Issue with engine coolant

aunt aggie · 20-02-2015 03:19PM #1

Today the warning light started flashing for low coolant/overheating engine. I checked coolant levels and it looked to be below the min point. Unscrewed the cap just to look in and be sure. As I unscrewed the cap, there was a hissing sound and liquid which looked like coolant started bubbling up and now the level of coolant is above the minimum!! There appears to be some dirt in the coolant.

Have no idea what any of this means. Don't want to just top up the coolant if it could be a more serious issue. Any advice? Its a 01 VW Golf 1.4 petrol.

Atlantic Dawn · 20-02-2015 03:22PM

Firstly never ever open the coolant when the engine is warm, big risk of you getting scolded. Check the level when the car is cold.

Outkast_IRE · 20-02-2015 03:22PM

Your not meant to unscrew the coolant cap when the car has been running you could easily of got scalded.

The coolant is going somewhere.............. Take off the oil cap and check can you see a mayonaisse like substance there, if you can the coolant might be getting into the engine oil which can be gasket trouble.

Give the car a break for a few hours, parked somewhere level, then check the coolant level. Coolant level can really only be checked accurately from cold as far as i know.

aunt aggie · 20-02-2015 03:27PM

Awww I didnt even think of it. Stupid mistake but thanks for the advice.

I had noticed a white foamy substance on the end of dipstick when check the oil at the weekend. Could that be another sign of gasket going?

Special Circumstances · 20-02-2015 03:27PM

I hope aunt aggie meant the expansion tank cap - the one with min max marked on it, plastic cap. That should be safe to open.
The rad cap (metal cap) on the other hand should not be opened hot.

Sounds like the system needs to be topped up and bled at least. Take it from there? edit - foamy dipstick doesn't sound good...

Outkast_IRE · 20-02-2015 03:33PM

aunt aggie wrote: »

Awww I didnt even think of it. Stupid mistake but thanks for the advice.

I had noticed a white foamy substance on the end of dipstick when check the oil at the weekend. Could that be another sign of gasket going?

Possibly, i would be bringing it to a mechanic for an assessment.

aunt aggie · 20-02-2015 03:44PM

Special Circumstances wrote: »

I hope aunt aggie meant the expansion tank cap - the one with min max marked on it, plastic cap. That should be safe to open.
The rad cap (metal cap) on the other hand should not be opened hot.

It was definitely the plastic cap....

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Sounds like the system needs to be topped up and bled at least. Take it from there? edit - foamy dipstick doesn't sound good...

Is this something I can do before taking it to a mechanic...

Special Circumstances · 20-02-2015 04:12PM

May only make things worse if you try bleeding air out if you haven't done it before or are not the most mechanically minded.

Do you have hot air blowing inside?

Top it up with water, if it hasn't frozen yet this winter it most likely has enough antifreeze for now. (If you know what coolant was used the last time and and you can get some easily enough then by all means use the right mix - but water is better than nothing!)

Top up to max line, when car is cold. Keep an eye on it, see if it is dropping.
It will expand when hot so check level when it is cold.

Alanstrainor · 20-02-2015 04:18PM

Special Circumstances wrote: »

May only make things worse if you try bleeding air out if you haven't done it before or are not the most mechanically minded.

Do you have hot air blowing inside?

Top it up with water, if it hasn't frozen yet this winter it most likely has enough antifreeze for now. (If you know what coolant was used the last time and and you can get some easily enough then by all means use the right mix - but water is better than nothing!)

Top up to max line, when car is cold. Keep an eye on it, see if it is dropping.
It will expand when hot so check level when it is cold.

With the OP mentioning a "white foamy substance" on the dip stick when checking the oil, I would think it would be wise to get this checked out by a mechanic sooner rather than later.

Special Circumstances · 20-02-2015 04:20PM

But you'd top it up before you drove there, right?

aunt aggie · 20-02-2015 07:00PM

Alanstrainor, what could the foamy cream substance on dipstick mean? Was hoping to sell this car pretty soon, so the last thing I need is a long list of things that need fixing.

Foxhole Norman · 20-02-2015 07:07PM

aunt aggie wrote: »

Alanstrainor, what could the foamy cream substance on dipstick mean? Was hoping to sell this car pretty soon, so the last thing I need is a long list of things that need fixing.

