Blowing Coolant From Expansion Tank 2.2 Verso

[Cameron Law]

Hi

My 2.2 Verso has been loosing coolant from the expansion tank overflow, there is no water in the oil and the coolant looks pretty clean. The rad and expansion tank are hot but offside lower hose of rad is cold to touch, I haven't had problems with engine over heating. Does anyone have any ideas?

Is it the cylinder head?

The car had a new cylinder head gasket at 40000 mls (before I bought it) It's an 07 and has done 53000 mls

Hope someone can help

Thanks

Cam.

[Sooty]

This sounds like the thermostat is failing or you may have an airlock in the system.

Is your heater pumping out warm air?

[Cameron Law]

Thanks for the reply Sooty. I have hot air from the heater as long as I keep the coolant topped up.

I took the car into Toyota and they think it's the head gasket and said it needs replacement block, head, pistons etc. Waiting to hear if Toyota will pick up the bill, they don't seem too keen as the head gaskets been done already.

[Sooty]

You could try removing the two radiator hoses and use a hose pipe to force water through the rad the wrong way.

I have just re-read your post and noticed that the rad is cold at the bottom.

This would suggest that coolant is not flowing through it so may be blocked.

You can check the head gasket by (when engine is COLD) removing the rad cap and starting the engine. If water is bubbling or blowing out of the rad filler then yes the head gasket is suspect.

To be honest it sounds as if the rad is blocked and I would try the hose pipe first.

HTH

[Cameron Law]

Just pulled off the rad cap and started the car, immediately had small amount of smoke visible. Guess Toyota were right re the cylinder head gasket. Now to see if they are willing to change it for a second time!

[Parts-King]

If it is the headgasket and it sounds like it is, your dealer should be able to put in a warranty claim for you. This subject is well documented on here, you cannot just change the head gasket reliably in any case

Kingo

[acetip]

You could try removing the two radiator hoses and use a hose pipe to force water through the rad the wrong way.

I have just re-read your post and noticed that the rad is cold at the bottom.

This would suggest that coolant is not flowing through it so may be blocked.

You can check the head gasket by (when engine is COLD) removing the rad cap and starting the engine. If water is bubbling or blowing out of the rad filler then yes the head gasket is suspect.

To be honest it sounds as if the rad is blocked and I would try the hose pipe first.

HTH

After checking a top hot hose the bottom hose will always feel a lot cooler which is normal.

[acetip]

Further to the above post.

Like hot air hot water rises. The water pump is not an actual pump it does not ciculate the water around the engine with pressure.

If you look at the impellers in a cars water pump they do not extend to the full width of the casing of the pump. the pump only assists the circulation of the water very slightly. Most of the circulation is caused by the natural action of the hot water rising and cold water dropping in whatever it is contained in. be it a crossflow rad or a vertical flow rad.

So the colder water will be at the lower part of the rad.

[Cameron Law]

I've just heard from my Toyota dealer that my Verso's blown cylinder head gasket will not be covered by Toyota "Out of Warranty Guidelines (0730J)".

The gasket, pistons etc had already been changed at 40000mls as a "Good will gesture" to the Verso's previous owner.

So even though I've only had the car for 9 months and 6000mls (mileage is now 53000) because the work on the car was carried out over 12months ago, the extended warranty does not apply "Out of Warranty Guidelines (0730J)".

Kerry at Toyota customer services informed me that they only do the work for cylinder heads once and unless it breaks again within 12months, it's not their problem.

Now I have a perfectly good car, that I enjoyed driving, that cost over seven grand (second had from Evans Halshaw) with just over 53000 miles on the clock with an engine that's going to cost four and a half grand to fix. Is it worth doing? If it's going to happen again in a year or two's time.

Toyota know there is a design fault with their D4D engines, otherwise they wouldn't be fixing blown cylinder head gaskets by using a replacement engine would they. I'm obviously not very happy with what I've heard from Toyota customer services and will be writing to them with a complaint.

I purposley bought a Toyota because I believed their cars to have an excellent record for reliability and longevity, ho hum. This is all making my old Fiat Multipla's service issues look good !

[Parts-King]

So even though I've only had the car for 9 months and 6000mls (mileage is now 53000)

It could well be worth persuing a claim against your selling dealer. You have not had the car 12 months and only done 6K, it could be argued the car is not of satisfactory quality and possibly inherrantly faulty when you bought it. Might be worth a chat to them about it

Kingo

[Mistermena]

Sorry to hear about this situation...

A very good point here by Kingo! Thats something I would pursue at this present time. Has Toyota explained how and why the HG has failed again?

