masteroffm Posted December 9, 2010 Report Share Posted December 9, 2010 about two years ago I was having coolant issues and they had been resolved until recently (my previous thread). about every 8-10 days the low coolant indicator will come on and I have to add about 16oz to bring it back max level (done when the engine is cold). my mechanic/brother has checked the radiator, heater core, hoses, and anything else associated and hasn't come up with anything. now about the rough idle. few months back I was experiencing rough idle on cold starts. it later progressed into a rough idle almost all the time and the issue turn out to be that the porcelain had cracked on two spark plugs. replaced all five spark plugs and then everything was good for a few weeks... until a few days ago. the engine has misfired enough that the "CHECK ENGINE" light has come on twice and then disappeared after a few days. So my actual question is if anyone knows if there is a link between a steady loss of a minor amount of coolant and rough idle on cold starts? few other details, just over 150k miles, radiator replaced about a year ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ihatespeedbumps Posted December 9, 2010 Report Share Posted December 9, 2010 Before the blown headgasket fan boys get here, lets try to determine if you have two seperate issues. Have you had the cooling system pressure checked and then looked for leaks or are you just doing a visual inspection? What kind of plugs are you using and what is the condition of the other ignition components? What cylinder(s) are showing misfire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loseR99 Posted December 9, 2010 Report Share Posted December 9, 2010 I had a similar issue with coolant loss. Ended up replacing damn near everything until recently when I realized it was the turbo coolant hose on the backside of the block. The little short hose. Also replaced the lower expansion tank hose while i was at it. Also check that the reservoir itself isn't leaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masteroffm Posted December 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2010 Before the blown headgasket fan boys get here, lets try to determine if you have two seperate issues. Have you had the cooling system pressure checked and then looked for leaks or are you just doing a visual inspection? What kind of plugs are you using and what is the condition of the other ignition components? What cylinder(s) are showing misfire? I'm pretty sure these are separate issues. I just thought I would check if maybe there was correlation that was widely known by Volvo folk. I dont remember what plugs were installed, but iirc it was cylinders 3 and 4 that were misfiring. I had a similar issue with coolant loss. Ended up replacing damn near everything until recently when I realized it was the turbo coolant hose on the backside of the block. The little short hose. Also replaced the lower expansion tank hose while i was at it. Also check that the reservoir itself isn't leaking. I thought between my brother and myself we had replaced every coolant hose possible. Though when I asked my brother about the coolant line to the turbo he gave me a blank stare. He said that he will check it over in the next few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masteroffm Posted January 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 pretty sure this is my culprit noticed it today topping off coolant. I never suspected it since the cap is not even 2 years old. One thing I did notice that worries me are all these black flecks inside the overflow tank. anyone else experience this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loseR99 Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Try flushing the system. Not drain and fill, flush with pressure. If the cooling system has had a hard life it could be scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ipd Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Given the condition of that spark plug I'd say you've seen some high cylinder temps and heavy detonation. Might be head gasket, might not, but a combustion gas test would tell you. That and a leakdown. Doubt the cap is it though, sorry to rain on your parade :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masteroffm Posted January 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Given the condition of that spark plug I'd say you've seen some high cylinder temps and heavy detonation. Might be head gasket, might not, but a combustion gas test would tell you. That and a leakdown. Doubt the cap is it though, sorry to rain on your parade Pretty sure my brother/mechanic would have access to the necessary equipment for a leakdown. The cap is actually cracked all the way through to the other side and into the threads. these were just some pics i snapped quickly to share with my brother/mechanic. Though I am also thinking that the heater core may need to be re-replaced. Running the heater full blast there is a faint wet/damp smell. For the rough idle I havent experienced it in a couple of weeks. But I'll run the idea of a head gasket past my brother/mechanic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parker2520 Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Pressure test. Small crack on the underside of my expansion tank would only leak when the car heated up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masteroffm Posted January 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 I am actually starting to think that my issue is the head gasket and the flecks in my overflow tank are little bits of it. I always figured that having somewhat visible exhaust in the mornings when I first start the car were due to the fact it sleeps in a garage and the it was visible due to the cold. Now I'm starting to think it might be coolant. Only does it first thing in the morning though. Driving throughout the day I don't see it again until the next morning when I leave for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masteroffm Posted February 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 did a pressure test on the coolant system and everything checked out, but I am still losing coolant. when we did the pressure we pulled out the spark plugs to see if any coolant was going into the cylinders, but there was no evidence of any seeping through so we think the head gasket is still good. I have had to top off the coolant twice in the past week. However if I leave the car over night and open the overflow tank the system is still pressurized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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