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MG MGF Technical - Losing Coolant

I haven't checked my coolant level since my first service at begin of sept 2003. I drove the car last night for the first time in about 5 days and noticed there was hardly and hot/warm air coming from the air vents, I checked the coolant tank and there was nearly no fluid!! is it usual to lose so much coolant... I checked the level straight after the service and it was and 3/4 full!!

Just as a note I did sit in a 3hr traffic jam about 2 weeks ago if that makes more sense....
Darran

>>is it usual to lose so much coolant...<<
The cooling system is sealed. ANY loss (or gain!) is bad news and needs investigation. Air has almost certainly entered the system and so the system MUST be bled as it's topped up.
Check your oil levels !

>>Just as a note I did sit in a 3hr traffic jam about 2 weeks ago if that makes more sense.... <<
Not really, the car should idle in traffic for as long as it has petrol.

I should not worry too much about the coolant loss - just get the garage to bleed it and then check carefully for some days/weeks afterwards.
Steve

The MGF/TF cooling system should not loose coolant, there is either a) a leak in the system or b) the coolant cap has failed. Look at the inside of the cap. if the rivet has popped the cap has failed.

When full the expansion bottle should be no more than half full, this level should remain even at temperature, if the coolant level rises when the car is hot, then again the cap has failed and should be replaced.

I would recommend that you return to your dealer ASAP and have them perform a pressure check on the system.

Tim
tim woolcott

Thanks guys!!!!
Darran

I had HGF and they put in new head....and after 3 weeks coolant very low. These guys are right.....air in the system ....so it went back and had coolant flush and now its fine....I think.....actually running lot better than before...with air trapped.
touch wood.

good luck.
Mal

I've got the car booked in for sat/mon. They said they'd look at it sat and prob do the work on mon....but can't lend me a courtesy car! considering in the last 2 months I've had a service with them and then waited 5 weeks to have a faulty window regulator fixed under warranty!!! how many more probs!!!

I got home last night after the car had been left all day and filled the tank with water to nearly the top and then tokk the car for a 30min drive and then got back left it for about an hour and then checked and the water level had gone down by about 1 1/2 inches! so I filled it back up and checked it this morning before work and the level is still the same....so it's not leaking when left. I did notice that the orange coolant in the tank had a dirty green subtance floating near the top which got me worrying about HGF! but there's no mayo in the oil filler cap etc...

Obviously I'm having it checked but any first thoughts or am I being a little paranoid etc ???

Thanks guys!
Darran

DON'T FILL THE COOLANT TANK TO THE BRIM... Sorry to shout. The Max level should only be half way up the tank. If you overfill the coolant tank/system you will either a) just loose coolant though the cap or worse b) over pressurise the system causing more serious problems.......

I not sure what the green stuff is but an if oil and water are mixing (HGF) either a film of oil or yellow goo will usually show in the coolant.

Have you looked under the car to see if there is any coolant loss there...?

Tim
tim woolcott

Darran,

How far away are you from Stansted?

Reply via Email to AP1000000 *at* aol.com

SF

(substitute *at* with @)
Scarlet Fever

Tim < I've not been able to look under the car properly as it's either been raining/wet or too dark to have a proper look.

The strange film in the coolant tank seems a bit like a mouldy green colour rather than yellow.

I'm in the process of getting MGR to insist I get a courtesy car whilst mine's being looked at due to the excessive amount of problems I've had with a 15 month old car!

Can I just say how impressed I've been with dealership with comments like:

"we can't lend you a demonstrator car sir, they're all used by our salesman and do you expect them to get the bus home?".
Darran

Darren,

Perhaps you ought to say

"YES, I do expect the salesmen to take the bus home, what do you think I'm having to do"

"Courtesy cars are for the benefit of the customers not the bl**dy staff.....!"

Or something like that......

Tim
tim woolcott

Ha ha Tim my response was a little more aggressive than that!!! I can understand there being no courtesy cars but they must have demonstrator models!!! When I purchased my TF they told me that I couldn't test a 160 as it was on loan to a customer who had purchased a 160 and it developed a gear box prob on day 5.
Darran

>Ha ha Tim my response was a little more aggressive than that!!!<

So you went around with a BIG stick then.....!
tim woolcott

No but I like your idea better!!!!

