leaks will be obvious. The advantage of using the tester is that you can keep the system pressurised until the leak is found and that, because the engine is not running, it is safe to feel around the engine without losing a few fingers!
Dont forget to check the heater matrix as well as the cooling circuit, leaks here can be difficult to spot.

hancym · Dec 28th, 2012, 19:49

Further info. I the leak has been caused by the system over pressuring and it just found the weakest spot which was a jubilee clip on a hose which has now been tightened.

The problem I now have is the pressure build up in the coolant system is so great that its pushing the coolant back down out of the header tank and into the hoses. Then the coolant low warning message appears.

If I release the pressure at the cap the coolant rushes back into the header tank to the “Max” level again. I've done a sniff test and the coolant was completely clear of any CO2. Anyone know what's going on here? I sort of suspect the coolant tank cap and wondered if the pressure was not being release.

My questions are:
• Under normal running with no fault should the pressure build top such an extent that it releases through he cap?
• What is the cap pressure on a 2004 XC90 T6 is it 14 psi or 22psi?
• Has anyone come across one of these caps that have got stuck to cause over pressuring of the coolant system?

hancym · Jan 1st, 2013, 12:05

Who thinks I have a head gasket on the way out!?

Dec 25th, 2011, 19:02	#1
hancym Master Member Last Online: Feb 25th, 2024 15:40 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Norwich	Losing Coolant...can;t see from where My 2004 XC90 T6 is losing coolant about a quarter litre every 70-100 miles or so. There is not visible leak, either drips or weeping around the radiator or crystallisation of the coolant from an evaporated radiator leak. Oil is clear; no error codes and not signs whatsoever of any engine hiccup or lack of performance. Anyone have any thought?

Dec 26th, 2011, 09:42	#2
pdrvolvo Master Member Last Online: Oct 4th, 2012 19:08 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: middlewich	I had the same problem with the same vehicle a couple of months ago but there were tell tale signs of a leak.It turned out too be a hairline crack in the expansion chamber where the coolant flow return pipe enters the chamber at the top was cracked and the water was weeping from this joint and running down the tank and dripping off the bottom so was not readily visible from above.I can only presume this damage had occured some time previous when i had the cambelt changed.Any way a new expansion chamber off ebay for £20 sorted the problem and was very easy too fit. peter. __________________ 244DL-1976/244DL-1983/740GL-1986/940GL-1992/850GLT-1995/V70-1998/S8O-2000/V70-2005/XC90T6 Exec.-2004.

Dec 26th, 2011, 18:39	#3
TJB25 New Member Last Online: Dec 26th, 2011 18:51 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Newcastle Under Lyme	Leak Hi I had a leak and could not detect where it was coming from att first due to it dripping into the skid plate. it was from the bottom radiator hose the jubeliclip had made a slight tear in the hose when it was originally fitted.

Dec 26th, 2011, 20:25	#4
budvar New Member Last Online: Sep 20th, 2012 20:15 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: EASTBOURNE	xc90 leak Hi Hancym i had exact same problem, turned out to be a faulty radiator cap. cost about £10 from unipart.

Dec 11th, 2012, 15:52	#7
timh30 Senior Member Last Online: Jun 9th, 2022 17:33 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent	Is there any sort of UV tracer dye you could put in. By then shining a UV light (cheap from Maplins if you need one), you should hopefully see where it is leaking from ? Maybe something similar to this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RING-AUTOM...item43ab29c68f __________________ Me: 2001 V70 2.4 SE Wife: 2004 XC90 D5 SE Last edited by timh30; Dec 11th, 2012 at 15:57. Reason: added link

Feb 13th, 2012, 10:26	#5
hancym Master Member Last Online: Feb 25th, 2024 15:40 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Norwich	Checked everything and had two different garages have a look around in case I was going nuts! Still losing about 1 pint every 300 mile. WHERE IS IT GOING?!

Dec 10th, 2012, 13:48	#6
hancym Master Member Last Online: Feb 25th, 2024 15:40 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Norwich	Just to update on this. Still losing coolant another two garages looked at this can CANNOT find any problem . Now losing about 1 litre of coolant every 100 mile. Engine working fine so not dissapearing internally. Must be leaking out but difficult to find now the drive is more or less constantly wet during winter. Anyone else have any thoughts as I've check out all the options suggested.

Dec 11th, 2012, 22:39	#8
60041 Premier Member Last Online: May 23rd, 2024 21:01 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: North Northumberland	A litre every 100 miles is a serious leak and should be visible. The problem is as in most leaks, it will only happen when the engine is hot and the system is pressurised; and, because the system is hot, it will evaporate very quickly. Sykes Pickavant make a cooling system tester that would be helpful here, it would be worth seeing if you could borrow one from a tame garage as they are very expensive to buy. They work by pressurising the system with a small pump up to 7 or 8 psi, at which point any external leaks will be obvious. The advantage of using the tester is that you can keep the system pressurised until the leak is found and that, because the engine is not running, it is safe to feel around the engine without losing a few fingers! Dont forget to check the heater matrix as well as the cooling circuit, leaks here can be difficult to spot. __________________ 2018 V90CC D4, 2022 XC40 1940 Matchless G3, 1980 Moto Guzzi T3 Coming soon:- 1947Rover 14 P2 Last edited by 60041; Dec 11th, 2012 at 22:49.

Dec 28th, 2012, 19:49	#9
hancym Master Member Last Online: Feb 25th, 2024 15:40 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Norwich	Further info. I the leak has been caused by the system over pressuring and it just found the weakest spot which was a jubilee clip on a hose which has now been tightened. The problem I now have is the pressure build up in the coolant system is so great that its pushing the coolant back down out of the header tank and into the hoses. Then the coolant low warning message appears. If I release the pressure at the cap the coolant rushes back into the header tank to the “Max” level again. I've done a sniff test and the coolant was completely clear of any CO2. Anyone know what's going on here? I sort of suspect the coolant tank cap and wondered if the pressure was not being release. My questions are: • Under normal running with no fault should the pressure build top such an extent that it releases through he cap? • What is the cap pressure on a 2004 XC90 T6 is it 14 psi or 22psi? • Has anyone come across one of these caps that have got stuck to cause over pressuring of the coolant system?

Jan 1st, 2013, 12:05	#10
hancym Master Member Last Online: Feb 25th, 2024 15:40 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Norwich	Who thinks I have a head gasket on the way out!?

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