Dark

iTrader: (1)

Help!

Driving at Knockhill last week and noticed a coolant leak from underneath the nearside front wheelarch.

The leak wasn't huge and seemed to stop after the car had cooled down.

I checked the main radiator and this seemed full alhough I managed to get approx 1ltr of water into the expansion tank to bring it back to full.

Again it started leaking again after a few more laps but eventually stopped of it's own accord.

Do I have a leak? The car was only serviced last week. Or was the expansion tank (inside the nearside wing) over filled and leaking the excess water?

Help please.......

Dark (Mark)
MY98 5dr Reddish Blue

JAMES BUSHELL

my WRX used to do this..

On the expansion/overflow pipe is there a black rubber tube/hose that runs into the wing.

if so, then that's probably where it's coming from.. the hose was missing from mine when i got it and used to get coolant around the passenger side of the bonnet... (i think it's from the pressure build up under hard acceleration).

I was told as long as the coolant resevoir was full to the top (once the cap is unsrewed) then it should be ok..!

James

Dark

iTrader: (1)

Thanks James

The water isn't leaking from the pipe in the top of the filler.

I think it's leaking from the top of the expansion tank itself, which is inside the nearside front wing and difficult to see.

Any ideas?

Mark

jamespiddington

Hi Mark, I'm really glad to hear that you have the same thing happening as me! My 2000MY has an EMS chip on it and after a recent trip to the Nürgurgring (top fun!!!)I noticed that fluid was leaking out of the top of the overflow bottle. It seems that the cap doesn't seal on my car so the fluid doesn't go into the wheel arch as it's supposed to. I've been assurred that this leaking is normal under hard use (also the day was very hot - 35 deg). I work for Ford and spoke to the cooling expert here and he tells me its common for certain areas in the head to boil the coolant under hi power condidtions. When I first saw the fluid leak I was worried that maybe my head gasket had gone (compression leak into the cylinders will drive fluid out), but all seems well. I've heard that the 218bhp engine has the same head gasket as the more powerful (STI) models which have 280bhp, although I'd be interested if anyone can confirm this!

James