I mean how useless are they!? with all the watchdog reports floating around at the moment you'd think they'd be overly cautious about these things and doing all they can for customer satisfaction! Not we'll have a look when we get a spare 5 mins and you can't have a replacement car whilst we're scratching our ar*ses!
Darran

When my vauxhall broke down for the 2nd time, there were no courtesy cars available - so the dealer hired a car for me. there was no fuss about it, no excuses; I hadn't bought the car there and it was over 3 years old.
The lack of courtesy cars is their problem, not yours.
They got the service wrong and they should handle the consequences with the least possible disruption to you.
Steve

I totally agree Steve, it's got to the point where it's embarrasing when people keep saying "where's your car?" and I have to explain there's another problem and it's at the dealers!

Surely if there's no courtesy cars available then they'll have to

A)Hire a car or B)lend me a demo or similar car.

The MGR dealerships customer service is terrible and I don't know how they get away with it!! less than 2 months ago I waited 5 weeks for a faulty electric window to be fixed!! 5 weeks!!! they could have ordered me a new car entirely in the same time!
Darran

U know how i said my car was back and running better.....well it is........but my coolant seems to be vanishing again! So this 3rd trip to the MGR dealer in Eltham....looks on the cards. Is there any chance my engine has been sozzled so badly by the HGF initially that they're trying to do a coverup....as its under warranty they would have to give me a new engine wouldnt they.

Looks like i've bought a lemon......any thoughts dudes!
Mal

Guys, After a few words from the legend that is Scarlet I've pretty much diagnosed a HGF...my signs being loss of coolant, greeny film in coolant tank, oil leak under car, and milky coffee style goo on the oil dip stick... I'm gonna phone britannia rescue tonight and get them to transport the car to the dealers for sat morning.

I'll keep you all posted!

Thanks for all the helpful advice people!!!
Darran

>> milky coffee style goo on the oil dip stick... <<

:-(

The car is booked in for the weekend and (being a TF i assume it is under warrantee so you *shouldn't* have any problems). *If* they confirm it is an HGF then can you fill in your details on the Hall Of Shame:

>> http://www.shame.4mg.com <<

As this is the only stats we have on the problem and is entirely dependant on the data entered.

:-(

SF
Scarlet Fever

SF I really hope I don't have any hassle! I could really do without! I only had the car serviced in start of sept plus it was back at the dealers less than a month ago having the window reg fixed!!!

Does anyone know how long the strikes are gonna be for on the circle and hammersmith & city lines???
Darran

Demand a courtesy car !!!!
S Laithwaite

Stephen < I've tried mate, even rang MGR themselves and moaned and moaned... even felt like getting the girlfriend to ring them coz she's alot better at moaning that I am ;-)

At this point I'm so pi*ssed off that all I want is the problem fixed asap!
Darran

The twist in the tale!!!

The dealers that I'm taking it to on sat have just phoned to say that the last service was done by another dealer and was done a couple of thousand miles outside the normal service period so it's not covered by warranty for HGF!!!!!

even thought the last garage said it was ok and got a letter sent to me saying that all is fine and in future please get serviced on time..

This has got to be the worst service I have ever recieved from anyone!!!! they even had the cheek to tell me that there's an 0800 hotline by mgr for HGF's !!! and they still insist in messing me around! it's the whole we've got you're £20k now so we're not bothered after that... next please!!!
Darran

Mention Watchdog.
Ddraig

What a shower of ba&*tards.

For what it is worth when I had the obligatory HGF I hadn't had my 12,000 mile service done. The mileage at the time of the HGF was 29,000 and I did have the 24,000 mile service done.

Now the dealer did say they didn't know whether or not it would be covered under warranty and said they would contact MGR. All ended well with MGR agreeing to stand by it and so they bloody should in my very humble opinion.

If I were you I would bitch like hell and not give in. Get it fixed and get shot of it because believe me it will happen again.

S Laithwaite

For the first time I'm actually looking around for others cars... due to the bad luck and very bad service I've been dealt!

You would have thought that with all the bad press ie. watchdog lately they'd have bent over backwards to help me e.g. here's our own TF 160 demo car for you to use so you're not inconvienienced and we'll have this sorted asap. but no I get so no cars mate... do you expect our salesman to get the bus? and oh well we can have a look but can't promise it'll be fixed soon...and most recently well it was serviced by another dealers last month and it was a few thousand miles over the interval even though they agreed all to be fine and so did mgr and even though I've done 800miles since they're now saying they need to wait to speak to their warranty dept on monday so I've got another few days with the car I've paid good money for!
Darran

Just a quick update... took it to the dealers via Britannia Rescue transporter on sat morning and had it diagnosed as HGF!!! on a 02 TF 160 with 22k !!!

Just off to update the Hall of Shame !!
Darran

This thread was discussed between 12/11/2003 and 17/11/2003

MG MGF Technical index

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