07 Reg D-4d Head Gasket Gone - Coolant Leak

[Spaceman Spiff]

Hi all,

We bought a diesel Yaris last year as it was the highest-rated small car on parkers.co.uk and also had a low-tax-band diesel version; besides, my wife had always had Toyota's in the past and it was time to replace my 10-year-old Rover 200.

It's been a great car and we've been really pleased with it. We wanted a car that was cheap to run, insure, tax and maintain and it fitted the bill perfectly. :D

However, when we took it in for the first year's service, we were told that there was a coolant leak (the coolant was virtually gone) and that it needed a new radiator, and possibly a head gasket. This came as a surprise as we hadn't noticed any problems with the car at all. Also not something that we would expect on a year-old car.

But it was covered under warranty and wouldn't have to pay, so we booked it in for this maintenance. We were told that it was caused by a fault batch of radiators from the supplier and it wasn't the first of that age that they'd seen with a similar problem - they said it started to show up after about a year.

So it went in for the radiator replacement and it came back with a clean bill of health. However when I dropped it off I mentioned that I'd been told it might need a head gasket replacement and could the double check it? I got it back the same day and they said everything was fine.

I got back to work and decided to investigate further. I took the black plastic cover off and I was shocked how bad the coolant leak was. There was dried-on coolant residue everywhere. It was all the way round the head gasket (the part I could see, anyway) and it appeared to be leaking from where a pipe went into a metal boxy-thing that was at the top-front of the engine (I'm sorry, I can't supply a picture yet and I don't know what it is or does). It appeared that they'd made no attempt to clean the residue away and not even bothered to check the head gasket.

Anyway, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed it was fixed.

However, it became obvious later on that it was still leaking. I could never see it leaking, even after a long journey and with the engine still running, but it seemed to have come out of the top hose at tremendous pressure, due to the pattern of the coolant residue. It didn't seem to happen on short journeys - only (I guess) when it got up to temperature and the whole system was in use. It wasn't a fast leak (the level in expansion tank dropped just over a centimetre in about two weeks) - and it was overfilled. So I wiped away all the residue I could (which wasn't a lot - it's very inaccessible to hands) and left it for a week. When I looked again, I could see exactly where it was leaking from.

It appeared to be leaking from the boxy thing, and it seemed to be leaking sufficiently to run and drip onto the big pipe below, and various other places. I thought it could be leaching to the head gasket from this - but I wasn't sure about this. There was residue around the gasket again too.

So I booked it back in and when I took it I showed the garage bloke exactly where it appeared to be leaking. He looked over it with a mechanic and I was told that it was the head gasket, and they'd need to keep it until the following week. That was two weeks ago.

Firstly, they said that they were waiting for the head gasket - the delay being that there was three different designs and the one it needed was out of stock. Then they were double checking the components making sure they didn't leak (as I had told them we wanted it back 100% fixed). Then they said that it appeared to be the head gasket, but they were checking other things just to make sure. And today I've been told that they are now waiting for a head set (due next week) - I assume that they are talking about the actual cylinder head block.

So we've told them that we want it back by a week today. But I'm not particularly confident that it will be right when we get it back …

So is this one of those things that occasionally happen? Is it a Friday afternoon car? Is it a sign that the head gasket issue hasn't yet been fixed? It seems that it's quite a unique occurrence (all the other blown head gaskets mentioned in this forum appear to be on mark 1 out-of-warranty cars) - but has anyone else heard of this happening with the Mark 2 model and the higher-rated 90 hp engine?

[Spaceman Spiff]

I've spoken to the garage today who said that the 'head set' is a collection of gaskets required to put the workings of the head back together (injectors and such like, I'd imagine).

They also said that we should get it back within a week.

I'll let you know whether they fixed it …

[Spaceman Spiff]

Well, it's almost a week later and I'm still waiting to hear what's happening. I've emailed and phoned; no returned calls, no returned emails, no communication.

Very poor.

The deadline I set, which they've known about for a week, is up tomorrow; at this rate I'll never get my car back. At least if I knew what was happening I could make other arrangements - though I shouldn't have to - but I'm faced by a wall of silence.

[Alcdrew]

These dealers don't seem to care.

Sounds to me like you have been quite patient with them. I really don't understand why, they find it hard to just give you a call to ket you know what is happening.

[gpduffy]

hi .. bit worried now .. checked my year old d4d yaris with 15k on it .. and the coolant is below low!!

going to fone mr t in morning, this cant be normal can it?

[gpduffy]

Hi all,

We bought a diesel Yaris last year as it was the highest-rated small car on parkers.co.uk and also had a low-tax-band diesel version; besides, my wife had always had Toyota's in the past and it was time to replace my 10-year-old Rover 200.

It's been a great car and we've been really pleased with it. We wanted a car that was cheap to run, insure, tax and maintain and it fitted the bill perfectly. :D

However, when we took it in for the first year's service, we were told that there was a coolant leak (the coolant was virtually gone) and that it needed a new radiator, and possibly a head gasket. This came as a surprise as we hadn't noticed any problems with the car at all. Also not something that we would expect on a year-old car.

But it was covered under warranty and wouldn't have to pay, so we booked it in for this maintenance. We were told that it was caused by a fault batch of radiators from the supplier and it wasn't the first of that age that they'd seen with a similar problem - they said it started to show up after about a year.

