Motorhome losing Coolant

[TOAD on Tour]

Thanks all, I have some large jubilee clips, so I‘ll leave the one in place and add another closer up the collar.

 

[Spriddler]

When I was in the trade we frequently checked for coolant water by tasting a very tiny drop on a finger. If it's coolant water it will have antifreeze in it which tastes sweet.

 

[pappajohn]

And be wondering why the heater is not working as well as it might because it's partially blocked with the crap from the barsleaks or other rad seal product. If you value your vehicle at all don't put that stuff in your rad and yes I speak from experience.

It's been in my car radiator for the last five years since a found a hole in the radiator core.... No effect on the heater whatsoever.

 

[dunnah01]

Disconnect the battery before poking around near those red cables - they are permanently live and if you short them with a screwdriver or spanner through you to the body you'll be in A&E

 

[dpsuk999]

DDuffs BEFORE you go the expense of removing the engine and going on a wild goose chase spend some time finding the ALDE heat exchanger and tracing the pipe work as I had EXACTLY the same problem with my previous Dethleffs motorhome that your having.

Over a period of time I would notice the coolant level had gone down slightly and it was a leek from the engine side of the heat exchanger. Below are a few pictures:

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[TOAD on Tour]

DDuffs BEFORE you go the expense of removing the engine and going on a wild goose chase spend some time finding the ALDE heat exchanger and tracing the pipe work as I had EXACTLY the same problem with my previous Dethleffs motorhome that your having.

Over a period of time I would notice the coolant level had gone down slightly and it was a leek from the engine side of the heat exchanger. Below are a few pictures:

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Many thanks for the really useful guidance. At the moment I have my fingers crossed that it was the jubilee clip that needed a half turn to nip it tight. So far nothing seems to be leaking. If it does it’s back to the drawing board and I’ll definitely start with the heat exchanger pipes. Although the dealer is covering any works with engine etc. I would prefer to not have it done if it’s not required! Thanks again, great info

 

[TOAD on Tour]

Disconnect the battery before poking around near those red cables - they are permanently live and if you short them with a screwdriver or spanner through you to the body you'll be in A&E

Many thanks!

 

[TOAD on Tour]

Firstly, many thanks for all the suggestion, guidance and even songs (you know who you are! )....so far after giving the jubilee clip in my earlier photo a half turn nothing seems to be leaking, although I’m far from convinced.....I’ve placed some clean cardboard under the engine, but as it’s going to rain (along with thunder and lightning) later, it may scupper my test...but as long as the pipe around the jubilee clip is dry, I’ll be happy......

 

[TOAD on Tour]

Good morning all...I’ve just gone out and had a good look and no drips and the area around the jubilee clip/pipe is dry....so a quick question, should I now take it for a spin (at 8.5m long it’s more of a military manoeuvre) or do you think if it was leaking it still should leak now regardless of it getting warm and cooling down again, remembering it was taking a day for the leak to show after the van was last driven? Many thanks as always.

 

[Landy Andy]

Take it for a drive. Then test.

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[denisejoe]

I hope you have deep pockets.
Removing the engine from below will be a long and labour intensive job and it won't come out of the top through the letterbox slit they laughingly call a bonnet. .
Personally, I would stick a couple of radleak type sealers in the radiator and see if that helped for such a minor leak.
Nothing to lose for the sake of a few quid.

The garage I use said it’s quicker to remove the engine to replace the pipe at the back of the engine than do it from on top in an a class have seen mine with the front 5 feet in the air

 

[travlinman]

Looks to me that the jubilee clip has been fitted above the original spring type hose clip and is not compressing the hose to the pipe bellow.

 

[TOAD on Tour]

So far so good, had it running for 50 mins on my drive from 11am today and everything is holding out.....proof in the pudding will be if it remains the same through tomorrow. We are driving to Woolacombe on Friday for the weekend which is approximately 100 miles, so that will also give it a good test!

 

[Vipar]

I can’t wait for tomorrow fingers crossed

 

[TOAD on Tour]

I can’t wait for tomorrow fingers crossed

Gives you time to think an appropriate sing

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[Vipar]

Dear Eliza

 

[Podney]

So far so good, had it running for 50 mins on my drive from 11am today and everything is holding out.....proof in the pudding will be if it remains the same through tomorrow. We are driving to Woolacombe on Friday for the weekend which is approximately 100 miles, so that will also give it a good test!

50 minutes on tickover? Ooops I thought,that won’t do her any good,you might bugger up your exhaust filter thingy and end up in limp mode (oooh missus). Suggest give it a good thrashing on the way i.e.hold in low gear and high revs for a while while after she’s warmed up.

 

[2 Jabs]

50 minutes on tickover? Ooops I thought,that won’t do her any good,you might bugger up your exhaust filter thingy and end up in limp mode (oooh missus). Suggest give it a good thrashing on the way i.e.hold in low gear and high revs for a while while after she’s warmed up.

An Italian tune up!

Years ago on the motorway an engineer friend of mine was walking along the hard shoulder of the M27, having just passed his car I wasn’t surprised to see him. I stopped to give him a lift and my car full of engineer types asked if we could help. He replied that he thought not as when he lifted the bonnet he saw the con rod poking through the block.

My last experience of an Italian tune up

A good run at a reasonable speed will be fine

 

[tonyidle]

Definitely not water from the air con, this leak is taking +24hrs to appear on my drive, which I am finding quite bizarre.....

When the vehicle is in use a tiny leak will evaporate due to engine heat. When you park up the engine starts to cool and the cooling system draws in air through the breather built into the rad cap. The slight depression within the cooling system prevents a leak until it is almost cold and internal / external pressures are equal. Then you'll see the leak.

 

[TOAD on Tour]

When the vehicle is in use a tiny leak will evaporate due to engine heat. When you park up the engine starts to cool and the cooling system draws in air through the breather built into the rad cap. The slight depression within the cooling system prevents a leak until it is almost cold and internal / external pressures are equal. Then you'll see the leak.

Thanks Tony, that makes perfect sense . I’m crossing my figures that nipping the jubilee clip has resolved it....time will tell, it’s now 18hrs since I had the engine ticking over for 50 minutes......

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[SSILVO]

Hi, the Coolant level seems to be dropping ever so slightly, but not enough that I’m 100% sure.....

You need a block test done this is simple a device with a hand pump on it that you fit on the top of your coolant reservoir ,and you fill will a blue fluid ,run the engine while lumping air into the coolant ,if the blue fluid turns green or yellow it's head gasket issue.. ps check the cap on the reservoir they are known to fail, a new one is about 7 quid on ebay