radiator or head gasket?

[blackpool_vtr]

Hi

I recently discovered that my vtr was overheating, its not going into the red but sitting at 3/4 when idle and going to halfway mark when driving.
After lifting bonnet I discovered that my coolant level was way below the min level and then I noticed that the radiator is leaking on the bottom right hand side, thus explaining the practically non existent coolant level I guess.
After getting help on here yesterday/today I have been told I need to change the rad and then bleed the system, problem solved.

But I have also noticed that when I first start the engine there is a swooshing sound of liquid behind the dashboard that goes after a few seconds, I am now worried as I have looked on here for people experiencing a similar sound and most of the people have said its the head gasket on its way out and only a very few have said its caused by air in the system and not the gasket.

Is it more then likely that in my case its just air getting in the system caused by leak in radiator and low coolant?
The car is a mk2 vtr and a 51 plate and its only done 68k

Please can someone advise as I only had car less then a week and already had to change clutch on it and dont fancy having to sort head gasket out just yet!!!

Cheers guys & girls

[col101]

Did you test drive this car before you bought it?

[blackpool_vtr]

yes i did but didn't notice the clutch as its only just started slipping when doing fast speeds and in a test drive around a 30mph area you don't tend to going daft in it hecne not noticing the clutch slipping.

As for radiator leaking, again its a small leak in bottom corner which you dont tend to notice in a test drive!!!

[SAM-S44MDS-]

If the rad is leaking then it needs doing anyway, so do that and see if that sorts you out. If not, then head gasket ye :y:

Just a heads up though, VTRs do sit high on the temp gauge, about halfway when drving, and 3/4 when sat still in traffic is about right. :y:

[blackpool_vtr]

cheers pal

will see how it goes, another lad on here reckons its 90% chance that its just air in the system due to hole in rad

[SAM-S44MDS-]

cheers pal

will see how it goes, another lad on here reckons its 90% chance that its just air in the system due to hole in rad

Tbh mate, my 1.1 was doing it, that had new rad/head gasket and still did it. Was doing it for about 18month, did around 18k in it, mates done about 7k in it. Still runs, still does it :P
I think there is a swimmin pool behind there lol.

[blackpool_vtr]

This may be a daft question but can you get your head gasket checked/tested to see if it needs changing? and if so is it expensive?

[chinkostu]

If the rad is leaking then it needs doing anyway, so do that and see if that sorts you out. If not, then head gasket ye :y:

Just a heads up though, VTRs do sit high on the temp gauge, about halfway when drving, and 3/4 when sat still in traffic is about right. :y:

mines always sat at halfway, then the fan kicks in. only been higher when i was stuck on the m25!

[whitevanmen]

Mine had the "swooshing" sound .Head gasket ! sorry!

[16dazzar16]

quick tip to see if you can get a quick fix order some kseal most car factors sell it pout that into the water run the car for 20mins and see if the problem remains worked for many cars iv seen

[stevo1600]

the swooshing sound of liquid is because the head gasket has gone water side, and will force the coolant around the engine through all the tubes etc. i had this when mine went. also once the engines been running abit all warmed up and thermostat opens. squeeze the pipe connecting from thermostat to radiator passenger side. see if its pressurized.

[blackpool_vtr]

the swooshing sound of liquid is because the head gasket has gone water side, and will force the coolant around the engine through all the tubes etc. i had this when mine went. also once the engines been running abit all warmed up and thermostat opens. squeeze the pipe connecting from thermostat to radiator passenger side. see if its pressurized.

I'm still not too sure that it's the head gasket just yet. Quite a few people on here have also said that they have had the swooshing sound and it has mainly been down to air in the system, which bleeding has solved. Plus, my radiator does has a hole in, which may explain air in the system.

Going to change it next week so fingers crossed:panic:

[stevo1600]

i bled my system often, and yes i agree it does cure the problem for a half hour drive, then you start your car again and it will swoosh and bubble again which is signs of the HG going. once you experience performance loss, its game over.

i expected mine was on its way out, so i decided id give it a few sharp blast on my empty bypass, pulled over in a side street turned the car off, txt the mrs, then started it back up and tried to give it some, but splutterd and was powerless. so whipped head off and yep, it had gone water side.

just something id like to share with you incase you have experienced the same.

as you say the rad has gone, either way it will need replacing or reparing regardless of the HG. my advice would be to replace it and see if any swooshing has gone and that temps are down. if not, then look into it further.

[blackpool_vtr]

Cheers matey, will do.