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[Alex W]

Suffered catastrophic, rapid coolant loss today. Luckily it all happened within a mile of home. Low Coolant light, followed by rapidly increased temp to max, engine management light and blinking oil light. Arrived back in a cloud of steam. I know I should have stopped immediately but it was only a mile or so to home and I live in the middle of nowhere.

Left it to cool and found all the coolant had gone. When I put water in, it fell out from the back of the engine compartment centre-ish almost as fast as I topped up (So much water I couldn't see where exactly, running from every low point). I've arranged for a local garage to lift it in (automatic) tomorrow.

Any ideas what I might be looking at? The car is old and a big bill could finally write it off, which would be a shame.

[bigegg]

HBV - heater bypass valve.

Looks like starship enterprise, and located under scuttle, near middle.
Check if altering heating changes rate of coolant loss - if it does, almost certainly HBV

Costs about 30-35 quid (ish?) - get a Vauxhall part, tho - not aftermarket.

Takes about 30 minutes to change, theres a guide on here.

[CaptainZok]

Take the plenum off and check the helter-skelter pipe from coolant bridge to HBV as a first port of call.

[Alex W]

Thanks for the replies.  I've postponed the recovery until I have some better idea whats wrong.

I replaced the HBV (with a vx one) about 18 months ago when I changed the ruined dis-pack. I'll certainly have a look see.

Does anyone have any other ideas while I've got the top off?

[tunnie]

Worth popping off the inlet manifold while you are there, only 5 minute job.

Gives better visibility of pipes to coolant bridge, heard of a few splitting around there giving major leaks. Also worth it for better visibility of oil cooler plate 

[dbug]

Take the plenum off and check the helter-skelter pipe from coolant bridge to HBV as a first port of call.

Agreed - this is a main feed pipe and a break here leads to very rapid water loss (faster than HBV) - normally go near clip on coolant bridge connection.

[Alex W]

It went from normal running to every drop of coolant gone in a few minutes.

[dbug]

As I said, unlikely to be hbv - these normally "drip" - more likely the hose from hbv to coolant bridge

[Alex W]

Thank I'll check it all out tomorrow morning.

[Gaffers]

Take the plenum off and check the helter-skelter pipe from coolant bridge to HBV as a first port of call.

Agreed - this is a main feed pipe and a break here leads to very rapid water loss (faster than HBV) - normally go near clip on coolant bridge connection.

Had that myself too, pretty rapid loss, much faster than HBV failure.

[bigegg]

When my HBV went, it was about 15minutes full>empty 

As opposed to now, where it comes out almost as fast as I pour it in 

[Alex W]

Leak repaired!. The moron that replaced his HBV last year left the retaining spring off of the passenger side hose and so the hose finally detached itself from the HBV yesterday causing the problem. After all the dismantling the fix took 30 seconds and cost nothing apart from some anti-freeze.

Now I am concerned about possible other damage from the overheating. I have refilled the system  and it is now secure and running up to normal temperature, the engine seems fine. However, when I got out of the car after a 5 mile test drive there was smoke coming from the front of exhaust system and quite a bad burning smell. My neighbour suggested that the overheating, due to no coolant, might have damaged the CAT's. Any comments about that? It did get very hot if only for a mile or so.

Would old coolant on exhaust parts lead to smoke and a burning smell?

[Kevin Wood]

Would old coolant on exhaust parts lead to smoke and a burning smell?

This, probably.

[dbug]

Leak repaired!. The moron that replaced his HBV last year left the retaining spring off of the passenger side hose and so the hose finally detached itself from the HBV yesterday causing the problem. After all the dismantling the fix took 30 seconds and cost nothing apart from some anti-freeze.

Now I am concerned about possible other damage from the overheating. I have refilled the system  and it is now secure and running up to normal temperature, the engine seems fine. However, when I got out of the car after a 5 mile test drive there was smoke coming from the front of exhaust system and quite a bad burning smell. My neighbour suggested that the overheating, due to no coolant, might have damaged the CAT's. Any comments about that? It did get very hot if only for a mile or so.

Would old coolant on exhaust parts lead to smoke and a burning smell?

Thats the hbv to coolant bridge hose - explains rapid coolant loss.

Probably for a while till its all burnt off.

[Webby the Bear]

Is your EML off and your oil warning light now ok?