Coolant leak after service/MOT

Strider590

adrian1982dragon wrote: »

It only poured out when I switched the engine on after refilling. It was trickling out before the engine was switched on.

It could well be a pipe but I am parked on a busy public road so getting under the car to have a look isn't really an option at the moment

You shouldn't need to get under the car on a Vectra, you can see the hoses leading to the reservoir, one large one at the bottom, two small ones at the top and a hole at the rear of the cap for releasing pressure.

When you say it's pouring out, can you see it coming out or is it just disappearing?

If it's just disappearing, then the engine has air pockets inside and you need to put a lot more coolant in until the level stays steady.

Unfortunately, if the engine lost that much coolant and ran for any length of time, then it could be a write off.

I don't know what the garage has done, but this isn't just a coincidence.

onomatopoeia99

adrian1982dragon wrote: »

It only poured out when I switched the engine on after refilling. It was trickling out before the engine was switched on.

It could well be a pipe but I am parked on a busy public road so getting under the car to have a look isn't really an option at the moment

So when you put water into the filler, does it leak out onto the floor? If the reservoir just empties but not onto the floor, then it's going into the cooling system indicating it's not full yet and air needs to come out. If it goes onto the floor then you have some other leak, not from the cap of the reservoir.

Note, if the head gasket has failed catastrophically then water can go straight into the combustion chamber, but you'll notice a "James Bond" style smokescreen of steam coming out of the exhaust while the engine is running.

adrian1982dragon

Strider590 wrote: »

You shouldn't need to get under the car on a Vectra, you can see the hoses leading to the reservoir, one large one at the bottom, two small ones at the top and a hole at the rear of the cap for releasing pressure.

When you say it's pouring out, can you see it coming out or is it just disappearing?

If it's just disappearing, then the engine has air pockets inside and you need to put a lot more coolant in until the level stays steady.

Unfortunately, if the engine lost that much coolant and ran for any length of time, then it could be a write off.

I don't know what the garage has done, but this isn't just a coincidence.

I can see all of the hoses but i wasn't sure if the hose coming out the bottom might be split. I don't think the hose has disconnected.

I think its disappearing so will try adding more coolant.

The oil is clear (no gunk) so i'm praying its not a write off.

I'm glad that someone thinks this is no coincidence!

arcon5

I have to disagree with the above poster, I can't possibly see how they could have caused this. Leaving the cap loose doesn't cause hoses to split or whatever is happening to them.

It could be a coincidence, as we all know with cars, anything can happen at any time.

Unless you're sure its leaking then do as I suggested. Run it with cap off, heater on, have somebody give it some revs to get the coolant flowing faster, as the level drops top up. If you haven't got a leak the level will eventually settle and air locks will find their way out.

The level will disappear when you run the engine as you said it did, as the coolant is circulating.

But we're still no clearer as to whether it's leaking or level just dropping...

Strider590

arcon5 wrote: »

I have to disagree with the above poster, I can't possibly see how they could have caused this.

Two main ways that I would suspect:

1) They changed coolant and left the cap loose, causing coolant to boil out of the open cap and leaving air locks in the system.

2) They changed the coolant without removing any airlocks and the coolant is now gradually making it's way into those voids.

That is of course as long as there aren't any actual leaks. The weak point on the Vectra cooling system is the radiator seams.

Personally I would brim the coolant expansion tank, let it drop, fill it again, rinse/repeat until it stops dropping. Then finally syphon off any excess to get the level right.

If you do this with the cap off and engine running, then work fast, you have probably 5 mins maximum before the coolant becomes hot enough to boil, at this point you MUST stop and replace the cap.

arcon5

Ignore me. I read ops post about the leak being from the bottom of the reservoir and assumed you was on about a leak.
I agree with what you've said about an air lock

Alt

OP, what does the garage invoice says about the work done? Did they actually change the coolant as part of the service?


Alt

arcon5

They probably just checked the levels tbh.

worried_jim

adrian1982dragon wrote: »

I went to a well known garage chain yesterday

adrian1982dragon wrote: »

I never posted where i took the car how would you know!!!!!!!!

Big mistake won't happen again!

Bit of a clue there.

Stigy

I think this could be a coincidence. If the coolant is coming out profusely from the bottom of the reseviour, unless the garage changed a hose or something and failed to tighten it up properly, I don't see how it was their fault.

Unless I'm missing the point here? It's obviously leaking excessively, judging by the OP's description of the fault?