Could be head gasket failure leading the the coolant mixing with the oil or vice versa. Definitely get it checked out as fast as possible.

blackbox · 20-02-2015 08:03PM

Special Circumstances wrote: »

I hope aunt aggie meant the expansion tank cap - the one with min max marked on it, plastic cap. That should be safe to open.
The rad cap (metal cap) on the other hand should not be opened hot.

Sounds like the system needs to be topped up and bled at least. Take it from there? edit - foamy dipstick doesn't sound good...

On many cars the plastic expansion tank is pressurised and should not be opened when the engine is hot.

Special Circumstances · 20-02-2015 09:25PM

blackbox wrote: »

On many cars the plastic expansion tank is pressurised and should not be opened when the engine is hot.

Never had one. German thing?

joe912 · 20-02-2015 09:52PM

these engines are cack. the headgasket or worse at the very least. time to get a new car

Hal1 · 20-02-2015 11:56PM

If you bring it to you're garage they can do a few tests to check the head gasket.

StereoSound · 21-02-2015 02:59AM

HG would be the biggest ball breaker if it turns out that way. May or may not be worth fixing on a 14 year old 1.4 golf to be honest. €600 hundred odd repair? Ive been there years ago with an old car blowing its gasket sky high. Scrapped the car as a result as it was worth F all anyways, 1k at the most.

166man · 21-02-2015 06:17AM

Much of this is really guesswork as we don't know the full extent of the details.

Best thing to do is get a trusted mechanic to look at it. Shouldn't take too long or cost much to give a diagnosis, then you will know where you stand and can take it from there.

B00056718 · 21-02-2015 07:39AM

Sometimes the heat exchanger can become an oil/coolant mixer. Worth checking before stripping the head off.

aunt aggie · 22-02-2015 02:21PM

THanks for all the advice. My internet has been too patchy to reply lately. The VW is parked up while I look for a new(ish) car. Not going to plough any more money into fixing this heap until I have something reliable for work. Then I might fix it up and sell it on.

166man · 22-02-2015 02:35PM

Would it not make more sense to get a proper diagnosis on it first? Shouldn't cost much if anything from a decent mechanic.

Special Circumstances · 22-02-2015 02:38PM

aunt aggie wrote: »

THanks for all the advice. My internet has been too patchy to reply lately. The VW is parked up while I look for a new(ish) car. Not going to plough any more money into fixing this heap until I have something reliable for work. Then I might fix it up and sell it on.

They are not great engines (general opinion) but it may only be a small problem. The gunky dipstick doesn't look like a good sign but may perhaps be due to a lot of short hop driving. If it was the oil cap and you were doing a lot of short trips I wouldn't be too worried - just condensation and I've seen a little of it myself on my own cars. Never seen it on a dipstick though.
Some makes are prone to the expansion vessel cracking, I guess systems that use a pressurised plastic container to store hot coolant would be the most susceptible. That might explain the loss of coolant.

Not saying it's not f3cked but it may not be that bad.

aunt aggie · 22-02-2015 03:35PM

Special Circumstances wrote: »

The gunky dipstick doesn't look like a good sign but may perhaps be due to a lot of short hop driving.

I've driven from Dublin to Mayo twice in the last two weeks. Otherwise generally driving half hour to work and home each day. There have been problems with oils leaks for the last year. Supposedly fixed twice but engine still burns through oil like nothing and mechanics can't find source of problem.

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Not saying it's not f3cked but it may not be that bad.

COmpletely understand what people are saying but I was already looking for a new car before this happened. Don't want to spend any of my budget fixing this heap up, just to sell it on. I have put too much money into it already. Once I have a reliable car, I can think about fixing this one up and selling it on.

Special Circumstances · 22-02-2015 06:15PM

aunt aggie wrote: »

I've driven from Dublin to Mayo twice in the last two weeks. Otherwise generally driving half hour to work and home each day. There have been problems with oils leaks for the last year. Supposedly fixed twice but engine still burns through oil like nothing and mechanics can't find source of problem.

COmpletely understand what people are saying but I was already looking for a new car before this happened. Don't want to spend any of my budget fixing this heap up, just to sell it on. I have put too much money into it already. Once I have a reliable car, I can think about fixing this one up and selling it on.

Yeah they often burn oil. Poor engine but much loved in Ireland, shift it on!

Issue with engine coolant

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