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2001 6n2 polo tdi , Head Gasket Problem?
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ShazPolo
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Oct 6, 2012, 6:00 PM
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2001 6n2 polo tdi , Head Gasket Problem?
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Hi there. I have a 2001 Volkswagen Polo Colour Concept 1.4 tdi 3 cylinder. It has done 106,000 miles. Right the issue with this car is that when I take it on a good run for example a 20-30 min long run on the motorway/ring roads, the coolant will near enough empty, so it's losing a lot of water. Now I can't see any leaks, but when I put my foot down the car chucks out black smoke, not sure if this is due to it being remapped or because of the headgasket. Also when I put the heaters on, there is a horrible smell that comes in to the car, as if someone burnt something in the oven. The oil looks fine. The coolant bottle is a bit dark at the bottom of it and no matter how hot the engine is when you open the coolant cap it doesn't chuck out water so it wouldn't burst open like most cars. The car doesn't get overheated, but loses water a lot. Please can you help me as I don't know where this water is going. How can I physically check the headgasket or check for a crack in the head of the engine? Thanks
(This post was edited by ShazPolo on Oct 7, 2012, 12:35 PM)
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
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Oct 7, 2012, 7:47 AM
Post #2 of 16
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Re: Is This a Head Gasket Problem?
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You need to have the coolant system pressure tested. Some leaks won't show up until there is pressure in the system. If you have a coolant smell inside the vehicle the heater core is probably leaking.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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ShazPolo
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Oct 8, 2012, 9:26 AM
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Re: Is This a Head Gasket Problem?
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I took the car to another garage today, the mechanic screwed the coolant cap off checked the water and the water looked clean, he said if it was head gasket this water wouldn't be clean, he also looked at the oil and the oil looked very clean too. he concluded by saying it could be the water pump but I'll check it for you properly tomorrow. Also I've realised today the car getting a bit steamed up from the inside and that smell still exists. The mechanic said the smell could be Air filter/pollen filter. But the steam? Heater matrix?
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Hammer Time
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Oct 8, 2012, 10:03 AM
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Re: Is This a Head Gasket Problem?
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That guy is the janitor masquerading as a mechanic. Take it somewhere else.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Oct 8, 2012, 10:59 AM
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Re: Is This a Head Gasket Problem?
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Hey - you need better help than you got. Steaming inside is almost always the "core" for the heater which is a mini radiator if the term isn't used by you.
The smell/odor about confirms it. Losing that much "water" better said coolant would almost always make a mess inside the car generally on passenger's side and not familiar with this car so couldn't say which side as it sounds right hand drive so far. So yes there's a pretty good chance it needs more than just the core. Real techs shouldn't have too much trouble diagnosing this but may not know exactly if head gasket is involved the total extent of that job till apart,
T
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ShazPolo
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Oct 9, 2012, 11:27 AM
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Hi fellas thanks for the reply. Yes that mechanic didn't seem too sure. I went to a couple of mechanics today, both said it doesn't seem to be head gasket, because theres no white smoke coming out of the exhaust, no milky oil, no oil in the expansion tank and the water isn't being lost around town, just on long runs on the motorways/highways . They both said it could boil down to the following things, The cap on the expansion tank, water pump, thermostat, heater core. Right another question, the radiator fan isn't kicking in, I replaced the fan switch, and the number 30 fuse on top of the battery, then it started to work, but now it isn't working again, I pulled off the switch adapter connected to the fan switch, connected a wire to both connection points on the adapter and the fan started to work only whilst I had the wire connected, maybe I need to buy another new fan switch? And when the fan isn't kicking in, could this be the reason that the Overheating light comes on when there is water loss? Sorry for doing your heads in guys, I just don't know a great deal about cars. Thanks. And Yes it is a right hand drive. P.S one of the mechanics today said the windows are getting steamed because of a slight leak in the heater matrix (core) but that doesn't explain the great amount of water loss
(This post was edited by ShazPolo on Oct 9, 2012, 11:29 AM)
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Hammer Time
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Oct 9, 2012, 2:11 PM
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The fan motor is probably shot and drawing too much current.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Oct 9, 2012, 4:13 PM
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Loss of coolant/water will cause overheating for any reason it leaks. Fan must work and your warning light/gauge could be confused if running low on coolant. I say "coolant" as engines are NOT made to run on real plain water even for vehicles that would be used in places that could never freeze there was a product sold called "coolant" just to protect engine metals but haven't even heard of it sold and wouldn't be practical for even US tropical areas or territories.
