Guzzling water

[ade]

Now I'm not sure about this...

My new 1.4 engine seems to have consumed a full expansion tank since being fitted (consumed within 14 days of being fitted)

Now the guy that fitted it did say to me keep an eye on it because it would drop and should be watched for a month or so. He also advised me to change oil/filter plugs etc after 1st month/500 miles which will be done mid March sometime. I;ve since topped it up with water/anti freeze and its dropped a little more...

What I want to know is, is this normal behaviour for a 1.4 engine. I dont think its been reconditioned although theres no dirt on the block and it looks v clean. Runs fine except in my opinion sounds like its idling too fast.

temp gauge usually hovers between just under 1/2 way and just over 1/2 way. I do motorway droving (avg 60 miles a day) averaging 70-85-90ish... Took it fairly easy (60) for 1st week or so...

Any ideas or am I being paranoid?

Ade

[whitey]

Ade mate, I dont know too much but I do know that when you change your water, it just keeps on disappearing for a week or 2 as it enters the engine and you hear a glug sound! Just fill it again to the level and watch from now on!

It would then in my opinion be leak from usual places or Head Gasket! Not a mechanic, but just my opinion!

Id say the temp gauge is bout rite! When it gets to the half way mark you should hear the fan come on and then it will start to cool slightly! It shouldn't really go above half way!

Id say, let it ride for another week and then hit the fooker mechanic!

Whites

[rgv_stu]

on all the novas i have owned the temp gauge always sits @ quarter during normal condtions

i reckon your headgasket is on its way out , if you cant see no leaks.

this is why i rebuild my 1400 cus it was doing the same.

just keep an eye on it. mine was doing this for about 10000 miles before i took the lump apart , and that was only cus i smashed the car ;)

ive fitted it last saturday in my 1.2 and its running fine

[ade]

nah - head gaskets fine - no sludge in oil filler (would expect to see it with the amount of water its drinking) no smoke, no popping from exhaust and not sluggish (shifts big time once over 65)

Theres no leaks I can see from under car when been standing - think (and touch wood here) Whitey's theory on engine back filling is right.

The guy did say if it keeps doing it to take it back in so I'm part covered although as 2nd hand engine not guaranteed (only fitting was guaranteed coz he couldnt tell history of engine but hes a sound bloke)

I'll keep an eye on it

Ade

[_JH_]

nah - head gaskets fine - no sludge in oil filler (would expect to see it with the amount of water its drinking) no smoke, no popping from exhaust and not sluggish (shifts big time once over 65)

I'm not saying it is your head gasket (as i dont belive it can be diagnosed over the net), but when a head gasket goes, sometimes you get all the usual symptoms at once, sometimes you dont. if your head gasket is just starting to go, then water could be breaching into the cylinders very slightly and being burned off. so dont rule it out completely

but as you said it could just be bedding in problems. check all jubilee clips on water hoses are tight, using not a screwdriver, but a small socket (thats if they are the type that you can do it on, if not then screwdriver it is) as water could be seeping out when at higher revs, and you may not notice.

[ade]

good point...will check tonight

cheers

ade

[rgv_stu]

yes dont dismiss headgasket

mine was running like a stormer hence i never took it apart

there were no real symptoms except it used a pint every week or so.
no sludge etc, used to start first time everytime

when i stripped down you could see it was no4 cylinder that had leaked gradually as there was a slight rusting of the bore and gasket was black right by the waterway

[locky]

Another thing aswell, when u fill it up with water, itll stay in the tank 4 a bit, coz it creates a vacuum, so u then top it up a bit at a time! but not over 2 weeks! Mine was a few days!

[Aragorn]

yeh there aint neccesarily gonna be sludge in filler cap

if its gone between the waterway and bore it will eat water and if its a big enough leak it will steam out the zorst too

do u get steam after a long drive?

u only get sludge if its between oil and waterway

it could've been an airlock thats now cleared or a loose hose somewhere

even worse it could be ye old water pumpe so start er up and look round pump for leaks

the engine should NOT be drinking water in any case - and it should site about 1/3 on the dial - my digidash sits at 2 bars on motorway or when its cold or 3 bars during summer or city driving, fan will kick in at the high end of the 3rd bar or 4th bar depending on its mood

[nova dosed]

mine did same thing kind of when i rebuilt the head. Went down the road did about 35 miles and when i got home there was no water left in the tank confused me abit but refilled it and not done it again in fact the water aint moved since.

I have noticed novas have this tendacy to fix em selves like 205's

[locky]

it could've been an airlock thats now cleared or a loose hose somewhere



Sorry, thats wot i meant by a vacuum! it was meant 2 b airlock!

[Nova_Tek]

I agree,

If it keeps drinkin water like no tomorrow then its either your head gasket gon or its seeping into your exhaust system (currently happenin on my dads cavvy)

Maybe Water pump is leaking BUT that would be obvious as you can see the leak!

Hope this helps a bit!

[ade]

cheers for help!

After topping up the other day the level aint dropped (done about 150 miles since then) - it did drop just a little but it seems to have settled now.

I think it was just "settling in" - theres no steam coming out the back except for the usual 1st start up condensation on a cold morning.

Checked the hoses and levels again tonight - hoses are bone dry and level hasnt moved.

I think its ok now - just water ways in the engine filling up after a long run - now its done that think it'll be fine. I keep an eye on it over the next few weeks just incase though

:wink:

[NovaCruiser]

I had this prob once, counldnt understand it. It may be as you said just be settling in. In my case it was my heater matrix, lost loads of water coz it was leaking! Only worked it out when I left a haynes book on the floor in the foot well, when I got back it was soaking wet!!! lol