Strange coolant problem.

Okay so I noticed that I had coolant leaking from the matrix so purchased a new one and in the meantime noticed that there was water marks around the end of a lot of the hoses and could hear the water bubbling when I switched off the engine.

Had a feel of the top hose the other night and it seemed rock solid like it was gonna blow! So I ran back home with the cap unscrewed guessing the fan wasn't kicking in I bought a new switch.

bottom hose was warm, but not hot so got a new stat.

changed everything yesterday system all bled and up to temperature…

Hose was rock solid and fan eventually came in.

I've never noticed before but thought that the temp gauge had always stayed midway, but now it seems to creep up to almost max before cooling back down and the solid top hose is really concerning too..

So what do you reckon? is it OK and I'm just worrying about nothing or have i got a dead head gasket and/or possible head fracture?

any ideas as it's doing my head in!

 

Hi,
is the car still running fine?

I've been thinking about this, and I would guess that the reading on the guage is probably inaccurate - I think you would find out pretty soon if you had blown the head gasket, with coolant and oil everywhere.
If there is no further loss, I would say don't worry about it.

Robin

if it was fine before you change the heater matrix i would have a look at that, take it a apart an try blowing through it or runn water through it to make sure it flows

your hose shouldn't be rock solid, it would mean to much pressure in the system

it it gets hot under hard acceleration then that means trouble, and hopefully it not the head gasket

Not changed the matrix yet Matt as I think that is a secondary problem of the system having too much pressure in it.. so has been put on the backburner until I sort out what's causing it to leak! I've bled the system and it has up to now not overheated, not that it had before its just very concerning that I can hear the water gurgling when I switch of the engine and I still have the solid top hose thing.. think poor old 1.6d's days are numbered! Am going to see if I can get a water gas leak test done tomorrow and get the system pressure tested.

head gasket  
Bert

Bert said

head gasket  
Bert

SHHH!!!! I'm not willing to admit it yet!  


it all points that way though.

Bert

me mate had same type problem with a caddy that he got for spares or repair, found coolant over flow to header tank was blocked solid, also found that the old stat was duff and had been drilled, also lacking any wax inside as the wax & other stuff had blocked up the overflow, my mate got the caddy cheap as the last owners had had the head gasket done that was still no good at a VW specialist garage that I can't name but there not to far from me.
   still worth getting it checked with a sniffer to check for head gasket tho.