A heater core leak could leak externally to something hot like exhaust and burn off without much evidence and still make an odor. Some could leak at a hose connections and not be the "core" itself but drip into that housing (air box) with both loss of coolant and the odor and not be the core itself. Rare for exactly that.
Any reason an engine overheats things are stressed. Head gaskets and a list of things go wrong up to ruining an engine. Fan just might be drawing too much power as Hammer Time said if it blew new parts that made it work for a while. Just lack of fan could cause overheating and blow coolant to ground but you should see evidence or have warning light or gauge inside.
Leaks unseen only at longer use or higher speeds can be water-pumps or several vehicles still need fan even when air speed should be enough.
Don't worry about which words we call assorted parts. The harder part for a vehicle not sold to where most techs here are is we wouldn't know of so many very common problems with a certain make or model - the basic ideas of how things work are still there. The tests and observations for head gasket are fair so far but can take more intense diagnosing to be absolutely certain,
T
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
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Oct 10, 2012, 8:03 AM
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Or the steam from the leaking heater core is shorting out the fan resistor.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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ShazPolo
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Oct 12, 2012, 3:22 PM
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Hi, took the car on the motorway today, it lost all its water within 30-40 mins, then the temperature light came on, although the temperature never went above 90. I put the heaters on warm and kept my window open until the next service station, I manually connected the fan to the battery, and topped up the water again. This time all the coolant was lost within 20 minutes . I really don't know where the coolant is going so quick. I pulled over and didn't see any leaks anywhere. When I drive around the city, I can drive for ages and ages, and the car won't lose coolant, even driving it fast, it doesn't lose coolant. But as soon as I hit the motorway/highway and go at high speeds for long periods of time, it loses water and the temperature light comes on. Could it be water pump? Head Gasket? A crack in the head?
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Tom Greenleaf
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Oct 12, 2012, 4:20 PM
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Shaz - losing water that fast if it wasn't a head gasket it will be and probably lots more at HT said maybe the whole engine is toast and still need to fix why it was leaking in the first place,
T
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ShazPolo
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Oct 20, 2012, 8:22 AM
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Right fellas. An update. I stuck a cloth to the Coolant Bottle (expansion tank), went on a long journey, got to my destination and checked the cloth, the cloth was soaked, i squeezed the cloth and a lot of water dripped out. So I am going to change the coolant bottle.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Oct 20, 2012, 9:26 AM
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Saz - Let's start over with this. The "recovery" bottle/tank/THINGY should have "coolant" in it and markings for "cold" and "hot" (meaning warmed up) levels so would soak a cloth if this was properly filled in anything that uses that system which is EVERYTHING I can think of since the 1960s about.
Plain water is not good even if it is using lots at least a mild mix - add food coloring if need be - like just a drop or two but most are colored either green or orange/pink, some blue out there.
Back: It the tank leaks which isn't unheard of then liquid would come out any may be part way up where it leaks then when cooled off or after cycling level normally would go empty and voila you would have a wet cloth - which if a test should be UNABLE to clog the return hole to usually a hose back to radiator.
If, If, If that is what is happening AND coolant is coming out at a certain level more so with full operating temp whilst (did that for you) driving it could make a smell inside car and a chance leave little evidence.
It would leak just sitting there cold if overfilled for a test as well near certainly. THEY DO CRACK especially at fasteners that hold them or just bad luck and have to go for new. Patching them if so from outside either wont last or wont work at all. If that tank is also pressurized as in the cap is the acting radiator cap no patch will last for poop.
This is possible for the situation but unusual you wouldn't see it or evidence. If so it still could and will run engine short of coolant, overheat sooner or later and all the possible damage from overheating possible,
T
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