Coolant system pressurising but not overheating?!

[D.r.1989]

Hi all, so as some of you may know I just managed to get my brothers suzuki vitara comercial xud engine running after an air lock.

First test drive the heaters are lovely and warm/hot temp gauge at 80 and vitara temp gauge at 1/4 (has both original vitara gauge and universal gauge) after about 15 mins the bottom hose pops off, refit it with better jubilee clip,

2nd test run again about 15 mins exactly same temp and it blows water through the cap which was only half on, fill up with water as lost all coolant by this point and on way home from unit, cap on tight.

After another 5 mins were home and temp gauge is at 70 heaters still very warm, pop bonnet and top hose hot and extremely hard, impossible to squeeze. Pressure trying to escape every way it possibly can.

On this engine there's no bleed nipples, does it sound like there's an air lock or is it definitely headgasket?

Thanks again!

[londondan86]

Does sound like hg to me mate. Amy other symptoms?

[D.r.1989]

No other symptoms really, runs well, drives well, heaters are hot but just pressurises.

[londondan86]

Could always tap a bleed nipple in there to rule it out but doesn't sound good pal

[D.r.1989]

If its headgasket im not too bothered but I dont want to strip it down to find its just an air lock. I know french engines are known for bleeding issues hence the bleed nipples. Its weird why suzuki didnt use them?!

[r3k1355]

How does the vitara situate it's overflow/pressure bottle and pressure cap??

The XUD has the bleed nipples to help because the rad cap/over flow tank bit isn't the highest point in the system.
Any air in the system usually finds it's way to the highest point in the system, which is the heater matrix IIRC.
So you get the bleed nipples to help remove any air that gets stuck.

[D.r.1989]

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Photobuckets quality is really poor but you cn see the expabsion tank is on the drivers inner wing and I would say thats the highest point in the system. All the water pipes are the original ones for the engine so are routed as tthey should be as far as im aware.

[r3k1355]

Bubbles in the expansion tank??

Could you get a sniff test done on it?
I think you can buy the kit off eBay pretty cheap.

[D.r.1989]

Ill double check tonight but I dont think there was any bubbles other than air escaping. Sniff test I might have to buy.

[JamesPT]

Something's not right with that Hose from the top of the Expansion tank to... somewhere,,,...
Just for example...


I'll try and find a better photo, tomorrow

[D.r.1989]

Pipes are the same as yours. It's running a petrol rad so maybe that's where the confusion is.

Definitely headgasket, got bubbles on tick over and it keeps blowing all it's water out of the expansion bottle.

Is there any tips or tricks before I pull the head to get it skimmed and pressure tested?

[nominous]

I found a thread on here with symptoms that sound like yours without teh hose dropping off tho, I can't recall the name but it was one of teh "well knowns" or certainly used to be. He was having teh same problems for about 3-4 months then it stopped when he changed his thermostat I think it was.
it's on my list.

Mine is pressurising, but not over heating. It's using very slight amount of water, but that could be a hose leak under pressure than a HG.

[D.r.1989]

Ok so Iv done the headgasket, inc head skim and pressure test. Hoses still pressurising as they were, removed thermostat, changed rad, expansion tank, rad cap. All pipes are getting hot with no cold spots and heaters are hot, water is flowing freely.

Really going out of my mind over this! Anyone with some more ideas?

Thanks for all of the above ideas too

[Seb_Ryan]

I had the same with my pug.. Turned out it didnt skim flush, it hit precups and bounced over them. Maybe get it sniff tested?

[Owen_G_]

May be HG but that would rise the temp gauge. I would try bleeding the cooling system at the 3 points.

[Piggy]

May be HG but that would rise the temp gauge. I would try bleeding the cooling system at the 3 points.

Erm have you read any of the thread!?!


Have you still got air bubbles on tick over after doing HG and head skim?

How "pressurised" are we talking?

[londondan86]

As piggy says. How are the bubbles in the header tank?

Also is the pipe routing definitely correct? No blockages?

[D.r.1989]

No more bubbles on tickover. No pipes are blocked to my knowledge as they all get hot and water can be felt flowing. Pipes are same as they were previously in the original vitara and also the same as my xud sj is piped up.

When I say pressurized I mean top hose unable to squeeze even a 1/4 of its diameter

Thanks again!

[Piggy]

How quick does it get to that pressure?

[vincent1]

does it still blow the pipe off after 15mins?

[D.r.1989]

Erm well about 20mins I'd say of normal driving. But my brother said he had it ticking over for almost an hour then drove it 10mins home with pressured pipes but with no steam or hoses blowing.

Its not blowing hoses anymore like it did before anyway. But iv not kept driving once the hoses have pressured so abit concerned if they will pressurize to the point of bursting a hose. Temp gauge all the time showing 65/70'c (barely just registering on the vitara temp gauge) sometimes rising as high as 80 but for a very brief time and cools right back down which is the same as the engine in my sj.

[Piggy]

Sounds normal now!?

[D.r.1989]

Even with the pipes being so hard? My sj doesn't pressurise hardly?! ? Maybe its my sj that's vot the pro lem and not the vitara! Dammit. So this sounds normal now? If I get him to take it for a good long drive it shouldn't get to the point of bursting a hose?

[Piggy]

The sj, is it a petrol?!

[D.r.1989]

Sorry its got an xud engine in running a bosch pump with a stage 1 tune.

[Piggy]

Hmmm they shouldnt be all that hard. Just firm.

[D.r.1989]

Ok well my mind is abit more at ease now thanks to you guys! I did buy another engine to fit but that can be a spare project engine.

[Piggy]

Go for a decent drive and see how it goes

[da_no1]

Hello!

Have you tried to change the radiator cap at the top of the radiator? It should let pressure out to the expansion tank. I think it could be stuck or something like that.

[w3526602]

Hi,

Take it to your MOT place, ask them to stick their exhaust gas analyser in the radiator. Or has somebody already said that?

Me? If I have a gasket blowing into the coolant, I depressurise the system, usually by yanking the one way valve out of the filler cap, saves all those exploding hoses. But then, I drive cars older than you, so a bit of boiling does no harm.

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