iggy7

Hi justed wanted to find out if anybody has had this strange water leak have looked through the forum but can't find anything,
I have a 92 fd3 with 3500 miles on rebuild I have a water leak coming from near drivers side front wheel have checked hoses and seem to be fine I jacked it up to have a look and the leak stopped.
Any ideas on what this could be would be much appreciated.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Careful of your audience...our driver's side isn't the same.

Check the coolant overflow tank, and the hoses, carefully. If your certain the tank and hoses are NOT leaking, then monitor the level of the tank carefully for being over-full.

iggy7

Thanks for your help will do what you said mechanic had it running for an hour today and no water leak so could possibly be my over filling.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

If your driver's side is RHD, then there is the coolant overflow tank on that side. There is a small hole in the neck of the overflow tank. If you overfill the coolant, as it expands it will dump the excess out of that hole.

Also, on the downside is that if you have a coolant seal problem; as the coolant gets pressurized it can get pushed out of that exact same hole. Make sure if you are topping off your coolant, you use the following filling location:

Ball joint

iTrader: (6)

Odd, this just happened to me yesterday and I was wondering what the hell was going on. Maybe it has something to do with the weather change or something.

iggy7

Ok cheers for the info and diagram.the bottle on the diagram circled I always make sure this is full to top is this correct.

iggy7

Highly unlikely it's the weather.maybe it was because I drove to the top of everest last weekend.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Yes. Wait until your car is completely cold and check the level. Fill as needed with coolant/distilled water. While the car is cold, also check the level of your overflow. The cap has a "dip-stick" of sorts to tell you what the proper level is.

iggy7

Hi mate I checked levels today when cold took pressure cap off the one circled in diagram and water was at top but slowly sunk down and looked empty.checked expansion bottle and was an inch passed the full on the dipstick.I then started car and let it get up to temp still no leakage I then drove 5 miles to get barnet cut turned car off and it started to leak from small hole on expansion bottle,I then drove home left idling and checked their was no leak.turned off and 2 mins later it started to leak again.could possibly be an air lock.the car doesn't over heat I have no White smoke from the exhaust and coolant buzz doesn't come on.I'm thinking this car has been taken over by the devil.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Start with the simple things like replacing your coolant caps (filler neck and AST). If that doesn't help, then it's time to pressure test your system.

ttmott

iTrader: (1)

I found this essential - disconnect the coolant hose to the top of the throttle body and fill after disconnected. A bubble seems to form in the engine when first filled and this is the best way to vent it off.

bajaman

Mahjik is being exceedingly careful to NOT state the obvious....so as not to ruin the o.p.'s day.

What everyone is dancing around is...this is indeed the first sign of internal coolant 'O' ring failure. In fact, this is one of TWO things basically that is going on. EITHER your AST or filler neck caps are leaking (or you have some other leak in the coolant system that does not allow the thermosiphon effect to suck the expanded coolant back into the system once it cools)...) OR you have internal seals going out which lets combustion chamber pressure force coolant back thru the system and ultimately out the overflow.

Hope for the first one but allow for the second....which means rebuild time.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Your right, I thought about that. But it was a combination of not wanting to be an alarmist and being too lazy to explain it all to the OP.
On the other hand, he hasn't mentioned anything about a brief stumbling idle on cold start-up, exhaust with a lot of "white smoke" that smells vaguely sweet or spiking temps with the coolant level warning buzzer going off.

So.... , hopefully he's just got a bad cap or leak somewhere else in the system.

bajaman

Yeah, I realized you and Mahjik were trying to 'work up to the worst case scenario'.

When my seals were going out, I never had anything indicating the slightest bit of an internal leak. Nothing out the exhaust, no smell....nothing. I just kept having to fill the damned thing up, only to have it overflow within a few minutes of driving...and then the overheating started....and then, well...we all know how stories like this end.

iggy7

Thanks for the help guys am going to order the simple things
first if still leaking will take it to rotechniks to get it sorted.is it rare for coolant seals to go with such low mileage.the company tha rebuilt it need their hands cutting off.

DaveW

It could happen if there was corrosion in the seal grooves before the rebuild, or if corrosion occurred quickly after the rebuild (less likely) due to no antifreeze, etc.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Or if it was ever overheated.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Also make sure to burp the system. Here's what I do for that process:

https://www.rx7club.com/showpost.php...21&postcount=4

iggy7

Ok thanks for the advice and the link,the only positive thing to come out of getting a rebuild is getting the engine to the spec I need.will be putting up a post soon once have got my cobra misanos fitted bargain eBay buy 490 pound for two seats leather alacantra with carbon backs.