Coolant loss, but temp OK

[thanatoid]

Day out, parked up on kinda dodgy ground, enough to maybe ground the exhaust on a mud bank, noticed a slight rattle but parked up, went for walk.

May have grounded somewhere around bottom left rear as well, sort of inside of left rear wheel. Lumpy mud wheel tracks sort of thing.

 

On way back, got low coolant warning, stopped in first layby, put half ltre of water in the expansion tank, drove fine for ten minutes, then coolant loss warning again, drive gingerly to next petrol station, odd rattle and whine above 2000 rpm so yes gingerly.

 

Put around 3ltrs of water into the coolant tank, which come to think of it, doesn't look like it could hold 3 ltrs, drive across a town and keep revs maxing out at 2000, slight rattle in engine area, bit like a ducati clutch if you know what I mean :-) After putting water in the warning of coolant loss go away, at all times the temp gauge stays at 80, again after around 15 mins or 15 miles of cruising at 50 max, coolant loss notification again, as park up at  home notice water trail.

Oh had another stop and top up on the way.

 

The water appears to be coming from the engine area.

 

I also after one water top up had the battery warning message flash up and then go away, that in addition makes me think something belt related has gone?

 

I haven't had chance to have a look yet as evening things* came along, so it's tucked up in the garage now, it also crosses my mind although I've seen articles how to put into maintenance mode I hadn't read them, will go seek....

 (* daughters birthday)

43,000 miles, serviced at Reading OPC a month ago (ish), the journey out was regular fast, but with loud music, nothing felt off or out at all.

Could a belt have gone and taken out a hose? I mean there IS a coolant leak but the temp guage stays rock solid....

At one stage did the old put heater on to max to alleviate cooling problems trick, heat flowed out fine... then I started cooking so knocked it off again :-)

 

I'll get a brief chance to look at it tomorrow, anyone had similar or any ideas?

 

[petrolhead2]

?water pump leaking and belt slipping but you're keeping ahead of the leak (just) hence temp controlled

 

Ian

[pjk1978]

Yep..+1 for water pump. 

[thanatoid]

Ta, I'm edging towards something daft like the expansion tank split, though that wouldn't explain the odd noises above 2000rpm.

[Boxstercol]

Temp gauge is heavily damped on modern cars, so although your temperature may have looked steady, it could have been running alot hotter than normal which is what i would expect with coolant loss.

My moneys on the water pump though.

[Bike Loon]

Water pump, thats the noise the other side of the bulkhead behind the drivers seat.

[wardpaa]

Get your 10mm socket out, remove the engine firewall cover behind the seats and have a look ?

The pump is the lowest pulley and you should see residue under it if it has been been leaking.

ECP do a pattern part for £134 or an OE spec for £251. Always change the gasket too and flush the cooling system out and refresh with pre-mixed pink anti-freeze. You will need about 25 litres from memory. The pre-mixed stuff ain't cheap but it does not contain water therefore causes no corrosion.

 

[Patt]

I'd always recommend spending the extra £50 and replacing the thermostat at the same time.  Plus it makes the job easier.

When mine started to leak, I went for a lower temp thermostat from Ebay as it was the same price as a standard.

Also consider changing the front mount as it's much easier to do when the pump and stat are removed.

[pjk1978]

Also an ideal time to change your poly belt. 

[thanatoid]

Thanks guys, it's booked in to Reading porsche, timing is such the MOT is near due and minor work needed before that could pass, I've also realised my spannering days have ended - having in past changed mini gearboxes, leaf springs on a capri, sorted a rotary engine out, many others, crawling about and faffing no longer appeals.

 

I did say (hoping it'd be in quicker), that the Macan I had last time for the service courtesy car would be fine, but they apologised and said I'd have to have a Boxster :-)

I said that'd be fine....

[thanatoid]

Mines back home, nothing like your own car back is there!

 

It WAS the water pump as the collective here said, so spot on, there was a query on how some water had made it to the front area inside of floor panel but nothing more found, they also fixed the non working headlight washers and MOT'd it, finding a screw in the right rear tyre added slightly to the financial misery as 'Porsche don't repair tyres' was the quote used, I didn't get to see it but have had a mid tread nail/screw repaired before.

 

It wasn't a 718 courtesy car as I'd hoped - and thought I'd got, it only goes to show how little I know, but a 2.7 base model 981 with PDK, can't say enamoured by it, for the first day I wasn't impressed by the engine as was thinking it was the 4 pot turbo, in comparison with mine the flat sixness seems far removed.... which is why they probably thought the move to a 4 pot was OK, did like the suspension, far more grown up, cr*p headlights, rear view mirror was a manual flip type - sort of poverty Porsche touch, didn't like the plastic side vents - so much at that point was still thinking I had a 718, PDK was very very good, liked the free-wheel when back off the throttle, mpg was pretty good the first day at 31.5 mpg and the next day dropped to 26 on a faster route. 

Looking at the one I had and a showroom 718, they are very very close, when I'd heard they were replacing their Boxster fleet of courtesy cars when I had mine in for a service a couple of months ago, I presumed that the replacements would be the 718's - but no, a raft of 981's, a couple of years ago I had a 981 3.4S PDK as courtesy car and that I would have, though not as much a difference to justify price over my own car.

 

The 2.7 base 981 looks to be very squarely aiming at the BMW Z4 or Mercs that are similar, I spent the first day fooled thinking I had a turbo 4 pot, so they have hidden the 6 cylinder, perhaps too much for me. Part of why I like mine is the howl, the sound when 'charging'.

The big clue about a 718, is it seems to have 718 plastered all over it :-)

The rest, in and out, are pretty close!

I had countless arguments with the satnav (maybe not 'so' poverty!), it seemed very very determined to have me on the M routes when I decided better, it didn't seem an easy option to switch the satnav voice off and recall it was hidden on my 987.1, like my own better as I also couldn't get the view to suit me.

Really hated the sort of dot matrix effect on the windbreak, why oh why did anyone think obscuring the view rearward IN ANY WAY was a good idea?

Despite this recent escapade, along with a 730d (part on paid for 5yr service contract!), it's not been that bad on maintaining on what after all IS a Porsche :-)

If I had to replace mine (touch wood), maybe a 987.2 with 3.4 and PDK might be an option....