Water leak help

Coolant light came on this morning for the first time since buying the car. Unfortunately due to bad weather I can't get under it properly but can see drip drip drip when it's running coming from the front of the left hand bank as you look from the rear. Does anyone know if there is a coolant pipe around that location that is sometimes the culprit. I'll have to keep topping for for a day or two until I can get under it properly. Just wondering if anyone knows in advance what's probably leaking. Obviously until I get a proper look it's impossible to say for definite, just some ideas. Many thanks

Split expansion tank is a frequent offender, particular if there's a drip from the left side.

Thanks, yes I have read that. Seems a bit too far toward the centre of the engine though. I suppose it could be running down something!! I'll look at the tank again just in case

Water pump - mine went last year. Exact same symptoms as yours.

Looks totally the wrong place for the water pump. It's coming from the gearbox end so to speak.

Sounds like a join between the rubber and rigid hoses that run up the car to the rads. Hopefully it isn't a pin hole corroded into one of the metal pipes. You can see the different pipes here. Might not be mind but we are all just guessing. :wink:

Absolutely mate it's all a bit guesswork at the moment but thanks for the info. I'm going to get it into the shed at work tomorrow and get under it and see. I'll report back. Cheers for the help.

Right, I've got under it this morning. It is running down the head on the left hand bank as you look from the rear of the car. Everything is dry around the header tank and all pipes look Dr above the head from what I can see. If I didn't know better I would say it's the rocker cover leaking which is if course absurd. Does anybody know if there is a water pipe/union/coolant temp sender or anything on that left hand head that could leak?? Any help would be great cheers.

On closer inspection there looks to be a small cylinder above that head with pipes going into it!! Is this a breather tank or does it have coolant going to it. It looks like it is in the right place to cause it to run down the head.

At the right rear of the engine you will see the AOS and under the inlet manifold will be the vacuum reservoir. I can't think of any coolant lines around there. MC

It's the opposite corner. It's the front left as you stand behind the car. It's the side the header tank is on. I've spent ages now under it when running and without removing the engine or a ton of stuff above can't see where it's coming from. Very annoying. The only thing I can think of is to remove alternator and inlet manifold etc allow a view of what's leaking. Really annoying. It's lost 2 litres in 10 miles as well so when driving is leaking pretty quickly. At idle it's just dripping. Joy.

I'd suspect header tank or pipes to it. Nothing else there coolant wise. I had a crack on the bottom of my 1998 C2 tank, dripped on to the exhaust. At least with a decent leak you have a good chance of finding it. Clean everything, dry it carefully, the chase the leak upwards. MC

Sound advice and duly followed. When all dry and lying under it for 20 mins while it gets hot water starts to track down behind an electrical plug that's secured to the head. It's below the AOS. It's so annoying as you just can't see from underneath. All you see is water tracking down the front of the head. The header tank and everything around it is dry as a bone. I would LOVE it to be the header tank but alas us as dry as a bone. Are there any coolant pipe under the AOS? I'm going to have to remove the engine or inlet if I can't get anywhere soon. The joys of motoring lol. Ironically it's about the only place you can't see or reach. Cheers for the ideas.

Does the AOS have coolant pipes going to it?

It does, there is a thin pipe running from it to the front of the engine, its held in place by a clip and it is a nightmare to get to with pliers but they don't usually cause a problem. You normally get issues with joints when the alloy pipe corrodes and expands the rubber pipe causing a leak, you can usually just clean up the alloy pipe end and it will be fine again, but obviously you need to drain the coolant to sperate the rubber pipe from the alloy pipe.