Coolant leaking

clayfarm1234

I have a 2008 Skoda Octavia which was serviced in Nov 2020, and passed the NCT in Dec 2020. I was advised to get my timing belt replaced in next few months, so I was waiting for the level 5 to get over to get it fixed

Yesterday - while driving - my car started making noise, and when I parked it on the street, i noticed Coolant Leaking.

Got it towed to a garage who have advised the engine may have been damaged, and the only option is to scrap the car.

Any expert suggestions on what are my options here

kirving

clayfarm1234 wrote: »

Yesterday - while driving - my car started making noise, and when I parked it on the street, i noticed Coolant Leaking.

Got it towed to a garage who have advised the engine may have been damaged, and the only option is to scrap the car.

Coolant leaking is a very bad sign. However, the garage having a guess and giving you absolutes, means you need to get a second opinion.

Austmcc

Coolant leaking from where and to where?

I assume from the fact you said "making a noise" it is either externally leaked pretty dry (burst pipe, water pump etc.) to lead to over heating or leaked into components where there definitely shouldn't be water/coolant getting into and causing serious damage.

Get a second opinion and details and then people can advise.

External leaking could be a cheaper fix with hopes internal engine damage didn't occur. Internal leak into engine components would mean expensive work/engine replacement.

clayfarm1234

SO the leak happened from below the engine area i think...and went onto the road below..

the garage has advised they will need to fit timing belt and water pump - and only then they will be able to confirm if the engine is not impacted.

Its a risk of spending 580 euros only to know later that the engine is gone.

Any suggestions? Its a 2008 model

Henry Ford III

FrankC21

It happened to me before when I owned a ford fiesta 08, coolant level below min within a day of topping it up, and wet underneath around the coolant tank, I was thinking it was leaking into the engine but when I checked the tank there was crack underneath it, got the tank replaced €20, sorted.

meathstevie

clayfarm1234 wrote: »

SO the leak happened from below the engine area i think...and went onto the road below..

the garage has advised they will need to fit timing belt and water pump - and only then they will be able to confirm if the engine is not impacted.

Its a risk of spending 580 euros only to know later that the engine is gone.

Any suggestions? Its a 2008 model

No offence but that’s nonsense. Why would new belts and pump need to be fitted before it can be determined if an engine is done for or not ?

yamaha4life

This sounds odd to me.

A) can you describe the noise?
did the temperature go into the red?

If you turned up to me with car,
I would fill up with water and see where the leak is coming from! If it didnt leak out when filled, i would attach a pressure tester.

If they want to fit a new belt and pump id hazard a guess that the waterpump is the source of the leak.

There is s possibility that the timing belt slipped i have seen a vw bora with the waterpump fail skip two teeth, i reset the timing before fitting new pump and turned the engine by hand two full turns and it turned freely and had enough resistance that I believed the engine to be undamaged.

Fitted new waterpump set timing again and it started up and ran perfectly, i advised the guy to change belt but he didn't, he sold the car to a "friend" 6 Months later the belt snapped and the car scrapped.

Toyotafanboi

meathstevie wrote: »

No offence but that’s nonsense. Why would new belts and pump need to be fitted before it can be determined if an engine is done for or not ?

How can you tell if the engine is currently ok if you cant turn it over?

clayfarm1234

I can start the car, but as soon as I start there is a cracking sound coming out of the engine. The temperature never went to red, but the coolant box is now empty.

The mechanics say that the engine may have faulted because of the coolant leaking. The timing belt was nearing the end of its life, so had to be changed, but I did not expect it to happen so soon.

yamaha4life wrote: »

This sounds odd to me.

A) can you describe the noise?
did the temperature go into the red?

If you turned up to me with car,
I would fill up with water and see where the leak is coming from! If it didnt leak out when filled, i would attach a pressure tester.

If they want to fit a new belt and pump id hazard a guess that the waterpump is the source of the leak.

There is s possibility that the timing belt slipped i have seen a vw bora with the waterpump fail skip two teeth, i reset the timing before fitting new pump and turned the engine by hand two full turns and it turned freely and had enough resistance that I believed the engine to be undamaged.

Fitted new waterpump set timing again and it started up and ran perfectly, i advised the guy to change belt but he didn't, he sold the car to a "friend" 6 Months later the belt snapped and the car scrapped.

yamaha4life

clayfarm1234 wrote: »

I can start the car, but as soon as I start there is a cracking sound coming out of the engine. The temperature never went to red, but the coolant box is now empty.

The mechanics say that the engine may have faulted because of the coolant leaking. The timing belt was nearing the end of its life, so had to be changed, but I did not expect it to happen so soon.

With out seeing or hearing its hard to give a definitive answer, that said that noise wouldn't bode well for the internals of the engine, it could be a bent valve, have you driven the car since? Is it down alot on power?

You might get better in depth analysis on the skoda forum briskoda.co.uk and maybe narrow down exactly whats after happening and how to proceed.