car using water

andy8442

tubby210 wrote: »

My car is using about 1 and a half of water a week anybody got any idea what it could be.

Sounds like the answer to all our problems!

I currently use about 150 litres of diesel a week. What's your secret?

Sorry....couldn't resist.

Strider590

tubby210 wrote: »

My car is using about 1 and a half of water a week anybody got any idea what it could be.

1 and a half what?

If it's 1 and a half thimbles full, no problem.
If it's 1 and a half times the displacement of a Nimitz class aircraft carrier, you've got a major problem.

In this weather, any water under the car iss probably just the run off from the aircon drainage, think of the water running down a cold pint on a hot day, it's got to go somewhere.

Hammyman

Go for a run and when you get home, park the car up. Put a large sheet of cardboard, big enough to cover the entire size of the engine bay and a bit further under the car on the floor under the engine. Go check it a few hours later. If there is no water there, then its either leaking from the seal on the expansion tank cap and evaporating as steam while you drive or its going through the engine and either mixing with the oil or going out of the exhaust.

scheming_gypsy

also look under the water bottle for anything that seems to be rusty, or just covered in rusty water. My old golf had the same issue and there was a tiny leak in the water bottle, it kept dripping on the starter motor till it rusted and just fell off.

andygb

maninthestreet wrote: »

Check under the oil filler cap for any sign of 'mayonnaise'.

If you find any "mayonnaise" then you have solved the case.
You should be looking for a Belgian with a penchant for Frites, who is trolling the neighbourhood syphoning coolant out of people's cars.;)

tubby210

maninthestreet wrote: »

Check under the oil filler cap for any sign of 'mayonnaise'.

no mayonnaise

Hammyman

Just as an aside, how full are you filling it? Are you filling it right to the top?

tubby210

Hammyman wrote: »

Just as an aside, how full are you filling it? Are you filling it right to the top?

not right to the top.

kkgree1

My car was doing a similar thing last year. I drove around for about 6 months with the problem (doing similar mileage and topping it up every week).
Eventually took it to the garage and was a leaking radiator valve which was causing a small leak. Cost £150 to fix.

Hammyman

tubby210 wrote: »

not right to the top.

Good. Virtually all cars need the level in the expansion tank to be at least a couple of inches below the top - on my Mondeo expansion tank it is hald way. For those without expansion tanks (old ones) the radiator level is usually 2" below the cap even though there aren't any marks.

Put much more than the above in and you'll find that it will just chuck the water out.