1.4tdi cooling rad?? issues
Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 12:41 am
Hi ive got an issue with my 2002 1.4tdi polo. It is loosing water but there are no visable leaks. The car is running at 90 (which is spot on) and never over heats. The bottom hose and radiator will not get warm though. The thermostat has just been changed as has the water pump (was due a cambelt any way).
The radiator gets warmish in the top corner by the top hose, but the rest stays cold. What is the best way to test the radiator for blockages.
The car has had this fault intermitantly for about the last 15,000 miles (intermitant in that it looses a lot of water, the hose and rad always stay cold). But has just got worse again which I am guessing is due to the fact its summer again and im not using the heaters, thus not removing any heat from the system.
People have said its the head gasket, i find this hard to believe as it does not explain the the cold rad and hose. And i also think it would have gone altogether after 15k. There are also none of the tell tale signs of head gasket failur ie water and oil mix. Or steam from the exhaust.
My thaughts are that the coolant (or water as i cant afford to keep putting coolant in
) is sitting in the header and not circulating properly due to the rad being blocked (i think) and somehow turning t osteam and leaking via the header cap. This seems like the most logical explanation, but ive never actually heard of this happening before.
I know i have wrote a lot but ive tried to give as much detail as i can. Thanks in advance for any help.
The radiator gets warmish in the top corner by the top hose, but the rest stays cold. What is the best way to test the radiator for blockages.
The car has had this fault intermitantly for about the last 15,000 miles (intermitant in that it looses a lot of water, the hose and rad always stay cold). But has just got worse again which I am guessing is due to the fact its summer again and im not using the heaters, thus not removing any heat from the system.
People have said its the head gasket, i find this hard to believe as it does not explain the the cold rad and hose. And i also think it would have gone altogether after 15k. There are also none of the tell tale signs of head gasket failur ie water and oil mix. Or steam from the exhaust.
My thaughts are that the coolant (or water as i cant afford to keep putting coolant in
) is sitting in the header and not circulating properly due to the rad being blocked (i think) and somehow turning t osteam and leaking via the header cap. This seems like the most logical explanation, but ive never actually heard of this happening before. I know i have wrote a lot but ive tried to give as much detail as i can. Thanks in advance for any help.