Coolant issue with mates car

[MG's VH Wag]

Hi guys, Yesterday at footy training my mate asked me if i could look at his car. He said that it was running a bit hot so he checked the coolant level and there was none in the resevoir so he filled it up(half with coolant half with water cause he ran out of coolant). Anyway he told me that he drove it about 15km to training and back and he checked the level and the resevoir was empty. I checked his oil and there was no sign that water could be leaking in there and i went over the lines roughly and it didn't look like there were any crack or leaks. He has a stock VR, he only asked me cause compared to him i know heaps about cars lol.

Does anyone know what could be causing the coolant to go so quick?

Any help would be great. Cheers!

 

[OzJD]

Check the OIL, Hopefully it's not bubbly and thick!
Fill it up, run it for a minute, Look for leaks, Specifically, check above the harmonic balancer (the big pulley at the bottom), if the water pump is leaking you will notice it there!
Check hoses and the around the radiator.
Also, check above the radiator cap (on the bonnet) - is it wet? Might need a new cap.

Good luck.

 

[MG's VH Wag]

I checked the oil and it looks fine, looks normal. I will fill it up and run it and see if i can spot any leaks.

 

[KhaosInc]

check between the heads and intake as the intake gasket craps itself and it can leak into the intake or sit where the intake/heads join together... mines crapped itself on the drivers side.


ive read somewhere if you need to change it you will need to change the oil too cause some coolant will leak into the valley when the intake manifold is off....

 

[nemesis_adrasteia]

check your water pump mate i had this problem not long ago water pump is about a $140 fix not sure about vs im assuming it would be the same as my vr the water pump is directly above the harmonic balancer theres about a 6mm hole underneath the pulley and f the seals shaged it pisses out tell your mate NOT to drive it untill your sure its not the water pump you can seriusly **** **** if ur engine over heats

 

[bread]

i agree had same problem, water pump, easy way to check, just sit a piece of paper under the pulley's roughly, after a while if theres coolant or a big wet patch there, theres a good chance you've got a hole in the pump. hope its that, there easy to fix, just need a new one.

 

[MG's VH Wag]

Thanks guys i'll check and hopefully its the water pump. He told me that he filled the resevoir up with just water then the next day he checked it and there was coolant in the resevoir because it was green. Does this mean anything?

 

[-=ApheX=-]

if there is coolant in the res then this is normal operation, basically as the pressure builds in your radiator the density if the water changes causing it to purge into the res, this has an opposite effect if yor radiator is running low the back pressure cause the water from the res to flow into the radiator... now if there's flowing problems i would look at the thermostat needing to be replaced, or the water pump... these are both quite easily fixed...

 

[MG's VH Wag]

Alrighty thanks buddy, I will check out the water pump next time i see him!

Cheers!

 

[NSTG8R]

could also be a stuffed radiator......mine was "drinking" coolant for a few weeks, then one day i had the bonnet open while the motor was at operating temp and found steam coming from the radiator. turns out that the radiator core had sprung a leak as there was coolant staining along one of the tubes about halfway down the radiator

might also pay to check the heater tap, common fault for this model!