Coolant leak?

RedDeadMarshal

Hi Lads I have a Toyota verso 2.2 d4d but I guess the engine doesn't matter. What does though is that I think it's leaking coolant. I have took it to a Toyota garage and they said the car is fine and that I might have spilt something in my car which causes fogging up the windows. I have to turn on the a/c in order to clear the fog off my windows or simply rub it off with my hand. I have checked the coolant yesterday and there was like a 1/4 left? I had the coolant changed by myself up to the right amount. The car takes an age to warm up it revs over 1000 rpm, 1200 I think and unless you drive for a good while it warms up. So what's the story with my car is the radiator leaking or is it just some hose that needs replacing? How much is the cost to fix it if there is a problem?

Thank You for your time.

challengemaster

Fogged up windows just means there's moisture in the cabin, somewhere. Is there a smell of coolant inside the cabin? Are the carpets wet?

I've no idea how much coolant a d4d takes, but its surely a few litres. It went somewhere, you'd notice if its in the cabin somewhere.

Also by rubbing it off with your hand, you've transferred natural oils to the window, which more water will stick to. Give the glass a rub down with IPA.

Sounds like there's more than 1 issue though

Chris_Heilong

The fogging up of your windows is usually a sign of moister in the cabin, you will notice it happens on wet days more than dry and is very normal, is your situation different than it was before?

Did the Toyota garage not check your coolant when you presented the car to them? Also how are you checking how much coolant you have? Are you checking how much is in the Radiator or the overflow bottle?

Checking for leaks and spills after the car has been left over night is a good way to check. You can place a sheet of cardboard under your car where the engine is and see if any liquid is on it in the morning, check the colour and smell to determine if it is coolant.

There are many reasons for coolant loss such as lose or damaged Radiator cap, lose or cracked piping or even Head gasket failure.

biko

How long since you topped up coolant to right level? Of course cars shouldn't lose coolant but over time some may evaporate if the cap is old or there is a hairpin crack in rad or expansion bottle.
What age is car?

At this time of year windows will fog up. My car doesn't lose coolant and warms up perfectly but it still is fogged up every morning.
Cleaning the windscreen inside will help it clear faster.
You can also leave drying bags inside the cabin to attract the moisture.
Change the cabin filter may help too.

RedDeadMarshal

biko wrote: »

How long since you topped up coolant to right level? Of course cars shouldn't lose coolant but over time some may evaporate if the cap is old or there is a hairpin crack in rad or expansion bottle.
What age is car?

At this time of year windows will fog up. My car doesn't lose coolant and warms up perfectly but it still is fogged up every morning.
Cleaning the windscreen inside will help it clear faster.
You can also leave drying bags inside the cabin to attract the moisture.
Change the cabin filter may help too.

it was since summer since I last topped up the coolant June or July. The car is 2006

Frankie Lee

biko wrote: »

.
Change the cabin filter may help too.

First thing to check I reckon. About 30 seconds work to remove, pull out the glove box and it is behind there.

biko

Aye, just remove it for a day or two and see if that helps. If it does get a new one.
Cabin filters are often overlooked.

toyotaavensis

OP the 2.2L diesel engine is known for blowing head gaskets. This could be where your coolant is going.
Is there any white smoke coming out of the exhaust?
Is the oil changing to a creamy state?
Is the car down on power?
Any other symptoms aside from the coolant loss?

RedDeadMarshal

toyotaavensis wrote: »

OP the 2.2L diesel engine is known for blowing head gaskets. This could be where your coolant is going.
Is there any white smoke coming out of the exhaust?
Is the oil changing to a creamy state?
Is the car down on power?
Any other symptoms aside from the coolant loss?

good that you mentioned that. No there is no white smoke at idle only when you rev it there is steam coming out of the exhaust but it's not white. I haven't looked into it still, I'm going to do it over the weekend, check the oil. The car seems to pull nicely but there is a lag when you put your foot down. I guess all cars have that. I checked the carpets they weren't wet the other day but then again I hadn't driven it the day before and the front windscreen just fogged up out of nowhere? There is a nasty vibration that comes from the engine through the dashboard, you can't see it or feel it but you can hear it. It's like a bag of nuts when you rev it exactly between 1000rpm and 2000rpm somewhere like 1500rpm? I had this for quite a while but I thought that was just the way it was? The car is fine through the whole other rev range. I don't abuse it nor do I drive it hard only when it's warm. I always let the car warm up for 5-10 mins. But then again it takes more than that. And no matter how long you warm it up the revs never drop. I have a Volkswagen also (Caddy) 1.9 tdi and you just let that yoke run for 5-10 mins and the revs drop when the engines warm and you can drive off no problem. No coolant loss whatsoever since I topped it up in summer along with the Toyota. And they say that Volkswagens are unreliable, talking about Toyotas. I might as well see how she goes and what's the problem with her. Might run her to the ground if I have to.

toyotaavensis

The 2.0 d4d was a more reliable unit. If it is a head gasket gone it would be worth fixing. It wouldnt be cheap but once done she will be back to normal.