Lost all coolant

[gavp84]

Evening,

So I took the car to have it's mot yesterday and literally as I pulled into the garage there was a cloud of steam and the engine dropped all it's coolant.

They have just got back to me saying the leak seems to come from the back of the engine, there is a pipe that goes from the front of the engine to the back under the inlet manifold but they can't see the rest of it.

Has anyone come across this or any idea of what's happened etc, they are going to start work next week as don't need the car but i would like to have some idea of what's wrong.

It's a 4.6is 53 plate.

Any help would be great

Cheers

Gavin

[themoog]

Isn't there a valley on gasket that leaks on the V8's? That would be the fault.

[gavp84]

I thought they were more prone on the 4.8is?

Hmm if it is that's going to be an expensive fix!

[IanP]

If it is that pipe o ring that has gone. I would suggest changing all of the pipes at the rear of the engine while they are in there. The engine runs high coolant pressures and will find any weak spot. I didn't do mine after removing the engine and had a couple of occasions to regret the fact

[gavp84]

Thanks Ian,

The mechanic can't start till next week which is giving me plenty of worry time! Although understandable as it was only in for an MOT!

Just trying to work out other than the pipes what it could be.

This is the first thing to go wrong since I had her and my first X at that.

Any help would be great

[IanP]

I would put good money on one of the many coolant pipes. Not serious or particularly expensive. Just a pain in the neck

[henrym3]

Your probably now going to find yourself in a catch 22 situation. The leak is probably the pipe between the coolant pump and the accumulator, there is two pipes, the o ring seals are pennies but the inlet manifold has to come off to repair/replace, if that is off you need to check the valley pan isn't leaking. If it hasn't been done then the PCV needs replaced and its associated pipes plus the OSV and pipe to sump. All sounds horrid and expensive, it's even more expensive if you have to take it all apart again when some of those thing fail a few months down the road.  Perhaps those things have been done but unlikely, they need doing on a 14 year old vehicle if you want to continue trouble free long term.

[Horizon]

[quote="gavp84"]
I thought they were more prone on the 4.8is?

Hmm if it is that's going to be an expensive fix!
[/quote]

M62 engine has the valley pan Gasket, N62 engine has the coolant metal tube that runs down the " valley between the cylinder banks.
Look on Realoem type the last 7 digits of your vin in the box, then have a look at the diagrams, also all hoses are itemised.
I think it's happened a few times that a hose at the back if the engine bursts, so may be a cheaper fix than you are expecting.

http://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/index.php/t ... l#msg54552

[henrym3]

The 4.6 has the valley pan cover and the 2 pipes with "o" ring seals. The work isn't difficult, just time consuming.

[gavp84]

[quote="IanP"]
I would put good money on one of the many coolant pipes. Not serious or particularly expensive. Just a pain in the neck