Hi all.

I recently bought a 1996 V6 auto TE Magna. now, obviously, I have no real idea about it's past, so I have no idea how long this issues has been happening...

I am having problems with the car overheating. I first noticed it after a going for a 30 minutes drive and saw the temp gauge get very close to the red :shock: When I got home, after letting it all cool down I filled the radiator and res tank. Next time I took it for another drive (again, about 25-30mins) It got back up to the red again. Again, got home, let it cool and checked the water level's. Nothing in the res tank and the radiator took a lot of water to fill once more.

So, obviously, I have a leak. now I just want to find where and fix it! While playing around with the car today (installing new speakers) I noticed the front P/S carpet was wet. So could this be related to the leaking rad? I have no idea how the water flows through the rad, engine, etc.

I need this car to get to work every day, so any help I can get to try to find and fix the leak would be GREAT!!!

Oh dear.
This is the dreaded heater core hose connector "O" ring seal problem.
This is a dash out job to get to the seals.

Make sure that the water is coolant.
Gerry

I am about 99% sure it is the coolant water. There is nothing else it could be given that the last time it rained the windows were up and it was under the car port (so zero chance of it being from a leaking window), and i don;t let anyone drink in my car lol

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good guide, or info, on how to go about fixing this?

EDIT: Ok, I've found to links to threads covering the dash removal. Given i don;t get paid until the end of the week (so I get to spend the weekend doing this) Is there anything I can do to stop the leak over the next three days?

I am about 99% sure it is the coolant water.

On P/S since we have had a lot of humid weather it could easily be condensed water form the air conditioner if your drain through the firewall is blocked by a hornets nest or other obstruction.

If you are losing coolant it may be getting away through the head gasket into your combustion chamber and be vapourised out through the exhaust, make sure the water on the carpet is coolant(Green?) before you go pulling all the dash out to put an o-ring on your heater core.

The coolant in the rad is just water. So I guess the first step would be to go to K-mart and get some coolant and chuck in? That should be on a 50/50 mix, after draining the rad, right?

Where in the firewall is the AC drain? I'm guessing it's on the P/S? And what other tell-tale signs would point to the head gasket? i did also notice after the second re-fill, that when I came back from another run, the rad was all but empty and there was a fair bit of water that had run out the top of the res tank (i.e. The lid was off, when I ensured it was on before the run. I was also careful to not spill and water during the top up. So I know the water around the res tank was not there prior to going for a spin

Thanks for the help so far

If it's a head gasket issue your first sign would be water mixed in the oil if you're losing water.. so check the dipstick and the oil filler cap for any milky residue. But from the sound of it, with your water leaking into the passenger area, your problem would most likely be the heater core/hoses.

Also check condition of the radiator cap.

As for a temporary fix, I'm sure someone could assist with info on how to bypass the heater core (I haven't actually done this myself so I can't tell you exactly how) so that the water doesn't circulate in that area.. I've seen people clamp the hoses shut but I'm not going to recommend it just in case it's the wrong info, but someone here might be able to shed some light on it. Oh and it also pays to watch the temp gauge more frequently.. anything over halfway on the temp gauge on a magna is a sure indication to pull over, avoid letting it get close to the red area.
Hope you can find an easy fix!

To bypass the heater core, under your bonnet find 2 hoses that go inside, they will be attached to piping at the firewall on the passenger side, take the hoses of the piping, and find yourself a metal tubing of equal diameter and clamp the hoses together using the metal tubing. means no heater, but better then over heated engine

OK, I put some coolant in (just for colour) and went for a spin, nothing. however, when I popped the bonnet, I saw a lot of wetness around the neck/cap to the rad res.

When I topped it up, I was very careful to not let any water splash around, so I know it's not from the top up. So I now know I am leaking coolant there. Question is; why? The little black pipe that goes from the rad to the res, is that some sort of over-flow from teh radiator? If so, and if it's split, then that'd explain the leak. Doesn't explain the wet carpet on the P/S. But given that has only happened once, who knows?

Check the radiator level when it's cool and see if that has dropped.

See if you can get a mechanic or radiator specialist to have a quick look and quote. Without seeing the car it's difficult to give correct advice

Take it to a radiator shop for a pressure test.

cheapest first replace radiator cap, if you have no coolant in radiator, expansion tank is overflowing and cooland around cap then its a good chance its no longer holding pressure. cheap and easy to test, hell i get my caps from pickapart for free, easy to spot a new one (there are always a few new ones from people trouble shooting anther prob before wrecking the car)

Well, a bit more investigating and I've found that the coolant is leaking out via the little overflow hole in the top of the res bottle.

What would cause the collant to flow from the rad into the res and then leak out? It's flowing in the wrong direction.
Also, normally, if I go for a 30 minute drive (going to work), it over heats and the rad will be dry. But I noticed today that after driving to work, there was still water in the rad.
And since that one time, there has been no 'wetness' on the P/S carpet. So I'm guessing that was something un-related.

There's no signs of a leak anywhere else except from the res overflow hole. WTF?

