Overheating - Loss of coolant

Hi All,

I went for a drive yesterday and when I parked the car back in the garage, I noticed there was coolant leaking from the car. After a quick look under the bonnet, it was coming from the expansion tank cap. I let it cool over night and went and had a quick fiddle this morning, I gave the radiator top hose a quick squeeze and the coolant could be felt and heard in the system, but also I could hear air escaping from the expansion tank through the cap. Should this happen? I can understand that the pressure valve in the cap will allow "blow off" when there is too much pressure but when stone cold? Could someone please tell me if this is normal?

The car was not showing hot on the dash, coolant was correct level and seems to be circulating correctly. I want to tick off the simple things before removing more complicated stuff.

Regards,

Andy.

Get a new radiator cap, they don't last forever as they have a spring in them and as they get old the spring weakens.

Get a blue cap as you can get problems with the black ones.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Expansion-Bottle-Radiator-Cap-VW-Golf-Mk1-Mk2-Petrol-Diesel-1975-to-1989/362170354106?hash=item54530909ba:g:pU4AAOSwEZdaHEHt

Many thanks Gls,

I know its a stupid thing but the little things make you doubt yourself.

Regards,

Andy.

When the engine is cool, you can squeeze the hoses and hear a squishy sound it isn't that there is air moving in the system it is coolant.

If your level is ok, and your car doesn't over heat then you are probably ok.

You can test for a bad head Gasket or Oil cooler with a couple of tests, the first one is:

Engine cold.
Remove the expansion cap.
Tie a latex glove over the opening tightly.

Start the car, then from under the hood rev the engine to over 3000 rpm for 30-45 seconds, if the glove inflates in that time and gives you the finger, then you have either a bad head gasket or Oil cooler.  

Second test hot engine.  If the Hoses are Ballooned and hard to compress, allow the engine to cool and perform test 1.