question for mechanic

busiscoming2

Hi we had a new water pump, pipes, cam belt and head gasket fitted about a month ago. In the past week we have to top the coolant up daily, and sometimes fill the rad too. It does not appear to be leaking. Any ideas? Any help welcome! The car is a 1989 micra. Thanks guys

mrtg0525

First, does the car appear to run warmer or even hot, especially when you leave it idling for a while?

Is the radiator in decent nick? It may seem OK but give under pressure (when the engine is hot). Of course that wouldn't show up because the water would just disappear as steam...

Also, are you sure that you're not overfilling the header tank or radiator?

If you don't have any traces of oil in the coolant or mayonnaise in the oil filler cap, I'd check the radiator cap first and change that as it may have decided that it's fed up with holding in the pressure.

Hintza

Could also be an airlock and that is causing the excess to blow out the system resulting in constant refills. Get it back to the garage that did the work they should at least check it over for you.

Wig

With anyluck it will be a leak on the waterpump, they maybe should have used silicone to seal it properly.. Otherwise it could be a headgasket leak. Whatever the case I would take it back and expect them to fix it at their cost unless they can show it is something new like a hole in the rad.

Conor_3

When they did the headgasket did they check the head for cracks and also have it skimmed because if not, the chances are the headgasket has gone again or there's a crack in the head.

Basically, if the job was done for any less than £300, they've skimped on it and not skimmed or crack tested it.

kaya

it is possible that replacing most of the heating system has caused the heater matrix to fail, this is not unknown due to the increased pressure caused by the new parts, check the carpet in the footwell to see if it is damp, otherwise take it back too the garage

busiscoming2

thanks guys, I am pretty ignorant about cars and their workings, I shall pass on your info to hubby later.

cyclonebri1

busiscoming2 wrote: »

Hi we had a new water pump, pipes, cam belt and head gasket fitted about a month ago. In the past week we have to top the coolant up daily, and sometimes fill the rad too. It does not appear to be leaking. Any ideas? Any help welcome! The car is a 1989 micra. Thanks guys

How much have you had to top up the system, as said it's not uncommon to suffer an airleak after such work, but if you have had to add over a litre to the system I would start to get worried. Any steam from the exhaust??
Any residue in the expansion tank? Does it blow water off under the bonnet under high revs? All suggests failed heaed gasket.

It does suggest that the recent work has not effected a cure to the problem it was addressed to. Put pressure on whoever did it.

PS
An early micra like this may be boarderline in terms of money spent re value realised, so beware.

busiscoming2

Think we may have found problem, one of the new hoses that were fitted was too big, even with the jubilee clips tightened (bit of a bodge, it seems!) hubby bought new bit of pipe, so we will have to wait and see if thats it rectified completely!

Wig

Lets hope you didn't do any permanent damage by overheating your newly replaced headgasket. And now you have replaced a bodge by the garage you can't easily go back to the garage if you have any permanent damage.

I would have driven back to the garage and told him to put it right and for him to pray he hasn't messed up the cylinder head.