coolant light on UPDATE

[Poodle]

Not necessarily, no; they're pretty efficient engines.

What colour is the coolant?

[rd070707]

Its pink, its brand new coolant btw was done when waterpump was changed. I think I need to check and be 100% sure this thing is bled right before going any further. Like I said it was overfilled by the mechanic, so I just assumed the overflow was because of excess but now that a second seal has went I don't know. And I checked and when its up to temp the top hose is nice and soft too

[Poodle]

Sounds like a plan, got to start actually checking stuff at some point. Running out of ideas anyway tbh lol, leaning towards a blockage/restriction in the system somewhere.

[rd070707]

yeah man will report back

[rd070707]

can anyone tell me how to bleed it properly?

[Piggy]

open all bleed points.

fill header tank to brill. wait till get full stream, no air, of coolant from radiator bleed point.
close off rad' bleed point.

next spot is in rad housing.

to get all air out, you either need to do the coke bottle trick to get pressure in or run engine an idle. but I dont like running the engine to do it if I can avoid it.

get coke bottle full, it will push the coolant (and air through) and wait till nice stream of water coming from thermostat housing bleed point.
close it off.
then do same for matrix bleed point.

the matrix one is often the trickiest. I have had to even with a proper higher header tank made for bleeding fitted, had to run the engine to get the air pushed out on that one.

then run engine till just warm, allow pressure to drop a little then check that matrix hose and thermostat points again.

if the heater was warm/hot though that normally says that its been bled well.

[rd070707]

Cheers piggy, will give it a go but like you said the heaters are hot and the heater matrix one I know had no air in it

[Piggy]

sounds like head is pressurizing to me.

sure fire way is if you run it at idle on ya drive with cap off...watch the water. if it bubbles and keeps spewing out...thats headgasket for me

[rd070707]

No ive checked that mate, even with it up to running temp with cap of it doesnt bubble

[rd070707]

what's the recommended coolant for the hdi? it seems the coolant only overflows once the seal is blown, but its what is making it blow? Would the coolant used disagree with it?

[Poodle]

There's only red or blue, hdi takes red. Unless your mechanic is using the funky long-life stuff, that doesn't agree with some seal materials.

[rd070707]

Okay, this is really dragging on now and getting on my tits, so bear with me lol.

Basically what happened is after waterpump change the coolant light came on almost immediately after I picked it up, so I took it back, one of the guys literally fired a load of water in and set me on my way.

This is when I started getting the issue of the coolant blowing out the header tank. We realised the cap seal was off and fooked so I got another cap.

few days later that caps seal was shot too! so I demanded they take it back and flush the coolant out and refill and bleed it. I bought a brand new cap from Peugeot too.

So that's leaves us at today, picked the car up, he said he filled it with water to make sure it wasn't the coolant that was the problem, I drove it home (literally a minute), took the new cap off and ofcourse the level was way too low again!! I stopped the car and next time I started it the coolant light is on!

I don't understand why the level is too low, has he just done it wrong AGAIN?! just to make it clear no coolant has come out the header since I collected it the level is just wrong!

HELP! I was gonna just land it back again but I feel like the reason the seal blew the first time was because the guy topped it up when the light came on and didn't bleed it?

[Tom]

Sounds like this guy is filling it with water and sending it on its way, thermostat opens rest of your system fills with water, theres your low water level.

[rd070707]

I am beginning to think he's just doing it wrong, this is the second time he's filled it and the lights came on, then we had the whole cap seal going issue, and there was no issue with the coolant before the waterpump was done!

[Tom]

Sounds to me like hes doing it wrong.

[rd070707]

Really don't know where to take it from here, car runs like a dream just this silly issue dragging on

[Poodle]

Get him to do it proerly while you stand over his shoulder and watch. Then never go back. Job done.

[rd070707]

See I didn't doubt his ability as he is normally very good, but he must not be bleeding it right.

[rd070707]

He admitted he didn't run it up to temp and do it, so again they have topped it up to the correct level now. He is taking the opinion that the coolant had some kind of diesel in it which is contaminating the system and upsetting the seal. He says some people put some diesel or something in to help flush it? He has pure water in it atm and you can see a kind of shimmer off it.

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Just to be sure, how do I check its bled now? run the car at idle and open the bleed points in turn? I don't see where the rad bleed point is on a ph3 hdi

[Toms306]

I've never heard of putting diesel in the rad to clean it!?

Old coolant does go a bit rank eventually and makes a greasy/shimmery layer on the top, like soap scum around the bath lol. If you had a lot in there it could be oil from either a blown headgasket, or the oil cooler, BUT its rare on the HDi.

And yeah to bleed it run with the rad cap off, open all the bleed points then close each one off as the water runs clear (no air) starting at the lowest one and working upwards.

[rd070707]

Yeah I know that its rare tom, and I'm having no symptoms of hg failure so I wouldn't like to think so. but yeah it doesnt make sense anyway cos if there is diesel in it now ever so slightly after being flushed a few times then how come there was no issue with the car before he flushed it when he claims the diesel was put in. I think that's bull tbh

[Poodle]

The guy sounds like a moron tbh, is this the same mechanic that gave you issues before?

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Almost sounds like hes basically trying to avoid saying hes flushed your rad with diesel...

[cully]

flush your rad with diesel??????
thats a new one on me!

i have known garages use dishwasher powder in the water to flush clear the soap scum from a blown head gasket

[Toms306]

Tbf he probably didn't completely drain the coolant, just pulled the water pump out and then he'd only have to replace half as much. However it seems odd he'd say about diesel in there!

Diesel doesn't even clean anything, it just makes a slimy, slippery mess!

[rd070707]

Well i will have to wait and see how it goes tbh, did an hour drive in it last night with no issues, temp was perfect, heaters worked and no overflow out the header so hopefully it stays that way but I will have to flush it again and get coolant in it now as its just water in at the minute

[Face.]

flush your rad with diesel??????
thats a new one on me!

i have known garages use dishwasher powder in the water to flush clear the soap scum from a blown head gasket

Also washing powder works and smells nice..