2001 Boxster S Water Leak - Page 1 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hello, After many years of being away from the fun car scene back with a 2001 Boxster S in silver, love the car, but starting to feel its a bit like the days I had my TVR's and having some minor issues that I would love some advise on.... Well minor.........last night it lost all it's water a large puddle in front of the drivers side rear wheel! Internet says expansion tank or filler cap (mine part number ends 01) There's no smell of coolant in the boot and I did fill it up with tap water just so I could nurse it into the garage at home last night will be changing that when I get to the garage and thought that over night it would all leak out The morning iwater full no leak........ Could the car have just dumped its water ? Is running it ok with normal water for now I will phone the garage tomorrow but just wanted to see if anyone has had this experience. regards Dan.

Based on my experience with my 2002 the coolant tank has failed. Briefly, to test the radiator fans I drove my car around town until fully up to temp. I heard/felt at least one radiator fan coming on. Back home I raised the RPMs to 1500 and held this engine RPMs until I heard/felt radiator fan activation. Leaving the engine idling I got out of the car and checked the fans. Both were running and both felt fine. I spotted a trail of coolant that looked to be from the right front radiator. I turned off the engine and walked out to the end of the trail and tested it. It was coolant. As I was walking back up to the car I spotted coolant coming down just ahead of the right rear wheel. Before I got much closer the coolant came gushing out. The trail of water, coolant, was from the coolant tank leaking. After I shut off the hot engine the temperature climbed and so did the pressure which forced the coolant out the split in the bottom of the tank (at the seam) which then made it clear the tank was the source of the coolant. I let the car cool down overnight and the next morning added distilled water to bring the coolant level up to where it should be. I started the engine and drove the car a couple of miles to the dealer with not even a sign of any coolant leak. Of course the engine did not even get fully up to temperature. The split in the tank had closed up when the pressure went away and as the tank cooled down. In short, and to repeat, what you have experienced is almost identical to what I experienced. Get your car to a dealer/indy shop and have the coolant tank replaced. While you are there replace the cap. (They leak after a while. Not a dramatic leak but the cap will allow vapor to escape and this of course takes water from the cooling system and the coolant level will drop with no obvious signs of a fluid leak.) Have the coolant drained and the engine refilled with fresh coolant. Afterwards drive the car around until fully up to temperature then raise RPMs to say 1500 and hold until the fans come on. Turn off engine and let it sit and let the pressure build. This tests not only the new tank, but the rest of the cooling system.

Thank you, Yep it was the coolant tank, water in the boot, AA were brilliant followed me to the Porsche specialist and luckily they were there tinkering with other cars. So should have it back mid week.

If you are used to a little DIY and are just venturing into Boxster ownership then have a look on boxa.net There are plenty of owners local ish to you and some active meets in your locality.