Mk6 / VJ 2.4 tdci - Have I got a Head / Gasket issue ?

[CasualNerd]

Here's how it started: Started getting hot a few weeks ago, topped up 2-3 litres of coolant. Recently went on a 650 Km trip, used almost 2 litres of coolant since last top up. Noticed fine, continuous bubbles while running the engine to circulate coolant top up. There's no coolant leaks I can find while it stands.

Now trying to get it in with a mechanic, the only local diesel specialist said he doesn't like working on Transits and recommended elsewhere, two other places have flat out turned me down so far. Aside from throwing some stop leak in it, what are my options ? Even a combustion leak test kit is a couple of hundred bucks. I'll be so desperate soon I'll have to call the dealership.

[knobby1]

Does your exhaust smell sweet-ish..?? Is your oil level rising..?? Does your oil look like a caramel milkshake or is it still black..?? Transits rarely blow head gaskets.

Often a loss of coolant with no obvious leaks is down to a dead/dying/corroded EGR cooler, the inside of the cooler resembles a small radiator core...... coolant leaks from the inside of the cooler core and goes out through the exhaust.....sometimes the exhaust gasses can enter the EGR cooler core and end up as fine bubbles in the reservoir.

The EGR cooler lives at the back of the cyl head on the 2.4's. To test this theory, you can by-pass the cooler by connecting the two coolant hoses to/from it together using a short piece of copper pipe of suitable size. If your coolant loss stops, you've found the culprit.

EGR cooler #1 here..:

http://www.catcar.info/ford/?lang=en&l= ... I3Mg%3D%3D

Lord Knobrot

[CasualNerd]

Oil is still good, standard dirty diesel oil.

I have begged the diesel mechanic to look at it and at least do the diagnostic work. He has also suggest ed the EGR cooler. He said if it's that simple he's happy to sort it out for me. He's seen a few cracked Transit heads though and he's not willing to work on them again.

Thanks for your suggestion, I trust the mechanic a bit more now and it will take a month to get in there but we'll see what he says.

[WheelyBigBox]

He's seen a few cracked Transit heads though and he's not willing to work on them again.

Did he say if those were Mk6 or 7?

[knobby1]

He's seen a few cracked Transit heads though and he's not willing to work on them again.

Did he say if those were Mk6 or 7?

The basic engine is essentially the same, it's the accessories bolted to it which differ.

Lord Knobrot

[karl]

Oil is still good, standard dirty diesel oil.

I have begged the diesel mechanic to look at it and at least do the diagnostic work. He has also suggest ed the EGR cooler. He said if it's that simple he's happy to sort it out for me. He's seen a few cracked Transit heads though and he's not willing to work on them again.

Thanks for your suggestion, I trust the mechanic a bit more now and it will take a month to get in there but we'll see what he says.

before changing the egr just join the egr water pipes togeather first

very uncommon for these head gaskets to go

[CasualNerd]

The van has been sitting in the driveway waiting for the mechanic booking to come around, but things have become much worse !

I tried to start it to move it, and it won't start at all. Has battery and cranks but the check engine light comes on and won't start. I only tried a couple of times because I'm worried coolant has been leaking while it sits and is now going to cause more damage. I was hoping not to mess with anything so the mechanic gets a fresh look at it, but I need to be able to drive it to the mechanic.....

Does anyone want to throw some ideas out about what might have occurred and potential fixes ? I'm still hesitant to work on it because I don't want the mechanic to think I've been f*** around with it, but we're in a bit of a situation now.

[CasualNerd]

Ignore the last post - turns out it had a failing cam sensor, replaced and it starts up fine and runs even smoother than previously.

Mechanic has not been able to find the problem with the coolant, and said it didn't even have bubbles in the coolant until they gave up trying to replicate the problem and serviced it ready to send it home.

They have said this engine doesn't have an EGR cooler and if I want to get the head pulled off to dig any deeper I have to be prepared to replace the head entirely as they don't think it's likely to be a gasket issue.

Does anyone have any more suggestions ? According to the ETIS thread the engine in mine is a "Engine: 2.4L Duratorq-TDCi (135/140PS)-Puma" and from some diagrams online I see an EGR cooler but there seems to be a lot of Transit engine variants.