I don;t get paid till next week, and will get it tested then. But anyone have an idea what may be going on? It's got me baffled.

Take it to a radiator shop for a pressure test.

First really sensible comment really in this thread

Your issue is that either your coolong system is getting too much pressure and pushing the coolant into the overflow, the overflow can only hold so muhc and then it also overflows. When the car cools down it takes back what is in the overflow however it has by then pushed more into the overflow than the overflow can hold thus there is not sufficient to refill the radiator. Hope this makes sense in a roundabout sort of way

First you need to find out is the overheating pushing the coolant into the overflow or is the cap not doing its job, a pressure test of both the cap and system will tell that quickly. Also dont let the doom and gloom of headgaskets take over jsut yet, the third gen have a metal gasket and it is rare for these to leak. Now your overheating does concern me if you have allowed the temp to get to the red and then you have shut down the motor, this is infact the worst thing you can do as the motor then soaks a lot more heat and it is then that the damage is done.

If your motor is getting hot, dont drive home, stop the car as it starts to get hot, get out, dont lift the cap but squeze the top hose without burning your fingers lol. If it is very tight then the system is holding pressure. If not, then the chances are you have found the issue. Cap is to blame

Also 2 other factors can do this, if the thermostat is not opening, the heat builds up quickly, as does the pressure. As the Magna runs the thermostat before the motor not after like most cars, the pressure will hit the radiator faster thus the cap will release pressure sooner. Another factor may be the fans are not coming on thus similar to above. Have you heard the fans when the temp starts to creep. If not, hit the aircon and see if they come on then and if the temp starts to settle from there.

First really sensible comment really in this thread

Your issue is that either your coolong system is getting too much pressure and pushing the coolant into the overflow, the overflow can only hold so muhc and then it also overflows. When the car cools down it takes back what is in the overflow however it has by then pushed more into the overflow than the overflow can hold thus there is not sufficient to refill the radiator. Hope this makes sense in a roundabout sort of way

I took it in to natrad yesterday. They gave it a quick look over and he found the leak. It's in the heatercore.

http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g369/Drizz13/Leak1.jpg

Stupid me listened to him when he said I should be right to get home. Ended up with this...

http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g369/Drizz13/leak2.jpg :-(

So now I am in need of advice on how I can by pass the heater core i.e. join the two pipes going to the firewall in the engine bay? This will only be till next weekend, when I'll be ripping the whole dash out and replacing either the O-rings and/or heater core.

So now I am in need of advice on how I can by pass the heater core i.e. join the two pipes going to the firewall in the engine bay?

Yep!

So now I am in need of advice on how I can by pass the heater core i.e. join the two pipes going to the firewall in the engine bay?

Yep!

Ummm, can you give some idea on what I do? Size of pipe, etc? lol

Ok, so I'm guessing I can just run one of the hoses from the engine back to where the other comes out then, right?

The two hoses that go through the firewall to the heater core, get a hose and connect the two pipes that come off the engine together.

you need a small diameter hose with a solid wall, and 2 hose clamps that will be able to clamp the current hoses onto said pipe..... done.

Well, like I said, can't I just use one of the original pipes to join the two 'outlets' from the engine? Save needing to go buy hose and clamps...?

That would be ok, wouldn't it?

Aslong as the engine inlet and outlet are connected and it doesn't leak. That's all it is with the heater core in anyway, just the coolant is cooled down a bit if air goes through the core.

Well, like I said, can't I just use one of the original pipes to join the two 'outlets' from the engine? Save needing to go buy hose and clamps...?

That would be ok, wouldn't it?

You could do that - check that the hose does not go flat when bent. (however under pressure it may resume it's shape). Ideally though, you should use new hose because when you bend your old hose to join the inlet and outlet you are stressing the already old/tired rubber hose. I'd consider it a temporary measure.

those hoses are usually bent to shape from factory. bending it the other way, as stated, may kink the hose.

I've done it, but I'll get a new hose tomorrow to put on there ;-)

Well, got sick of fault finding it, so I have a new rad, top and bottom hoses, thermo, heater core and heater core adapters all lined up to go in this weekend. Only leaves the Water pump. So I know where to look if it's still not working right. I know it's going over board, but at least I'll know that colling system will be all new and working correctly ;-)

Well, got sick of fault finding it, so I have a new rad, top and bottom hoses, thermo, heater core and heater core adapters all lined up to go in this weekend. Only leaves the Water pump. So I know where to look if it's still not working right. I know it's going over board, but at least I'll know that colling system will be all new and working correctly ;-)

good stuff, u will be set for quite a while now with any luck!

So, I replaced the radiator, raditator hoses, and thermostat. Funny thing... There was no thermostat and gasket in the car when I removed the thermo housing.... :S

So, could this have been causing issues with the pressure within the system? I'm guessing it would.
I don;t seem to be losing any more coolant, just gotta fix the transmisson oil hose as one side is slowly leaking (think I just need a longer piece of hose). Next weekend - Heater core (when it shows up)