SE Chargecooler leak?

[Paul C]

Ok,

Since i went electric my CC system uses no coolant at all.

I check regular anyhow, and checked last night (it was full

as usual).

After about 50 miles today (in hot weather, but should make

little difference), my coolant check light came on. I first rule out

the engine system (fine), i look at the CC header and it's empty.

I fill it, have a little run and top it up, then do another 50 or so miles

and it is still full. There was no coolant visably leaking from my car at

any point, and the fans are working fine at the front of the car. When i

got home i checked the cooler and it was lovely and cold, so i have

circulation too.

What do you think ?

Maybe, just maybe, i could have fitted the pressure cap a bit loose after

checking it last night? Could it have blown it out and burnt it off before i

stopped for a look?

Baffled really

[DAVES_GT3]

going to sound silly i know but have you checked the cap that you have blocked the charge cooler pump off with? mine had a leak from there (but b4 i fitted the electric pump tho)

dave

[CNH]

That is strange. When was the last time you checked the coolant levels? In SE cars the system is seperate and the coolant just does not get hot enough to boil over like the engine coolant and spew forth. After all the box feels cold so how could it get hot enough to loose coolant. I you are concerned I suppose you could do a pressure test. I hope you do not have a slow leak in the plumbing. Sometimes a small amount leaks from the small hose fitting at the right rear of the chragecooler box. Do you have any signs of leakage there?

[Paul C]

going to sound silly i know but have you checked the cap that you have blocked the charge cooler pump off with? mine had a leak from there (but b4 i fitted the electric pump tho)

I had the electric pump fitted because the original mechanical pump lost water

to oil. The plug at the old pump position now only serves to plug what is

essentially the unused distributer shaft on the injected SE engine.

The integrity of the blanking plug would have zero effect on the chargecooling

system as there is no pump (or anything else) at that position anymore, now the

pump is electric and inline the only point the system is capable to leaking anywhere

other than to air, is within the chargecooler itself. (and i would have 'thought' the

effects of it spilling it's guts into the plenum would be more obvious...?).

...hoping i have not answered my own question here

[Paul C]

That is strange. When was the last time you checked the coolant levels? In SE cars the system is seperate and the coolant just does not get hot enough to boil over like the engine coolant and spew forth. After all the box feels cold so how could it get hot enough to loose coolant. I you are concerned I suppose you could do a pressure test. I hope you do not have a slow leak in the plumbing. Sometimes a small amount leaks from the small hose fitting at the right rear of the chragecooler box. Do you have any signs of leakage there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Checked them last night! Only do it as a part of my routine five minute

walkaround that i do whenever i wake the car up for the weekend. has

been (up til today) a quick 'yep, still fine' every time until today.

Pressure test is i think the way to go, won't be able to sort it out til at

least next weekend. The one bonus with having the electric pump over

the mechanical on the SE, its that should the system empty, i can just

pull the plug on the pump to spare th impeller running dry, and still use

the car. Makes you wonder why they thought intergrating the systems

was a good idea...

thanks,

[th4neuk]

with the electric pump mine does get slightly pressurized so it is possible the cap being loose might have spilt over. try leaving the cap loose and the ignition on to pressurize the system a bit??

Cheers

[pitstoppete]

mines doin a bit of a piddling thing too.

how bout a weep from the hoses at the front, like mine is. just bad enough to lower the level, but hardly noticable. or maybe the rad is weepy and the leak is being masked by the coolant rad evaporating it away before it can be a puddle.

is it going really really well like u have a bit of water injection from the actual chargecooler leaking into the intake?

[Paul C]

Going to try to borrow a pressure tester to see if i can get

the leak to show, had the pump running tonight and not a drop

anywhere. There are three good reasons to have an electric pump:

1, You can get it running full flow rate with the engine turned off

and the car not moving, wheras the mechanical one would require

revving to several thousand revs to get peak flow rate.

2, The system is now truely seperate from the block, so no worries

of it leaking coolant past the oil seals of the mecanical pump.

3, If it does lose all its coolant, no worries about the pump runnig dry!

i can just pull the plug on the pump and hey presto! it's an Esprit turbo!

(just without the SE bit), and i am not off the road (like i would be were

it a later car with an intergrated system).

[Paul C]

Question:

(assuming i do have a leak)

IF (if), and it is an If...

The leak is within the cooler and leaks to the plenum. Then i'm going to take out the section of hose from the cooler to the plenum when i do the test.

Reason: when running the engine would burn it, when still i'd be flooding it?

What you think of my logic/paranioa?

[gpz900r]

Question:

(assuming i do have a leak)

IF (if), and it is an If...

The leak is within the cooler and leaks to the plenum. Then i'm going to take out the section of hose from the cooler to the plenum when i do the test.

Reason: when running the engine would burn it, when still i'd be flooding it?

What you think of my logic/paranioa?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is there such a thing as engine type DYE that could be put in the system so that it would leave a residue stain, obviously evaporated water leaves no trace, maybe a product worth making if it does not exist?

[CNH]

Question:

(assuming i do have a leak)

IF (if), and it is an If...

The leak is within the cooler and leaks to the plenum. Then i'm going to take out the section of hose from the cooler to the plenum when i do the test.

Reason: when running the engine would burn it, when still i'd be flooding it?

What you think of my logic/paranioa?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not to worry water runs down hill. If you had a leak in the box with the engine off it would just fill up the turbo with anti-freeze . I would take the supply side off as well. No sense in taking chances. You can always presuure test the box by itself if you wanted to test it.

[WayneB]

Paul maybe the system had an airlock in it BEFORE you opened the cap to have a look at the level. Opening the cap allowed the air to migrate out (but the level to drop) When filling the system, do you run the pump with the fill cap off to allow air to escape? Your Charge Coolerless Mate Wayne

[Paul C]

Paul maybe the system had an airlock in it BEFORE you opened the cap to have a look at the level. Opening the cap allowed the air to migrate out (but the level to drop) When filling the system, do you run the pump with the fill cap off to allow air to escape? Your Charge Coolerless Mate Wayne

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

..what a wonderful philosophy you have

I like this theory Wayne. Think i'll give her a good run on saturday and see

if she's thirsty again, will save the hassle of isolating the cooler from plenum

and turbo for a pressure test (just yet).

Car has been sat since sunday with the cap off in the hope of a drop,

but not a single one, garage floor bone dry as per usual. It's this fact

alone that will cause me to take precations should i pressure test.

I love Esprits!

I go to see Marc (Gpz900) and his new G'sprit, his gearchange meant we were

limited to a run in mine, so of course she sheds some wet stuff, shows a warning

light and all that!, how Lotus. think they go out in sympathy these cars.

[Paul C]

Chargecooler unbolted and tubes to plenum and turbo removed.

(wish i had a dump valve in me hands now!, never mind..)

Anyhow, testing at 9psi (System rated at 7psi).

Been on for half an hour and no drop, no leaks.

Cap?

Airlock?

Me replacing it badly when i checked it last?

Tis a mystery, so i guess the weekend driving about is on order B)

[Paul C]

Pressure tested for three hours!

No drop, no loss.

Ran car today for a hundred or so miles in some chronic heat,

full boost, sounds lovely, CC nice and cool, back home and no

loss whatsoever. I'm going with the airlock or me being dumb.

The End