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So a while back I opened my radiator cap to burp the system using those yellow funnels. When re-installing the cap i found it a fit fidgety to re-install. I think it was just me being paranoid but I couldnt find a clear start line and end line to insert the cap and twist it to. I twisted by hand and it was very tight. Anyway long story short, I noticed coolant under the car and upon inspecting I see bright pinkish/whiteish residue all over the top of the engine. At first I thought damn the waterpump again. But following the trail it looks like the source of the crust is the actual radiator cap. Maybe I did not re-fit it properly or something. All the pink crust seems to be under the radiator cap and around it. Nothing seems to have splashed back up to the engine cover though. I've attached a photo.
Question is, can a faulty cap actually leak? if the cap is super tight in there how will it leak? how does it seal itself from leaking? i'm assuming there is a big rubber gasket that is compressed when the cap is twisted and tightened?
Could it be that I incorrectly re-fitted the cap and it's not 100% sealed? If that's the case could I start up the engine with some cloths around it and see if it leaks if it does then turn the car off and try and refit it and repeat the test?
So a while back I opened my radiator cap to burp the system using those yellow funnels. When re-installing the cap i found it a fit fidgety to re-install. I think it was just me being paranoid but I couldnt find a clear start line and end line to insert the cap and twist it to. I twisted by hand and it was very tight. Anyway long story short, I noticed coolant under the car and upon inspecting I see bright pinkish/whiteish residue all over the top of the engine. At first I thought damn the waterpump again. But following the trail it looks like the source of the crust is the actual radiator cap. Maybe I did not re-fit it properly or something. All the pink crust seems to be under the radiator cap and around it. Nothing seems to have splashed back up to the engine cover though. I've attached a photo.
Question is, can a faulty cap actually leak? if the cap is super tight in there how will it leak? how does it seal itself from leaking? i'm assuming there is a big rubber gasket that is compressed when the cap is twisted and tightened?
Could it be that I incorrectly re-fitted the cap and it's not 100% sealed? If that's the case could I start up the engine with some cloths around it and see if it leaks if it does then turn the car off and try and refit it and repeat the test?
I'm guessing I should replace with OEM? aftermarket no good? Anyone know the OEM part number?
I had a thread that I started where my rad cap broke and it was the original and lasted until 2020!! It opened a can of worms for me but it fixed a few other issues I had such as air in the system where I would hear the water rushing sound when starting up, and also findung a upper hose clamp that was probably not sealing when new and it leaked coolant from there.
08-06-20, 12:52 PM
coolant crust all over top of engine
