Alfa Romeo 147 Coolant Leak

[BrokenCar.jpeg]

Hi all it's me again  Unfortunately my 147 has quite a few issues but I am slowly fixing them which is the main thing One of my main problems at the moment is a loss of coolant which I can't seem to find the source of. Basically I got the car around mid last year and took a few trips to NSW (6hrs there and back each time) and had no problems. But one day (I can't remember when) I noticed my coolant was very low (below min mark) so I topped it up. I haven't really driven it that much since then but It has been a constant battle. Every time I went for a drive, especially on high ways I would check my coolant (after getting home and letting cool) and find it at the min mark then top it up every time. I went through a whole bottle of coolant in a matter of months (remember I rarely drove it during that time) and had to buy more. One day while getting fuel my dad noticed it leaking onto the cement and we found it was the main hose on the bottom of the container and moved the clamp, haven't had any problems with that since however I am still loosing coolant. I have checked the whole loop many times and cant find any trace of a leak apart from stains on the bottle. After inspection I found the top where the small return pipe connects had broken and I have fixed it for now with a steel tube and duct tape, please note it is no longer leaking from here. I filled it up again to max with the new lot and drove it a few times with no problems. It wasn't until I drove for about an hour on the high way again that I have now noticed it is back to min again and there is 0 sign of a leak anywhere. Also note that before fixing the pipe it was leaking much faster (more amounts) over a shorter period of time and was even leaking while not being used for a while but I could never find any wet patches in the car or on the ground. After turning off and opening the bonnet I can hear a hissing noise coming from the coolant bottle cap, is it possible I am loosing coolant via steam from the cap? Although it would only be very small amounts that way. I have done some research online and found the most common leaks are in the heater, oil and radiator. Both the heater and oil are fine as I have checked and I haven't found any evidence to say it's the radiator (all pipes are perfect) but I can't see what it's like from the bottom (could be cracked or something). Does anyone have any ideas where my coolant may be going? PS it has never run above 90c or completely run out of coolant (so far as I know, am 3rd owner). Thank you all for any advice you may be able to give me      

[bonno]

Hi BrokenCar.jpeg
If there is no visible signs of leaks, then I suggest the radiator cap is faulty and needs replacing.
cheers
bonno

[poohbah]

oops, didn't mean to delete my post.

To recap - I can think of a couple of things to check.

First, check the coolant expansion tank hasn't got any fine cracks in it, as the plastic can degrade badly and crack over time. The cracks open up when the tank is hot, and result in  mostly slow-but steady leaks while you are driving.

Secondly, check the hoses to the oil cooler. I recently had a split in the oil cooler hose on my V6 156. As it is buried deep midships behind the motor it can be hard to see. It also didn't dump all the coolant out in one hit like it does when you split a major radiator hose, but enough to require topping up every trip. I don't know what the layout on a 2.0 147 is like, but on the V6 it is a real pain to get to - it was a very lengthy job.

[BrokenCar.jpeg]

Thank you all for your replies. As I have said I am fairly certain it's not the heater or oil as both check out when I have looked at them. My dad and I took if for a drive on the highway again this morning for about 30mins after filling back up to max (well dad filled it slightly above max). When we stopped we turned the car off and began looking for leaks while the pressure was still built up. We found a very slight leak over the top small pipe which I temporarily repaired and dad said it may be leaking on the bottom pipe where we moved the clamp. I would defiantly like to get my hands on either a brand new or like new bottle as mine is pretty far gone and is starting to break hense my problem. For now tho as we are both low on cash we will seal it with silicone and see how that goes.

[BrokenCar.jpeg]

Ok guys so I was driving my car home on the high way on Wednesday afternoon and my temporary repair of the coolant system failed causing the coolant to completely boil away and damage the engine. Currently it is turning over but not starting and we believe the head gasket may have gone this allowing the combustion chambers to fill with coolant. However it could also be flooded with fuel as you can smell it when trying to start the car. Also all the coolant (after re filling it) has leaked out the side of the engine so it looks like there may be a lot of damage. Depending on how expensive it is to repair this 147 may be heading for the grave

[poohbah]

Sorry to hear. Definitely sounds like the head gasket. 

[Mick A]

The block will be OK but the head being alloy will now more than likely have softened and will need replacement.

If the engine is hydro-locking when trying to crank over due to the cylinders being full of water you can bend a rod, and if you intend on using the block again, drain the water from the lowest point, then remove the spark plugs then turn the engine over to get the water out of the cylinders so the rings don't rust to the bores.

Mick.

[kaleuclint]

Possibly a faulty water pump was the original cause?  When the leak isn't from hoses / radiator / header tank this can be the source.