Lost All Coolant

[Dm_26]

Driving along the motorway today and all off a sudden the Stop light comes on, another red light and my temperature rockets to the top.

Stopped on the hard shoulder to find the engine bay full of steam, coolant bottle empty and alot of coolant ontop of the gearbox, and all round the back of the engine bay and on the ground after I had stopped.

RAC said it could be the water pump or a core plug of some kind? Also it could of done the head gasket damage.

The car is at a garage now and awaiting to be looked at.

Anyone had anything similar or know anything about this?

It is a 1.2 16v engine.

Cheers

 

[Ian]

Same thing happened to me when my head gasket failed, or at least it sounds like it. Does your oil still look clean or contaminated? Were the exhaust fumes looking blacker/bluer than normal?

Here's mine:

 

[Dm_26]

Oil was fine. One of the first things the RAC checked. And I didn't notice anything unsual at all. Just the temperature went up all of a sudden.

The RAc guy filled the coolant up and it almost immediately dissapeared, filled it up to maximum again and it stayed there. Also tried a pressure tester on the coolant bottle and it stayed fine.

Makes me think its the water pump as this will only leak with the engine running?

Also, the oil cap has white gunk over it but I am led to believe this is normal on the 1.2 16v engine?

 

[Beef-Mc]

Follow the coolant hoses to where it joins the engine, my thermostat housing was leaking coolant from there.

Took it off, sealed with silicone and I believe it's still going strong now.

 

[Ian]

Yeah it's pretty normal on a 1.2 to have the white gunk. Sounds to me like it could be the pump or a blockage in the line that stopped the coolant getting round.

 

[Dm_26]

Beef-Mc was that in a 1.2?

Ian, don't think it could be a blockage as the coolant was leaking from somewhere as it was on the ground when the car was moved.

Any idea on how much a water pump would cost?

 

[Dm_26]

Just had a call from the garage. A plastic housing that all the coolant hoses are connected to has burst.

Been quoted £110-120 for parts and labour.

Not as bad as I expected tbh.

He did say he is sure there is no head gasket damage aswell

 

[Ian]

Good news. Which plastic housing? The thermostat?

 

[Dm_26]

I dunno mate, my dad took the call. All he said was a plastic housing of some sort. May be the thermostat.

It must of just burst open though as it was just a sudden cloud of steam and the temperature rocketed up

Glad its not the water pump. Was expecting a massive bill but I can handle just over £100 tbh

Garage has ordered the part needed but as its a bank holiday weekend he won't get it until at least Tuesday.

 

[Beef-Mc]

Thermostat housing then, not too bad a fix. Better than a water pump or HGF anyway!

 

[Dm_26]

All fixed up and sorted for a modest £103.75.

Happy days