Losing coolant on my vr6!!

[NEILX5 0]

Hi guys Im losing coolant but yet not over heating! Pressure is building up and bursting out the top of the cap and also leaking from somewhere onto the gearbox, the fan cuts in at the right time. Ive been warned this could be a gasket leak, but surely if that was true the car would run bad all the time, but doesn't.

Hope you can help

Thanks Neil

[jb9999 0]

Sounds very much like what happened to mine Neil. Is the coolant coming from the overflow as well? Have a look under the expansion tank, if its wet there it'll be from your header overflow. You can either get the cylinders compression tested or the coolant pressure tested, either way should give you a good idea if its the head gasket. Any signs of mayo on the oil cap or dipstick could also mean coolant contaminating the oil (if an excessive ammount,a tiny bit is nothing really if the car doesn't get used much). Unfortunately it does sound like the head gaskets gone and over pressurising the coolant, forcing it out of the header tank. Get the system pressure tested to find out for sure. Mine ran mint until it was warmed up properly,about half an hour, then spluttered as if it wasn't running on all six cylinders before the gasket went completely. Also any signs of white smoke from the exhaust?

[petervr6 0]

yep same happened to mine def headgasket.

[dubloke 4]

always best to check if it could be head gasket failure as they are prone to this if maltreated, a hydrocarbon test will confirm if no visible sign is present. it could just be a leaking thermo housing allowing coolant to spill down the side of the block onto the gearbox, vr's are also prone to this as well, the leak in the thermo housing only happens when temps are enought to open a crack and let water out, thus creating an air bubble in the sytem which will lead to a boil over of the expansion tank as the bubble surfaces. then the system cools again till the next leak/air lock, and the cycle repeats. get the hydrocarbon test done for piece of mind and you will find the result to be one or the other. hope its good news for ya buddy!