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Coolant loss !!! Skoda Yeti


alittlebitfrench
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We have a Skoda Yeti which we intend to sell.

Since the summer it is losing coolant. Not excessively like with a head gasket problem but since the summer it has dropped twice well below the minimum mark and I have had to top it up. That is not normal is it ?

The thing is, it has started doing this since the engine was firmware was updated following the emissions scandal.

Any ideas ? Can't see a leak.
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Could try this:

https://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/engine-oils-and-car-fluids/car-additives/cooling-system-treatment/?555770460&0&cc5_171&gclid=CjwKCAjw7frPBRBVEiwAuDf_LdmwDfvGNHLcS3EAH0ip6ySVTQeBz_WAdiS75j3w4jMbDiAsMsWdlRoCC0MQAvD_BwE

I would be interested in more knowledgeable peoples thoughts on the use of such additives.

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Sorry, its a 140 ch 4x4 TDI.

75k on the clock.

What I meant by firmware, the software update they do on the engine because of the VAG emissions scandal to bring it into line. Well I think it is a software update...I have no idea in fact.

I have googled this and I can't find any logical responses for coolant loss. Never did it before and the car has been bullet proof. Thanks for the links by the way. Some say it could be the water pump !!!. Methinks not.

Tad annoyed ALBF. Last thing I need at the moment.
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Stick an egg white in the system.  Because of the difference between system pressure and atmosphric pressure, when the egg white poaches, it will be drawn to any leakes within the system and subsequently seal them.  I know it works. I did it once decades ago before all these fancy products appeared on the market.
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Heater matrix leak, if you want a good laugh ask the main dealer how much to replace it [:P]

 

Still you will have a 7 year guarantee, good luck with finding a French concessionaire willing to do one of the sh1ttiest jobs known to man.

 

On the other hand I was expecting the same grief when my heater fan needed replacing on my Skoda but it could not have been any easier, 2 screws and a clip, 3 minutes and £20 for the fan delivered to France, bet the dealers would have wanted €1K plus

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It could be a slight leak at the head, not enough to give a head gasket problem but enough to use a little water. A small pressurisation of the tank could force the water out. Maybe put some kitchen towel under the tank to see if it gets wet after journeys.

There are also water test kits that indicate hydrocarbons in the water.

Could be a Chancer says but if you are running with antifreeze you'll smell it.
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Bodging it on to sell it to someone far away? - Chuck a bottle of K-seal in and call it fixed.

Keeping it, or worried about comebacks....it needs a proper leak test. A leak that small is probably either a tiny pinhole in the radiator, usually where a crimp has failed rather than stone damage etc, or a slight weep from a hose not clamped tightly enough.

Note that K-seal and all the other additives are easily visible in the coolant and will be spotted by anyone who knows what they are looking for.

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I have used K-seal successfully a couple of times....a 306 HDi that was leaking at the heater matrix, loosing a litre of coolant every 100km. That lasted another year and a half and I sold it still running leak-free. The other was a Freelander leaking through the radiator that is still running fine about 4 years later.

On the other hand it failed to fix my Ranger although I used Barrs Leaks, not K-seal....same principal, different brand....and I have been up to my elbows in replacing the head gasket last week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AG7_zWkRJw

Its in no way a guaranteed fix....not enough flow/pressure to carry the particles to the leak, too much pressure blowing the particles out before they agglomerate....there is plenty that can go wrong and it does have a reputation of eventually clogging up the fine passageways in the engine or heater matrix, although I have never encountered this myself.

In UK, I wouldnt even worry about such a small leak as OP describes, I would sell the car as is without hesitation. Here in France I would have second thoughts. I would probably still sell it as is and plead ignorance if anything came back.....but it would be impossible to claim ignorance if they come back and point out the coolant is laden with k-seal.

I hear tell of a new product on the market, Elliotts Gasket Fix is apparently a liquid that doesnt leave visible particles in suspension in the coolant - a bodgers delight!

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[quote user="dave21478"]and it does have a reputation of eventually clogging up the fine passageways in the engine or heater matrix, although I have never encountered this myself. [/quote]

 

I have [:(] It was with the turd pellet Bar Seal and not the wimpy Bars Leak made for the snowflakes that dont even know how to crumble a stock cube.

