306 HDI hatchback water issue

[Tritey]

I have a little 306HDI (90) hatchback Y plate. In good order except the water light comes on and it needs topping up, no more than a cup full at a time but it needs it all the same. Approximately 75 miles between cup fulls.

It appears it is shoving water out the header expansion. The top hose is bloated and stiff. I surmise head gasket gone or going, putting exhaust gasses through the water system. Heater gets nice and hot, no oil in water. Someone stated the best thing to do was to run it with the coolant cap removed but with a sponge in the filler neck. This would let the gas escape and the sponge would stop all water spilling out.

Has anyone ever heard of this? it's a nice car. A head gasket replacement is more money than I want to spend at the moment. Is it feasible to run a car with the sponge trick?

Thanks in advance.

[misscrabstick]

I think it's a bad idea, cooling systems need to run under pressure, it raises the boiling point of the coolant, no cap = no pressure=premature boiling of the coolant.

[Taught2BCauti...]

Apart from the head gasket, I have also seen this sort of problem caused by a partial blockage in the radiator, which results in localised over-heating.

Another thing to check - is the radiator cap the correct one and working properly?
It should have two valves - the main one allows expanding water to pass into the expansion bottle, and the smaller valve in the centre allows the water back in to the radiator as it cools.

The one on the expansion bottle only has one valve, which is non-return.

I had a car once where the previous owner had swapped the caps between the radiator and the expansion bottle (so the one on the radiator only had one valve), and it caused water to be lost at about 1/2 litre per day, until I figured it out!
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Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[Tritey]

Thanks for the replies. I stuck it on Gumtree last night and sold it to an unsuspecting Asian. Shook his hand and smiled sweetly as he tried to chip me on price. "You know mate the rear tyres mate low mate and scratch on wing mate in it". I then did the deal with him and he looked at his Asian mate and said " Yes we got a deal there, stupid white bastard" I surmise this is what he said as he spoke 'foreign' to his mate.

As he drove off he triumphantly beeped the horn before driving off into the distance. 40 minutes later he is back on the phone saying a red light is on for the water. Told him I had never seen the red light before. Phone goes quiet......."OK mate" he says. I then bin the payg sim. Fuck him.

[Tritey]

Thanks for the replies. I stuck it on Gumtree last night and sold it to an unsuspecting Asian. Shook his hand and smiled sweetly as he tried to chip me on price. "You know mate the rear tyres mate low mate and scratch on wing mate in it". I then did the deal with him and he looked at his Asian mate and said " Yes we got a deal there, stupid white bastard" I surmise this is what he said as he spoke 'foreign' to his mate.

As he drove off he triumphantly beeped the horn before driving off into the distance. 40 minutes later he is back on the phone saying a red light is on for the water. Told him I had never seen the red light before. Phone goes quiet......."OK mate" he says. I then bin the payg sim. Fuck him.

[bikenut]

I suppose the rear beam was worn for the tyre to scratch the arch!!

lets hope he doesn't visit here........or his mates.........white trash
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nuts about bikes

[Taught2BCauti...]

If it was the head gasket, at least you could have dumped a bottle of K-Seal in the rad. It would have been at least 2 months before you heard from him
____________________
Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[Iain.]