Mystery Coolant Loss 2.8 Crd

[Showman89]

Hi everyone, new member here and complete novice with Chrysler..

Got a perplexing and highly irritating problem.

Bought a GV last month, 64k miles, all the toys and stacks of paperwork and SH with it, for the purpose of serving myself and by band as a tour bus. I've always lived the look of them and the sheer space you get. I collected it from Hastings shortly after the auction ended on flea Bay, and drove home to Margate, a fair old drive. Got home no issues. Couple of days later I was doing a regular fluid check as I do on all my cars and noticed the header tank was empty. Topped it up, left bonnet up and once under load it all disappeared at a huge rate. The dreaded white smoke flooded the driveway which I instantly presumed to be a head gasket.. Only the head gasket was replaced at 59k with full Campbell kit + water pump.

I booked it in with my local yank specialists- a fantastic garage who I have dealt with before.

They still have the car, nearly 5 weeks later. It has had these jobs performed:

New Head gasket

New water pump and timing belt

Cylinder head skimmed and crack tested

Oil cooler checked

Every test they can think of has been performed and although its not smoking now, water is still making its way in to the oil. The bill is mounting up and the garage nor me have a clue of where to go next. The cars barely turnt a wheel and already owes me a packet.

Any advice would be very much appreciated, this is making me feel very ill and don't know where to turn.

[mikebh8]

Hi, not sure in your case but I once did at a car the whole head gasket and water pump and what not to find out it was from some washers in top of the valves. Do you get white cream on the oil cap? To see it I was running the car to London and back(about 200 miles)with 4 litres of water added along the trip.

 

Hope it helps.

[Showman89]

No cream, but there was water on the cap. Oil level is being pushed up the dipstick fairly quickly. Can't work it out!

[mikebh8]

You didn't drive it so the water will boil and mix with the oil but I would go for the valves. With an inspection camera you could tell for sure, when the cap is removed due you see water drops going all other the place in there?

[Showman89]

The garage has used high resolution cameras and performed just about every test possible on it. They've been working on the car for 5 weeks now.

[mikebh8]

Did you suggest them to check the top valve washers?

If is water under the rocker cover, 80% likely would be from the that, or cracked head...very unlikely.

Assuming the valves washer/s is not the water entry point, check the oil cooler, suggest them to pit pressure on the water connections(garden hose and tap water), checking the oil level is raising...with engine off.

Hope it helps.

Edited October 1, 2017 by mikebh8

[Showman89]

The last test performed was to take off the sump pan and pressurise the cooling system, water droplets could be seen up in the engine but where they are coming from is still a mystery.