3S-GTE Losing water/Overheating. Suggestions to diagnose cause?

[OnAll-FOUR]

does it have to be?

I was under the impression that it will still pick up traces of the gases that have been aborbed by the coolant?

[ACT blue 22]

No i don't think that a BHG has to follow a set of rules but there are always symptoms some where or another its just a matter of finding it.

the coolant doesn't have to be bubbling at all for the TK test to be positive there just has to be any trace of gas leaking into the system, but small head gasket leaks don't always show upon the TK t

[OnAll-FOUR]

Well i found some other suspects for the cause

one nut is missing and some of the other nuts holding on my DP were loose. IT was still held against the turbo but this could be a possible exhaust leak right behind the radiator which wouldn't help things.

I think I have been neglecting this car a bit ;(

[Dale]

Are you sure the water pump isn't leaking? Often they leak out of the weep hole which is hard to see on these engines, and it's more common they leak after long runs.

[OnAll-FOUR]

Another thing to check, thank you

[pauljones1976]

I have been chasing a water leak in my VT commodore for 2 and a half years. It was losing water slowly then the temp gauge would fluctuate and eventually overheat.

One day I forgot to fill it with water and it overheated badly, blew the seal in the water pump and one inlet manifold gasket crumbled -> water in the oil.

I didn't do the heads or gaskets, and it kept leaking. But only a little loss over time.

I checked everywhere, but because the water was leaking so slowly (and i was a little lax in my observation of the light trail of brown water along the chassis rail on the driver side) I couldn't locate the problem.

The night before my wedding, the plastic heater distribution tap finally cracked enough to start leaking onto the exhaust manifold.

And that was the cause of all my headaches for 2 and a half years. So sometimes it's worth checking the rest of the cooling system - there's bound to be a connection loose, or a pinhole in a hose, or some other small thing which causes loss of water. The heater is so hard to check because most of the time (well in QLD anyway) you drive around with the tap closed.

Anyways, my 2c.

-Paul.