So it went in for the radiator replacement and it came back with a clean bill of health. However when I dropped it off I mentioned that I'd been told it might need a head gasket replacement and could the double check it? I got it back the same day and they said everything was fine.

I got back to work and decided to investigate further. I took the black plastic cover off and I was shocked how bad the coolant leak was. There was dried-on coolant residue everywhere. It was all the way round the head gasket (the part I could see, anyway) and it appeared to be leaking from where a pipe went into a metal boxy-thing that was at the top-front of the engine (I'm sorry, I can't supply a picture yet and I don't know what it is or does). It appeared that they'd made no attempt to clean the residue away and not even bothered to check the head gasket.

Anyway, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed it was fixed.

However, it became obvious later on that it was still leaking. I could never see it leaking, even after a long journey and with the engine still running, but it seemed to have come out of the top hose at tremendous pressure, due to the pattern of the coolant residue. It didn't seem to happen on short journeys - only (I guess) when it got up to temperature and the whole system was in use. It wasn't a fast leak (the level in expansion tank dropped just over a centimetre in about two weeks) - and it was overfilled. So I wiped away all the residue I could (which wasn't a lot - it's very inaccessible to hands) and left it for a week. When I looked again, I could see exactly where it was leaking from.

It appeared to be leaking from the boxy thing, and it seemed to be leaking sufficiently to run and drip onto the big pipe below, and various other places. I thought it could be leaching to the head gasket from this - but I wasn't sure about this. There was residue around the gasket again too.

So I booked it back in and when I took it I showed the garage bloke exactly where it appeared to be leaking. He looked over it with a mechanic and I was told that it was the head gasket, and they'd need to keep it until the following week. That was two weeks ago.

Firstly, they said that they were waiting for the head gasket - the delay being that there was three different designs and the one it needed was out of stock. Then they were double checking the components making sure they didn't leak (as I had told them we wanted it back 100% fixed). Then they said that it appeared to be the head gasket, but they were checking other things just to make sure. And today I've been told that they are now waiting for a head set (due next week) - I assume that they are talking about the actual cylinder head block.

So we've told them that we want it back by a week today. But I'm not particularly confident that it will be right when we get it back …

So is this one of those things that occasionally happen? Is it a Friday afternoon car? Is it a sign that the head gasket issue hasn't yet been fixed? It seems that it's quite a unique occurrence (all the other blown head gaskets mentioned in this forum appear to be on mark 1 out-of-warranty cars) - but has anyone else heard of this happening with the Mark 2 model and the higher-rated 90 hp engine?

i noticed my d4d yaris 1 yr old also has been using alot of coolant .. took it to the dealer day .. it has a leak! they cant find where its from .. and i have to take it back again. any1 else have a problem? can i ask you whre your leak came from?

[Spaceman Spiff]

These dealers don't seem to care.

Sounds to me like you have been quite patient with them. I really don't understand why, they find it hard to just give you a call to ket you know what is happening.

I'm a patient sort of chap ;) Though interestingly enough a lot of emails I'd sent had bounced back undelivered so they never got them - which is probably why they didn't reply to them

UPDATE

--------

Anyway, I got the car back on the Thursday as requested. Went away for the weekend and gave it a good run down the country. After checking the coolant level before I went and after I got back it seems the leak is still there.

However, there didn't seem to be any coolant residue around the head gasket any more (which is good); but there was residue round the pipe going into what I think is the heating matrix (the boxy thing on the top front of the engine).

I broke the news and expressed my disappointment at the continuing leak to the garage today when they phoned up to check how the car was. Suffice it to say they were quite distressed. I'm taking it in for them to have another look at on Wednesday.

Personally I reckon that the only way to fix this is to give me a new car - or a new engine and cooling system at the very least :D

[Spaceman Spiff]

Just out of interest I've mentioned this issue to my Toyota dealer, and asked them to pass the information on to Toyota HQ; hopefully a fix to this problem can be found.

If you have this issue with a Yaris D-4D of around a year old, please mention it to your dealer; hopefully a fix for these leaky diesel engines can be found quickly, for the benefit of everyone. B)

[Spaceman Spiff]

I've been to the dealer who've had a look at it - again - and they've discovered another leak; they said it's towards the bottom of the engine, but appears just to be a faulty pipe. However, it means they've got to take the fuel rail off to get to it, so it'll take about four hours …

They also said that they will report these coolant system issues to the Toyota fault-registering system (I think he called it TOPS) as I requested, and as I mentioned that I'd seen other people on this forum with the same problem …

Hopefully when the pipe is replaced (sometime in the second week of August) it will see the end of these trips to the dealer.

Here's hoping …

[gpduffy]

I've been to the dealer who've had a look at it - again - and they've discovered another leak; they said it's towards the bottom of the engine, but appears just to be a faulty pipe. However, it means they've got to take the fuel rail off to get to it, so it'll take about four hours …

They also said that they will report these coolant system issues to the Toyota fault-registering system (I think he called it TOPS) as I requested, and as I mentioned that I'd seen other people on this forum with the same problem …

Hopefully when the pipe is replaced (sometime in the second week of August) it will see the end of these trips to the dealer.

Here's hoping …

hi m8 thanks 4 ur post ... can you still drive the car okay?

mine hasn't leaked any since ... the last visit (yet)

any1 else having a problem?

[gpduffy]

after gettin the coolant system replaced, about 6 months later the coolant is empty again .. any ideas?