Rover 75 2001 model losing water but can't any evidence?

Question

Its the V6 2000cc se club & I am losing about a cup of water a day and just had new hoses fitted and its still losing water. any ideas of where it can be coming from. The temp gauge is normal and now we are into winter I need to sort it. Please help and sensible answers only as I have just spent a fortune on it.

Answer 1

Rover are pretty terrible for this type of fault. But I'd say you may have a subtle water leak in your water pump. At that stage it may yet fix itself, but you may want to get it checked. Your water pump will be located towards the front of the engine, attached to either the fan belt or cam belt/timing chain. Best way to tell if its only a cup a day, put some block seal in it. This will fix a small leak like this unless it's in the water pump which is a constantly moving part. If it fixes it all well and good, if not you need a new water pump.

Answer 2

I would say that as the is no evidence of leakage, then the leak will be internal.

it could be, in order of probability,

1. The water pump, or water pump gasket.
2. Heater matrix, more than likely hidden under the dashboard, bolted to the bulkhead.
3. The head gasket. or gaskets even, as you have two cylinder heads.
4. Expansion vessel cap pressure releif valve faulty.

Before you go to an expensive garage, double, triple, check that it isn't leaking externally by.

Taking it for a good run, getting it nice and hot, and then stopping, open the bonnet, and look for leaks.

Coolant will be white and crusty deposits, with hints of the colour of the coolant, check all around the engine bay, around the cylinder heads, where the two coolant pipes go into the bulkhead for the heater, a mayonaisse type brown goo under the oil filler cap, (check with engine switched off).

Look for drips on the floor after leaving it running for 20 minutes, and wisps of steam from hard to see places. Make sure the engine is nice and hot first, that way any leak will vapourise when it sprays, or drips onto the hot metal of the engine.

A garage would not look for this tye of stuff, they'll just wait for you to bring it back, tell you it's something else broken, charge you again, ad infinitum, until they fluke it.

Unfortunetly, the waterpump failing isn't easy to home diagnose, and changing it is a tricky one as the cambelt will be coming off. That's if the cambelt drives it, i'm not sure as ive never seen under the bonnet of a v6 75.

One more check, With the engine warm, hold a piece of white rag over the end of the exhaust pipe, and then look at and smell the rag to determine if it's burning it or sucking it in.

For more info get a haynes manual, they're invaluble, worth the 16 quid easy, most of the niggly faults are easy to fix and described. www.haynes.co.uk i think.

Good luck.
Let me know what, if anything, you find, any more help, email me at [e-mail].

Answer 3

Rover 75 Heater Matrix

Answer 4

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RE:
Rover 75 2001 model losing water but can't any evidence?
Its the V6 2000cc se club & I am losing about a cup of water a day and just had new hoses fitted and its still losing water. any ideas of where it can be coming from. The temp gauge is normal and now we are into winter I need to sort it. Please help and sensible answers only as I have just spent a...

Answer 5

Unfortunately, when an intake or head gasket blows you will not always see fluid coming from the outside. Not all leaks are truly visable either. Sometimes it will leak with a very small stream out of a number of various places and possibly build up on some little area building a small puddle in a crevis or something... Have a porffesional look at it because they'll know exactly where and what to look for and have tests they can perform...

Answer 6

it is probably a head gasket-the best way to check for this is to pressurize your system with a hand pump made to fit where your radiator cap goes and check for any visable leaks - if you have no leaks it is your head gasket-somtimes you can pull out the spark plugs and with a very bright light look at the top of the pistons-if you see one that is shiny with no carbon the coolant is wahing it away - also if you go to a general motors dealership you can by a forescent dye - just a small bottle - put this in your radiator and drive around for a wihile and when it gets dark check for leaks or your exhaust pipe with a black light -one more thing ,find another mechanic

Answer 7

I had problem with water loss couldn't find it , but eventually did after very carefull examination of Hoses , found that after squeezing the hose found that it had slight crack in it and only lost water when the car was being Driven - didn,t leak when stationary that's why I couldn,t find the leak , - look all round the Hose , at the back of Hose and all round etc, - really look very carefully as you squeeze Hose --- Good Luck

Answer 8

Run it hot and look underneath if you can find no leaks or drips , No .do you get excessive white smoke in the morning then you most likley have a head gasket internal leak . Go to a garage and ask for a rad pressure test , or carbon in water test that will tell you for sure

Answer 9

Possible that you have a head gasket failure - not a cheap job unfortunately. Somes clues are steam from exhaust pipe, emulsified oil in the engine and loss of coolant. Best to check it out early as it may do serious damage to cylinder head or block if left too late.

Answer 10

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Either the head gasket has gone or the cylinder head is cracked. The cylinder head needs removing, stripping, a pressure test - then a repair if needed - followed by a head skim then rebuild with new gaskets. These engines are prone to this fault. Good luck. h