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Title: Radiator advice please Post by: Crazypierre on September 25, 2010, 06:03:30 PM Hi Guys
Hope you're all well and your lovely cars are running nicely. Wonder if you could help me out? Problem: -I can see water leaking from around my radiator cap -the water in the expansion tank keeps going down. -When I remove the radiator cap, the water is full in the rad up to the expansion pipe hole -I removed the expansion pipe from the radiator and when I blew into it, I cannot blow into it or get any air through to the expansion tank. Its as if the pipe is blocked. Question: Should I be able to blow into that pipe and hear the air come out into the water in the expansion tank? I think so, given its an expansion tank. Clearly, water is being drawn from the expansion tank as the level is going down and water is leaking from the top of the rad.... Any ideas? Could there be a blockage in the expansion tank or expansion pipe that is allowing water out of the tank but not back in? Thanks Pete Title: Re: Radiator advice please Post by: mirafioriman on September 25, 2010, 07:08:38 PM If you can't blow through the pipe then it does sound as if it is blocked. Try a new rad cap for the leak issue as sometimes the fail and don't hold the correct pressure causing a leak. As they are so cheap I usually fit a new one as part of my first service when I purchase a vehicle.
Title: Re: Radiator advice please Post by: Henk on September 25, 2010, 07:21:52 PM Get a new cap, it is leaking at the top gasket I assume (or the sealing surface of your fillerneck is damaged)
If level is too low because the cap is leaking under pressure with running engine, after stopping the engine, the (LP) valve in your cap will open because of cooling down of (too much) vapor and thus creating low pressure in radiator and surge water from expansion tank (this is what it is supposed to do) Normally you will not be able to open Expansion tank valve just by "lung" pressure (Matt Biondi could do this maybe..) Title: Re: Radiator advice please Post by: Crazypierre on September 25, 2010, 07:29:30 PM Thanks Dave and Henk. I will get a new radiator cap. Where can I get one? Are they specific for Fiat or will any cap work?
Title: Re: Radiator advice please Post by: Henk on September 25, 2010, 07:54:26 PM not just any cap!
There must be a number stamped in to the cap like 0.9 or 1.0 indicating the HP opening pressure, what I remember... It should be in the same range Regards Henk Title: Re: Radiator advice please Post by: Tas131 on September 25, 2010, 11:04:39 PM Some radiators have different height filler necks, there are short and long radiator caps, make sure you get the right one.
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