Hilux water leak?

[vince_hilux]

Hi guys, i own a 1999 rzn169r hilux 2.7lt

Its been loosing water for some time but i cant seem to find the problem. i did all checks and still nothing. ive replaced the radiator & all hoses, brand new cyclinder head because old valves where burnt out! and still leaking water. i pressurized the system for 25mins and it held at 17psi at cold and hot temps. I did all the work my self otherwise i would off ****** the car! & im determined to fix the problem.

Anyone else ever had this issue?

[trentmeyer23]

Did you replace the radiator cap?

[vince_hilux]

yeah did that! still leaking

[trentmeyer23]

Is it leaking externally or are you just losing water?

[vince_hilux]

i have to refill the over fill bottle every 5-6 days. i dont put coolant in it anymore because its just a waste.

[vince_hilux]

im thinking their might be something wrong with the heater core! im thinking of taking it out and sussing it out,

[Manxman]

Use red coolant, all liquid leaks will show as pink --easily seen. You didn't mention the water pump. Check cabin floor for in cabin leaks from heater. NB plain water is not good enough-you need coolant-it has a higher latent heat than water and cools much better. plain water will prob boil away via the overflow tank, and you risk overheating your motor. Have you tested your thermostat? Is the gauge showing it hotter than 1/2 way???? NB the gauge is NOT dependable, but is a guide only. It has some mid range plasticity. After market digital gauges are much better. Does the new cap have the same pressure rating written on it as the old one, and are they correct---see manual/google.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Manxman

[GC_AUS]

hate to ask these questions but it has to be checked,-

water in oil / oil in water?

steam from crankcase filler cap?

steam from exhaust after the car is warmed to operating temp?

definitely no tiny leak in the cooling system?

every 5-6 days - so this is fairly slow leak or are these short trips in the vehicle

[vince_hilux]

all those checks GC_AUS have been done. Theirs no visbile leak, she runs like a dream, i get 400 kms out of a 80Lt gas tank shes got power just shes got this leak some where.

Manxman- i had green coolant in it the only time i saw a leak on the ground was when i had the air con on but that was the breather hole when i turn the car off. Ill give the red coolant ago, yeah the cap fits specs. has brand new thermostat. and gauge sits a fraction below half. the only reason i rule out the A/C was because its winter know i dont use it and i still got a slight leak

Thanks for all the comments appreciate it

[Manxman]

If it's going down then it's going somewhere-to the ground or the sump or the exhaust. Very difficult to check at oil filler cap. Pls test again to see if it presurises under load, and how quickly it drops off as idling motor cools. NB new hoses are not gauranteed perfect, check them closely. The leak is very small, so drips will be far apart. A guess is to keep runs short and let it develop-I'm confident it will get worse, but when is the big question. Get motor hot and switch off in quiet area, listen for hiss? use coloured light to pick up steam in darkness? Someone in forensics will know that one. What colour is oil on dipstick: black or milky? NB I suspect there's a welsh plug behind the cylinders, you'll need a mirror to see it, and prob have to pull the motor to change it. The hot motor may evaporate drips as they run down from there. there are in-cabin hoses for the heater core, check them carefully. they often get overlooked-with bad consequences.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Manxman