Member Since: 18 Mar 2011
Location: Canada
Posts: 15
Coolant leak with a twist!
So I've had a slow coolant leak lately, and I haven't been able to find it.. Although the I haven't looked very hard up to now. I've just been topping the reservoir about a litre a month whenever the warning comes on.
I'll get to it later I says to myself.
So anyways, I am doing my front brakes today, and I jack up the drivers side (LHD truck) and no issues. Get the job done, move to the other side front.
So I'm working away, and I realize I forgot the slim spanner for the caliper bolt on the first side. So I head on over, and there's a huge coolant leak all over the driveway. Before, it had been drips and drops. This is a river.
I look under, and it looks like it coming from above the frame at the back of the engine?
When I was done the brakes, I lowered the truck, started it up. Sure enough. Low coolant message. Pop the bonnet, and I had to put two litres in to bring it up to minimum level.
So this small annoying leak has become worrisome and I want to kill it dead.
Has anyone got any ideas where to start?
Vehicle is a 2011 LR4 petrol v8 5.0l
29th Jun 2016 10:45 pm
stephenw46
Member Since: 22 Jun 2011
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 1156
Well if I was in your situation I would be having a good look around if I couldn't find the leak I would get it pressure tested to find it, you can either buy one & do yourself or get the local garage to test for you good luck , hope it's something cheap
30th Jun 2016 10:35 am
DonFromCanada
Member Since: 18 Mar 2011
Location: Canada
Posts: 15
Pics... Seems to be near the back of the engine... although the front was lifted, so it could have settled on the skid plate and dribbled out the back of that?
30th Jun 2016 3:34 pm
stephenw46
Member Since: 22 Jun 2011
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 1156
Have you checked the pipes to the heater matrix?
30th Jun 2016 3:45 pm
DonFromCanada
Member Since: 18 Mar 2011
Location: Canada
Posts: 15
Where is it on this truck?
30th Jun 2016 4:49 pm
stephenw46
Member Since: 22 Jun 2011
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 1156
The pipes go from engine to the bulkhead passenger side
30th Jun 2016 5:24 pm
DonFromCanada
Member Since: 18 Mar 2011
Location: Canada
Posts: 15
Solved!
The coolant was leaking out of the front of the water pump shaft... leaking down onto the skid plate, and dripping onto the driveway wherever it pleased.
Very little warning that this was the culprit - a slight squeak from the front end.. I thought it was just a tensioner pulley that was going..
The fit hit the shan when I was driving and the truck completely died. No dash, no power steering, no nothing.
Pulled over, and truck wouldn't restart. Everything dead. Popped the bonnet, and the belt that goes around the water pump and alternator was frayed.. Apparently, the water pump pulley was so wobbly from the failure of the shaft bearings that the belt had failed and wouldn't turn the alternator. Obviously, the battery couldn't keep the truck running for very long.
So I replace the water pump fairly easily, but the old one is ridiculous... the pulley is wobbling around on the pump like a bobble head doll... never seen one this bad.
Crazy stuff. Very little warning and extremely hard to diagnose - I couldn't see where the coolant was coming from..
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