Mercedes E320 CDI 2001 Water loss issues

[Colterry]

Morning all and merry Christmas to you all

My mercedes E320 CDI UK reg 2001 is having coolant loss.

When you top up the header tank with coolant or water, you look under and NO signs of water dripping at all.

Drive up the road and 5 mils or less and header tank is bone dry, look under and still no signs of water dripping. You top it up and remember it is operating at normal temp, and still no signs of water dripping from under.

Drive another 5 miles or less and loss of header tank again.

No water in Oil, no water from exhaust, and I have checked those I can see hoses, there is a new water pump 5,000 miles ago no leaks around it, and thermostat was changed at same time, I also thought this may be issue so pulled it off and sealed it again on the thermo housing.

Suggestions????

 

[davidjpowell]

Checked the gearbox oil? From memory on some older mb’s radiator has different sections that cool water and gearbox oil and in the past the divider has failed.

Can’t remember if this is one of them, and if there was that much water in the gearbox I would have thought it would already have told you though....


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[Colterry]

Davidjpowell gearbox oil is clean and right on leval. this I just checked now

 

[Colterry]

Common you lot, you must have some suggestions?

 

[toolman1954]

There are just two scenarios possible, it is either using it or losing it, the water that is. My first move would be to pressure test the system, the pressure tester goes on the radiator and you pump it up and watch the gauge, that will give you a clue as to what is happening. If there is either air or water escaping from a hose, a joint, a cooler pipe, then that is your answer. The other possibility is that you have a head gasket gone for which you may need to get a compression test done, but do not use a normal petrol compression tester, you need a special Diesel one. You could of course remove the glow plugs and still using the pressure tester on the radiator listen for air escaping or at worse water coming out. I notice a recent advert from ECP for an Endoscope that plugs into your Android phone, there are other cheaper versions about if you use Google. Had I the need and be working on cars still, it is the sort of toy that I would use for looking at the tops of the pistons to check for any super clean ones. If you have never seen a piston that has been the subject of a head gasket gone they are generally super clean and shiny, where the water has cleaned the top. Almost like a water injection system. Good luck with finding the problem.

Steve.

 

[Colterry]

SOLVED the water under rev's was dripping for the Water Cooled Alternator, removed the alternator applied a new set of O ring seals and problem solved

There was NO escaping of water while sitting only when you drive it's forced out via the rotten O rings.

Just to let you know