Hello all.
I picked up a '97 3.0GXTD Colorado yesterday which I knew it had "some" coolant issues but a later discovery by complete chance I found a post on a different forum by the previous owner "nice chap!" that the "some" loss was about 5ltrs every 50 miles driving! He has had the vehicle since January and has chucked some money at it i.e new head, new rad, new water pump but the coolant loss is still there, so.............
I need a plan of attack and thought I would run the ideas passed everyone and see if they make sense and any handy hints on how to go about it.
I'm hoping that this is actually going to be something quite simple to resolve and just something that has been overlooked.
I'm going to rule out a cracked head at this point as I think that as he had one fitted only 6 months ago this may have been sorted. It was a new head I believe, however i guess it could have a flaw or not been fitted correctly.
My first thinking is to drain/flush the system and replace the high grade "Dorset clear H20 coolant" with Toyota Red. I'm hoping that it may be a case of the water boiling due to lower boiling point than the red over hence the loss. He did mention in his post about bubbling in the expansion tank but could this possibly just be from the boiling effect I wonder? Is it possibly to lose so much coolant in this way?
How much Toyota Red do I need? I was reading 10ltrs. Is that about right? I assume there is a drain plug somewhere on the engine block. Is it easy to find?
However before I chuck £40 worth of Toyota Red into the rad and risk it disappearing fast I was hoping to find out first if there was a different cause. I might have made this up (I quite often do) or have invented an amazing new product, but is it possible to get some kind of UV dye kit that would safe to put in the rad with the current H20? I was thinking if I chucked some in and ran it up to temp any leaks may become quite obvious. I was also hoping that if it is a cracked head or something and the coolant was being "used"the UV dye may show up at the exhaust end? Is there such a product and if so can anyone recommend a kit/brand etc?
The other thing I was thinking and I am not sure if this is plausible is that the "nice chap" reckoned it only loses coolant whilst driving and not at idle. There is no evidence of coolant leaks/drips etc underneath. Is it possible that the is a split hose, gasket or core plug that only leaks when the water pressure is up? Again would a dye pick this up?
I read a reply to the previous sellers post that their is a possibility that the turbo seals may have gone or the housing cracked. Could anyone verify this?
I suppose after all this a coolant system pressure check and also compression checks may be the next route but I don't have access to the kits and so trying to find a work around.
So to sum up......is there a UV dye kit available or have I made it up/invented it? How much Toyota Red do I need? I assume there is a drain plug somewhere on the engine block. Is it easy to find? Does the turbo sound like a possible cause?
Any other ideas most greatly received.
Thanks all.
I picked up a '97 3.0GXTD Colorado yesterday which I knew it had "some" coolant issues but a later discovery by complete chance I found a post on a different forum by the previous owner "nice chap!" that the "some" loss was about 5ltrs every 50 miles driving! He has had the vehicle since January and has chucked some money at it i.e new head, new rad, new water pump but the coolant loss is still there, so.............
I need a plan of attack and thought I would run the ideas passed everyone and see if they make sense and any handy hints on how to go about it.
I'm hoping that this is actually going to be something quite simple to resolve and just something that has been overlooked.
I'm going to rule out a cracked head at this point as I think that as he had one fitted only 6 months ago this may have been sorted. It was a new head I believe, however i guess it could have a flaw or not been fitted correctly.
My first thinking is to drain/flush the system and replace the high grade "Dorset clear H20 coolant" with Toyota Red. I'm hoping that it may be a case of the water boiling due to lower boiling point than the red over hence the loss. He did mention in his post about bubbling in the expansion tank but could this possibly just be from the boiling effect I wonder? Is it possibly to lose so much coolant in this way?
How much Toyota Red do I need? I was reading 10ltrs. Is that about right? I assume there is a drain plug somewhere on the engine block. Is it easy to find?
However before I chuck £40 worth of Toyota Red into the rad and risk it disappearing fast I was hoping to find out first if there was a different cause. I might have made this up (I quite often do) or have invented an amazing new product, but is it possible to get some kind of UV dye kit that would safe to put in the rad with the current H20? I was thinking if I chucked some in and ran it up to temp any leaks may become quite obvious. I was also hoping that if it is a cracked head or something and the coolant was being "used"the UV dye may show up at the exhaust end? Is there such a product and if so can anyone recommend a kit/brand etc?
The other thing I was thinking and I am not sure if this is plausible is that the "nice chap" reckoned it only loses coolant whilst driving and not at idle. There is no evidence of coolant leaks/drips etc underneath. Is it possible that the is a split hose, gasket or core plug that only leaks when the water pressure is up? Again would a dye pick this up?
I read a reply to the previous sellers post that their is a possibility that the turbo seals may have gone or the housing cracked. Could anyone verify this?
I suppose after all this a coolant system pressure check and also compression checks may be the next route but I don't have access to the kits and so trying to find a work around.
So to sum up......is there a UV dye kit available or have I made it up/invented it? How much Toyota Red do I need? I assume there is a drain plug somewhere on the engine block. Is it easy to find? Does the turbo sound like a possible cause?
Any other ideas most greatly received.
Thanks all.