 

My race car cooling system had the stuff in, I know, I know, what a bodge (long story) anyway while at V-Max on the Lavant straight at Goodwood circuit while testing there was a huge bang and a massive cloud of scolding steam, a reinforced top radiator hose had exploded, when it was replaced and the system topped up and bled all seemed well and on the road it was until Under racing conditions where it would usually vent some coolant to the overflow tank, after a couple of test laps the new hose was pressurised to breaking point, the Bar-seal had blocked internally the overflow hose leading to the expansion bottle, it was 8mm bore!!!!!!!

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Thanks for all the responses.

I would not sell the car knowing there is a problem. It is just not in my nature to do so. So I will get it fixed, but I want to know what the problem is. I don't like garages in France.

Given we may have a bit hard winter I will keep the Yeti until the spring and keep an eye on it. The 4X4 is very useful in snow and ice because we live on a hill.

I notice that i have a lot of condensation on the windscreen this morning (just defrosted the car inside and out) could that be an indication that it may be the heater matrix ? Will the consumption go up more in the winter because you use the heater more ?

I will plonk the car in the sun today and let it dry out and see what the score is in the morning.
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If the heater matrix is leaking, the window will generally only steam up with the engine running. It will also be a "greasy" condensation on the inside that is hard to wipe off with a cloth.

You will need a pressure test to see where the leak is from, where a pump is plugged into the expansion tank and pressurises the cooling system, allowing all hoses etc to be inspected. its possible to add chemical tracer to the coolant which glows under UV light to help find the leak. Any garage worth their name SHOULD be able to do this, but two header tanks worth over a few months is a really tiny leak....

Before spending probably hundreds on a test that is likely to be half-assed, I would invest a tenner or so on a new cap for the header tank and see if that helped. The pressure relief spring can weaken and allow seepage.
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[quote user="dave21478"]If the heater matrix is leaking, the window will generally only steam up with the engine running. It will also be a "greasy" condensation on the inside that is hard to wipe off with a cloth.

You will need a pressure test to see where the leak is from, where a pump is plugged into the expansion tank and pressurises the cooling system, allowing all hoses etc to be inspected. its possible to add chemical tracer to the coolant which glows under UV light to help find the leak. Any garage worth their name SHOULD be able to do this, but two header tanks worth over a few months is a really tiny leak....

Before spending probably hundreds on a test that is likely to be half-assed, I would invest a tenner or so on a new cap for the header tank and see if that helped. The pressure relief spring can weaken and allow seepage.[/quote]

I had an old Frontera that lost a bit of water now and again. An 8 €uro header tank cap sorted it out. The guy doing its TüV test suggested that.

You may not like garages but often by talking to the experts, the people who know the cars inside out you may find out of any weaknesses in that particular model. In my last job it seemed that almost half the workforce had Yetis and they all loved them and not one ever mentioned coolant problems.
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Thanks Dave thanks all.

The yeti was voted the most reliable car in the UK......hmmm !!

Personally, I think it is linked to the emissions update. But I don't know why.

When we had it done (the emissions update thingy), I drove the car back from the garage and it sounded like a tractor. There was a significant loss of power also and you had to use the gears differently. I hated driving it. They had broken my car.

After googling it, I read all the problems that other VAG owners have had after the update and how it renders tha car un-drivable. Of course I realised that I was having the same problem.

Took the car back and they had it for a whole day and 'made it better' but not the same as was before the update. The car still does not run the same. They told me they had many cars back after the update.

The EPC light has been on a few times which involves banging it down the autoroute in 5th gear to clean it. Never did that before.

I want rid now. I was actually going to keep it forever.

Needless to say I will never buy a Vag car again. I am sure I would not have this problem if I did not do the update. I should have googled it first. Oh hum.
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To make it pass the emissions test they may have had to make it run leaner (fuel/air mix) which may make it run hotter but it could certainly lessen the power. Who knows what they may have done when testing it?

A friend had his perfectly good ford scorpio mysteriously blown up by the MOT man. It was fine going in but they wrecked it. I know of some garages, particularly our in house garage at work where the clot would hold diesels at peak revs for ages and he cooked a couple.

If it's head gasket leak, even a small one caused by an overheat there will be hydrocarbons in the water, DIY test kits are available for around £10-15

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ALBF.

Can you lift a bit of carpet in the front and see if its wet underneath, preferably the bottom where feet are put, on drivers and passengers side, that is the lowest point, or it should be. I had a leaking heater matrix on one of my cars years ago and the original clue I had were windows wet on the inside after standing all night. (it was damp inside)

Worth a try.

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