Has my headgasket gone?

[ne jones]

My 200 tdi has run beautifully since I bought it in March this year.
Now showing 178k and for the first time ive had to top up the coolant.
Water was visible in the expansion tank but it was well below the cold marker. first signs of a problem may have been a few nights ago when I realised the heater was blowing cold.
There is no sign of coolant mixing with the oil and no pressurising of the system either.
When the engine is warm you can rev it and you watch the water in the expansion tank and there are no bubbles. However when you let the revs drop right off there is a big bubble each time you do it.
Was wondering if this indicates air in the system??????????????
Also after checking all the above I took a screwdriver to the jubilee clips on the various cooling pipes and found several of them needed tightening up a lot, although there were no obvious signs of water leakage.

So again I ask, HAS MY HEAD GASKET GONE???????????????? :?

[landraver]

Sounds fine mate!
Just top it up & keep an eye on it

[POTASH]

it sounds like an airlock to me

[Dr Neil]

If the heater was cold it might be worth checking you haven't got wet carpets inside below the dashboard to indicate a heater matrix leak which would also cause coolant loss and air bubbles.

just a thought

Neil.....

[ne jones]

If the heater was cold it might be worth checking you haven't got wet carpets inside below the dashboard to indicate a heater matrix leak which would also cause coolant loss and air bubbles.

just a thought

Neil.....

Yep forgot to say that ive had a good feel but nothings wet  :(biglaugh):

[ne jones]

If theres an airlock then I need to get the air out through the highest point in the system dont i?

There are 2 pipes coming through the bulkhead presumably from the heater matrix,one goes to the top of the cylinder head and the other to a metal pipe that eventually gets to the thermostat. Does anyone know which of these is the outlet from the heater? My guess is its the one into the cylinder head?

Just thinking about it is a faulty thermostat gonna give the problems i've got?

[Cal]

Does the level stay at the same level once it has dropped if you see what I mean?

On my 300Tdi, I was getting a small leak from the seal about half way down the tank - it never let enough out to really notice and the level used to settle just below half way and stay there.

Put a new tank on and not had any probs since...

[landandy]

I think your disco has traped wind in heater. Had same prob it was a sod to burp as they all are. take to garage tell them wot prob is. Then its up to them if they have prob you take back untill they get it right at no extra cost.

[Richard-E]

A leaking head gasket can cause loss of coolant without showing any other symptom, such as air bubbles or foaming oil.

It would be well worth checking the compression in each cylinder, with a compression tester. They should all give the same reading to within a gnat's whisker.

[muddysteve]

@180000 its due for one

every 90000 seems to be the timesclae on 200s