[Cameron Law]

So even though I've only had the car for 9 months and 6000mls (mileage is now 53000)

It could well be worth persuing a claim against your selling dealer. You have not had the car 12 months and only done 6K, it could be argued the car is not of satisfactory quality and possibly inherrantly faulty when you bought it. Might be worth a chat to them about it

Kingo

Thanks Kingo, I will be giving them a bell, I'm pretty sure they will tell me it is a new fault and not apparent when they sold me the car. Although I do have proof that they didn't carry out their "Approved Car" 119 point check properly, and they tell me that the Technician that carried out the check has since "left their employment". I shall contact them tomorrow.

Cheers

Cam

[Cameron Law]

Sorry to hear about this situation...

A very good point here by Kingo! Thats something I would pursue at this present time. Has Toyota explained how and why the HG has failed again?

Toyota didn't really want to talk about the hows and whys of the recuring HG failure. Just that it had been fixed once before as a "Good will gesture" and as the work had been done over a year ago they weren't liable now and didn't feel like extending their good will to me.

Strangely enough the garage that had done the original HG work told me on the phone that they would have no problems doing the HG twice. They're about 150 miles away though. If I thought they would still do the work after what Toyota customer services has told me it would definately be worth a wee drive to Huddersfield.

[Mistermena]

I bought my car used that had an engine re-build by Toyota under there "Goodwill" extended warranty, only to find that it had failed again (Within 9,000 miles) and Toyota replaced the engine again! for which I was very greatful for. I know that with these 2AD engines that once the HG goes it means a new engine due to "Gasket Shuffle" usually caused by carbon build up that then in turn can make the HG fail! Its crazy that this happens with Toyota D4-D engines and not with others!!!

I think that Toyota could at least explain whats happened here and try to help! After all its not your fault that the HG has failed again! Thought Toyota had "Fixed" these problems with the new mod pistons, gaskests ect...

[Cameron Law]

I bought my car used that had an engine re-build by Toyota under there "Goodwill" extended warranty, only to find that it had failed again (Within 9,000 miles) and Toyota replaced the engine again! for which I was very greatful for. I know that with these 2AD engines that once the HG goes it means a new engine due to "Gasket Shuffle" usually caused by carbon build up that then in turn can make the HG fail! Its crazy that this happens with Toyota D4-D engines and not with others!!!

I think that Toyota could at least explain whats happened here and try to help! After all its not your fault that the HG has failed again! Thought Toyota had "Fixed" these problems with the new mod pistons, gaskests ect...

They haven't been too helpful with regards to explaining why the HG has gone again so soon, the service manager told me that once they've been done, generally they never come back in with HG problems.

I can only guess that my head or block was warped after the first HG went. Only the HG and pistons were replaced last time, I've been told now they just drop in a new short engine, wish they'd done that in the first place.

When I was a kid I used to knock around in minis all the time, if a HG went (very rarely) you could get it replaced for 50 odd quid, if you didn't do it yourself, and you were good for the life of the bodywork and that was British Leyland! Now almost 30years later the HG goes in a Toyota Verso and it's going to cost me at least £4500 for a new engine!! Progress/inflation?

[Mistermena]

I bought my car used that had an engine re-build by Toyota under there "Goodwill" extended warranty, only to find that it had failed again (Within 9,000 miles) and Toyota replaced the engine again! for which I was very greatful for. I know that with these 2AD engines that once the HG goes it means a new engine due to "Gasket Shuffle" usually caused by carbon build up that then in turn can make the HG fail! Its crazy that this happens with Toyota D4-D engines and not with others!!!

I think that Toyota could at least explain whats happened here and try to help! After all its not your fault that the HG has failed again! Thought Toyota had "Fixed" these problems with the new mod pistons, gaskests ect...

They haven't been too helpful with regards to explaining why the HG has gone again so soon, the service manager told me that once they've been done, generally they never come back in with HG problems.

I can only guess that my head or block was warped after the first HG went. Only the HG and pistons were replaced last time, I've been told now they just drop in a new short engine, wish they'd done that in the first place.

When I was a kid I used to knock around in minis all the time, if a HG went (very rarely) you could get it replaced for 50 odd quid, if you didn't do it yourself, and you were good for the life of the bodywork and that was British Leyland! Now almost 30years later the HG goes in a Toyota Verso and it's going to cost me at least £4500 for a new engine!! Progress/inflation?

I would have thought they would have changed the block the 1st time like they did with mine! Its strange how they didn't do the whole lot including shells, DPF ect...

Yer I remember the good old days of the "A" class mimi engines and changing the HG on a Sat afternoon with a mate! Those were the days when it was good old motoring.

Toyota have something called an "Optifit" engine that cost about £1200 as far as I know! Kingo might be able to give you more info on these engines. The real cost of a new 3/4 engine from Mr T is aroung the £2,300 mark (Cost) if all else fails you could always ask Toyota to supply you one at this price as a guesture of good will so you can have it fitted at your own cost?