blowing out coolant

[kermit the frog]

Hi all
I think the enforced laying up of my TZD has had catastrofic consequences.

Topped up and bled the cooling system about 2 weeks ago ran her up fans cut in all seemed well.

Tried her yesterday and fans cut in as before and then all of a sudden coolant exploding out of the hole under the pressure cap.

Question is it knackered or is it repairable.

Never had anything like it before.

Hope somebody can help if it is the end anybody know where there is a good 1.7 TZD engine going cheap.(very cheap or free)
I have done just about everything else on the car and it would be sad to let her go.
Other than that is it posible to remove the engine without the gearbox.

Yesterday was a bit of a downer so hope somebody can lift my spirits.

Thought last year was bad damaged my hand and am unable to work for more than half an hour at a time.
Found out i have arthritis in my spine.
And to top it all my wife had to have a second brain tumour removed.
Thought 2008 would be better but now i am not so sure.

Sorry about that.
Many thanks for all the help i have recieved from you all

Regards KERMIT

[DavidRutherford]

The obvious thought is blown head gasket, but unless you've massively overheated the engine, I doubt it's that. The head gasket on XUD engines tends to fail very slowly (over the course of several thousand miles) getting progressively worse.

You may have simply overfilled it. The level is a half-full bottle of coolant. The other thought is that it may not have been completely bled. The heater matrix and the top of the rad are quite hard to bleed of all air.

Have you refilled the system and tried it again?

[kermit the frog]

Thanks for the advice david
Yes i have refilled it and it did get very hot i am wondering if the water pump impeller has failed.
I had it happen on a friends seat cordoba and that had the same symptoms.
Or maybe the thermostat has failed.
Must admit i was a bit down yeserday but looking for answers today.
Maybe an engine out rebuild is the way to go i am not in too much of a hurry just want the old girl running again.
So comfortable and with my back

Regards Kermit

[ken newbold]

If it's been laid up, how's your antifreeze?

[jeremy]

If you peer down into the expansion bottle you will see a flat bar about 1/2 way down. This is the correct level.

You must be very patient if you waited for the fans to come on with the car stationary.

If the head gasket gas gone and it is affecting the cooling system you will get combustion gasses in the coolant - they will smell. You are also likely to get oily deposits - are there any?

The cooling system will pressurise. This can often be detected by hard rubber hoses - especially after the engine has been standing for a long time -say overnight. The hoses are hard as more gas has been introduced into the system - not air already in it, gas dissolved in the water or steam which will condense - but combustion gasses which are additional to what was there when you last fitted the car.

Its also possible that you will see bubbling if the filler cap is removed with the engine running. There is often some turbulence in the expansion bottle on a TD and this should not be confused with bubbling.

[kermit the frog]

Thanks Jeremy and Ken
I have tried out your sgestions and it still seems to be bad some bue smoke seems to be coming from the exhaust all the time now.
I have enquired about the cost of the relavent gaskets etc and am going to atempt to check out the thermostat which could be contributing to the problem.

I will keep you posted on my success or failure in my endeavours.

Regards Kermit

[DavidRutherford]

If the fans cut in, then the thermostat must be opening. If it were jammed shut, then the rad would stay cold while the engine boils, and the fans would be off. It does sound very much like there's an air bubble somewhere.

Try this test for possible failed-head-gasketness:

Start with a cold engine. Remove and then refit the expansion cap to remove all pressure in the cooling system. Start and run the engine at a fast idle (maybe 1500rpm) for about 60 seconds, and then turn off. Undo the expansion cap. There should be no pressure build-up at all. If there is a release of pressure, then you have a problem.

[kermit the frog]

Thanks for that very useful tip David

I will try that tomorrow morning if it is not raining.

Regards Kermit