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Pressure testing for coolant leak

  • 26-05-2010 11:22am
    #1
    shanagarry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 599 ✭✭✭


    Apologies if this is very basic for most of you, it's not for me!

    When a pressure test is done, to what is the pressure apparatus attached - the expansion bottle? radiator? other?

    I have an intermittant leak that can't be tracked down by the garage. I suspect it might be the expansion tank cap or the tank itself but the garage won't change this (on a maintenance plan) as they say they can't prove it's faulty. I'm trying to find a way to say they can't prove it isn't faulty either...

    The car is a '05 Mini Cooper (R50 model)


Comments

  • #2
    shamwari
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,142 ✭✭✭shamwari


    Pressure test usually involved applying compressed air into the system at the point where it is filled, and then watching for leaks. A special cap goes onto the rad or expansion bottle to ensure that the compressed air remains in the system.

    If you suspect it is the cap then why not replace it yourself? I'd imagine it wouldn't be that dear, and probably worth less hassle than leaving it in to be pressure tested. ;) If the bottle was leaking then coolant stains would be obvious around the leak or the hoses.


  • #3
    shanagarry
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 599 ✭✭✭shanagarry


    If I replace anything myself it invalidates the terms of the maintenance contract, something I'm not prepared to do.

    It has already been pressure tested but they haven't found the leak. But the coolant is going somewhere (it's a sealed system)... I'm not losing lots of coolant, but the level is dropping towards the bottom of the expansion tank on intermittant occasions and it's something I want to get to the bottom of for once and for all. To my eye, there seems to be a little bit of coolant around the bottle, the garage is arguing the point...

    But in line with your point, to me it makes more sense to replace the tank given it's cheap and easy and see if that works than waste mine and their time doing tests on it.


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