Author Topic: Coolant leak - carpets soaking  (Read 2211 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

finlay

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Karma: 3
Coolant leak - carpets soaking
« on: January 22, 2017, 08:37:36 PM »
Got a coolant leak inside the car which has left the carpets soaking. Thing is I can't see where it's coming from!

All suggestions welcome please....

Gadge

  • Subscribers
  • Super Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1353
  • Karma: 15
  • Location: Warwickshire
Re: Coolant leak - carpets soaking
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2017, 10:12:55 PM »
Are you absolutely sure it's coolant? I had water coming in from the bottom of the windscreen. It came in from the plastic dummy vent on the passenger side into the luggage compartment then worked its way into the car through where the wiring loom comes in and sat under the passenger seat.

If it is coolant then the only way it can come in is the pipes on the floor where it joins the heater matrix.
FOR LACK OF A BETTER NAME

GET SOCIALBLE.  Instagram me on _gadge_ ;D

chrisrhodesinlbz

  • Subscribers
  • Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 69
  • Karma: 0
  • Location: Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
Re: Coolant leak - carpets soaking
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2017, 07:40:53 PM »
Like Finlay, I'd love a bit of advice on this too.

My 1988 BIS has occasionally damp carpets in the rear passenger foot well on the left hand side, ie behind the front passenger seat.

As far as I can see it is not from leaks from the exterior of the car.

Any advice?, it'd be really appreciated!

Chris

Lloyd74

  • Super Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 128
  • Karma: 7
Re: Coolant leak - carpets soaking
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2017, 10:35:10 PM »
as gadge said, could also be the heater on off valve or the steel tubes that pass through the channel that may be weeping, if its coolant you will notice you have to keep topping up, if your coolant is ok it may be coming from elsewhere, check around and make sure that little (looks like a fuel can plastic nozzle) pipe that goes from the intake to the wheelarch is not blocked, rust around the window aperture is common on these little cars I had to replace the scuttle panel on mine and rebuild the a posts the rot had gone right through to the dash, check the jacking points for corrosion and the wheelarches for any holes, just look everywhere but start with the hoses and heater, for the places you cant see wipe kitchen roll round them, wet sheet indicates leak, as for the rear carpets, take them out and look for any corossion it may start at the rear wheelarches and travel through check the seat mountings and jacking points, these are great dirt traps and rust for fun, simple fixes though if you have the right tools, my gut feeling is the hozes, 30ish yr old rubber and old heater matrix, good luck

finlay

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Karma: 3
Re: Coolant leak - carpets soaking
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2017, 08:19:58 PM »
Thanks guys for the helpful comments. I have removed all the carpets and had a good look. Clips don't look great on the various hoses so i expect it's one of them. My car has only done 8000 miles from new and has hardly ever seen salt so the shell is in really good shape so I am pretty condiment it's not rot/rain water getting in.

finlay

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Karma: 3
Re: Coolant leak - carpets soaking
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2017, 09:40:13 PM »
Update - stripped whole interior out, started car, warmed up and found split hose. Replaced hose with new - problem solved!

chrisrhodesinlbz

  • Subscribers
  • Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 69
  • Karma: 0
  • Location: Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
Re: Coolant leak - carpets soaking
« Reply #6 on: March 10, 2017, 08:18:49 PM »
Hello Finlay

Where was the hose that you found was split?

Thanks!

Chris